Prowler battery keeps going dead
#1427375
04/29/13 09:49 AM
04/29/13 09:49 AM
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Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 5,048 Atlanta Indiana
Dave Watt
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Posts: 5,048
Atlanta Indiana
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My dad bought his 2000 Prowler new. It now has 10,000 miles. The original battery died 2? years ago so he bought a new Mopar battery. The car sits during the winter but lately even if it sits a week or two, you can tell the battery is low, or it might not start at all. Once the car is started and driven, it will start just fine, even the next day. Right now it's fully charged so we pulled the negative battery cable and ran a volt meter between the negative cable and negative post, 10 volt reading. So we then took a reading from positive cable to positive post and got 12 volts. We kept the meter on and pulled each fuse individually to see if that would make a difference in the positive side readings, no change. When pulling fuses, the driver door has to be open to access the fuseblock, so there could be a slight electric draw becase of the interior light. Am I doing this check properly or is there some other way to see what might be draining the battery? Or could he just have gotten a bad battery? I let my Duster sit all winter with the battery connected and never have any trouble with it starting. Thanks in advance for any advice.
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Re: Prowler battery keeps going dead
[Re: RapidRobert]
#1427383
04/30/13 01:20 PM
04/30/13 01:20 PM
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Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,857 Oregon
hooziewhatsit
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I've always connected the ammeter between the battery and the cable, then after the computers go to sleep, start pulling fuses one by one until the draw goes away.
If you take them all out, then put them back in one by one, when you get to the ECUs you'll see a big load that may go away in a few minutes by itself.
I'd also manually close the door switch; some newer cars have them in the latch mechanism, so you just manually 'close' that from the outside.
If you ever find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck.
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Re: Prowler battery keeps going dead
[Re: pacifica]
#1427384
04/30/13 08:52 PM
04/30/13 08:52 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 27,421 Balt. Md
383man
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Quote:
You want to check for a "parasitic draw". You need to check for amps/miliamps (NOT volts). Should be LESS than 50 miliamps (.050 amps) after sitting for 1/2 hour or more ( have to give time for the modules/network to go to sleep). Put fuses back, start car and run. Operate all accesories and then shut off, shut doors and re-test. PM me if you need more info/help about this procedure.
This man is 100% correct. You need to hook an ammetter in series with the battery cable (dont matter which cable when hooked in series) and check the draw down into milliamps as was said. A test lite or voltmeter wont read correctly or right hooked in series. I like to use my Fluke meter on the 10 amp scale so it will give a good reading of amps until it times down into milliamps. As was said you want about 50 milliamps or less and yes it can take up to 20 minutes for all the controllers to time out. And of course if it dont time down to less then 50 milliamps you start diagnosing by unhooking the circuits until you find it. Many techs have different ways they like to unhook the circuits but pulling the fuses is the easiest thing to start with. Ron
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Re: Prowler battery keeps going dead
[Re: 383man]
#1427385
05/01/13 08:34 AM
05/01/13 08:34 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,050 Niles , Ohio
therocks
oh wait.but hey.lets see.oh yeah.
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oh wait.but hey.lets see.oh yeah.
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,050
Niles , Ohio
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Before going to all that trouble drive to any parts store and have the battery checked.They do it free.12 volts isnt a fully charged battery.Should be minimum 12.6 volts.Leaving new cars sit with batterys hooked up drains them no matter what.Cold weather will drain them even faster as the batt loses power in the cold.I did quick checks at work for drains.Just unhook the neg cable and hook my test light between the neg cable and neg post.No light or very dim its OK and no drain.I checked hundreds of systems like that.Rocky
Chrysler Firepower
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Re: Prowler battery keeps going dead
[Re: Dave Watt]
#1427386
05/01/13 10:30 AM
05/01/13 10:30 AM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 74,907 U.S.S.A.
JohnRR
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Quote:
I let my Duster sit all winter with the battery connected and never have any trouble with it starting. Thanks in advance for any advice.
Dave you really can't compare the duster to a new car , especially if the duster is stock. I don't think there is anything that has the need for memory and it continuously drawing power to maintain it.
I'd have the battery tested down at Vatozone and otherwise put a battery tender on it .
Also I agree with Alex , you need to look at current draw not voltage drop.
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Re: Prowler battery keeps going dead
[Re: JohnRR]
#1427387
05/01/13 06:10 PM
05/01/13 06:10 PM
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Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 1,822 Colorado
denfireguy
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The Duster does not have a computer that likes to have steady voltage to keep it from forgetting all it knows. Or an electronic transmission with adaptive shifting that is trying to remember how you drove it last. Or a radio that knows that 90.1 WFYI is your favorite station. They do not draw much current, in the micro amps, but they do draw. A Harbor Frieght wall wart trickle charger is all you need. Craig
2014 Ram 1500 Laramie, 73 Cuda Previous mopars: 62 Valiant, 65 Fury III, 68 Fury III, 72 Satellite, 74 Satellite, 89 Acclaim, 98 Caravan, 2003 Durango Only previous Non-Mopar: Schwinn Tornado
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Re: Prowler battery keeps going dead
[Re: Dave Watt]
#1427390
05/02/13 12:00 PM
05/02/13 12:00 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 74,907 U.S.S.A.
JohnRR
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I Win
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Quote:
I've never owned a newer car that sat for more than a week, but does everyone have to put a trickle charger on a new Challenger or Viper that they only drive in the summer?
you would have to or the battery will be dead over the winter unless it is disconnected. I have a car in my garage on a battery tender and my truck should have been on one out in my driveway , battery is D E A D
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Re: Prowler battery keeps going dead
[Re: JohnRR]
#1427391
05/02/13 01:45 PM
05/02/13 01:45 PM
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,050 Niles , Ohio
therocks
oh wait.but hey.lets see.oh yeah.
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oh wait.but hey.lets see.oh yeah.
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 21,050
Niles , Ohio
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Even my 98 Harley will drain the battery if not on the tender.Its injected and stereo.If it sits thru the winter it wont start unless it gets charged.Now my tender keeps it up.My 58 gets on the tender also.Depending on the car some will draw a lot.Typically Caddys etc have memory for seat steering wheel etc.Just extra draw and most new cars have 2 computers drawing.Rocky
Chrysler Firepower
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Re: Prowler battery keeps going dead
[Re: therocks]
#1427392
05/02/13 10:54 PM
05/02/13 10:54 PM
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Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 5,180 upstate western ny
sogtx
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With all these hypotheses , ive come to the conclusion That Dad MUsT drive the car daily to keep the battery Charged ... Do you have a meter thatll measure current ? Is there an Alarm system ? Youre on the right tract ..
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Re: Prowler battery keeps going dead
[Re: sogtx]
#1427393
05/03/13 08:22 AM
05/03/13 08:22 AM
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 277 Palmyra, NY
63stabamatic
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As Pacifica said, current should be less that 50mA (.050Amps) test the current draw with a digital multimeter (DVM) start on the highest scale, usually 10Amps, and put it in series with one of the battery wires, make sure everything is off and the doors are shut. If it's too low to read switch to a lower scale. I've seen the "keep alive" currents on radios etc. go right out of sight on current draw. Other causes; Brake lights on, dome lights, hood lamps, dash switches on, I've seen them all. It's possible it's the alternator itself. Watch the current and pull fuses until it goes away. More than likely it's a device that is out of spec on current draw. Get the service manual and see what it says or talk with a Mopar tech. You might want to take the car to a good vehicle electrical shop that does alternators and starters etc. they could diagnose the problem I'm sure.
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