i'm electrically stumped, help out will ya?

[yz_gt69 10+ year member]

ok guys and girls.

the girl's car, an 01 Grand Am, is beating the hell outta me.

The battery keeps dying. yes i know, thats not too amazing, but i cant figure it out whatsoever. I've searched as many other posts as possible and haven't got much out of them.

So:

You leave it for a day or whatever and it dies, this happens inconsistently though, sometimes it'll be fine for a month then it'll shit the bed again. this leads me to suspect a dead short, something shifting

She has a system and alarm in addition to the rest of the components. I've tested for current flow a couple diff ways, unhooking the -'ve terminal and putting a voltmeter from battery +'ve to the -'ve ground point, and also left the battery connected and just watched the voltage over a period of time, the potential didn't decrease (did this a number of times with a) the door open and int light on for a comparitive potential drop, alarm disarmed. b) with the amp disconnected, alarm disarmed. c) with the alarm armed.)

I dont want to make this intial post too long or boring so i'll stop here and as soon as ideas pop please fire away.

p.s. i've pulled relays and fuses one by one trying to find draws and that didnt yield anything.

Click to read more...

 

[dewitt88 10+ year member]

http://www.grandamv6.com/forum/

They can help. I have a grand am as well and I have never encountered this problem before. Does the security light stay on?

 

[yz_gt69 10+ year member]

yes it does, o and i was moving the factory deck around (in the trunk) yesterday and it powered up momentarily? any thoughts on that?

 

[dewitt88 10+ year member]

Security on the dash stays on all the time?

 

[yz_gt69 10+ year member]

well the light on the the monsoon factory deck blinks all the time if i remember correct, then there's another on the aftermarket deck ( with the faceplate off ), and if the system is armed then obviously the compustar led blinks as well

 

[charger265]

hi check any newly add screws may go in wirering and how much sound gear add eg amps,head unit regards charger265

 

[dewitt88 10+ year member]

I am saying a "Security" Light on the Cluster....I am referring to possibly the Passlock on the car enabling...I know passlock can cause a battery to die but if it enables it will stop the car from starting...

 

[yz_gt69 10+ year member]

they're hasn't really been any new screws recently,

i think this actually started after we installed her system, it was july 05, and i had to get her a new battery in november, but at the time it just seemed like the battery was pooched, now in november of 06 it i had to get her another.

so this suggests the system, but i've torn it apart since and can't find any wires crossing up and exposed...

 

[yz_gt69 10+ year member]

I am saying a "Security" Light on the Cluster....I am referring to possibly the Passlock on the car enabling...I know passlock can cause a battery to die but if it enables it will stop the car from starting...

oh ok sorry, no it's not on

 

[Silver 10+ year member]

Check alt, battery, ect. Unplug the alt when its running.

Also for the system, where is the rem wire hooked up too?

Do a parasitic Drain Test. Something is being left on in the vehicle that is drawing way too much power.

Shut car off, grab a Fluke start checkin fuses and see how many milliamps are being drawn from each fuse. Total, there should not be more than 25miliamps.

 

[yz_gt69 10+ year member]

hey guys,

i made some progress yesterday

i think the wiring going to the factory deck ( hidden in the trunk ) may have a dead short. I disconnected the live power wire at the aftermarket deck and the current draw went from .11 amps ( !!! ) to 0, so today i'll pull that line of wires, my question now is, if it's not an exposed wire, what should i be looking for??