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Old 08-24-2010, 03:01 PM   #1
Milk 1027
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Battery draining?

I got into my car the other night and I noticed the interior light was a bit dim. I started the car and turned on the light again and it was much brighter.

I know this might be normal, but when the car isn't running and the light is on, it gets very dim. To the point where it looks like it might be going out.


So I checked my voltage on the DIC and it was at 11.5 volts. As soon as I started the car it jumped back up to the normal 14.2-14.5 V.


So I turned off the car and sat in it with the Key turned so I could see the DIC and the interior light on. The voltage started going down immediately. I didn't let it go down past 11.5, but I'm sure it would've if I let it.



I just want to know if this is normal and I'm not freaking out for no reason.
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Old 08-24-2010, 03:51 PM   #2
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12.6 v is 100% charged battery. Most charged batteries will sit around 13v. Sounds like your battery has one bad cell. Every car battery has 6 cells at 2.1v each. With one bad it will do what your battery is doing.
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Old 08-24-2010, 03:58 PM   #3
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Milk that is not normal. A normal car battery at rest should be at about 12.8 to about 13 VDC. What it sounds like is a short of some type or something that is on that is draining the battery.

I had something similar happen in my 65 Mustang GT when I put in a amplifer. Somehow I pinched one of the power wires and it would kill the battery in two days.

I would look at anything you just added or took apart and see if somehow a wire got pinched.

Good luck and let me know what you find.
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Old 08-24-2010, 03:59 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by HeavyD View Post
12.6 v is 100% charged battery. Most charged batteries will sit around 13v. Sounds like your battery has one bad cell. Every car battery has 6 cells at 2.1v each. With one bad it will do what your battery is doing.
And what HeavyD said also. That also happened to my 65 as it had a bad cell.
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Old 08-24-2010, 04:01 PM   #5
Milk 1027
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My car is 100% stock. All I did was take off the engine cover. And that was 4,000 miles ago.

I might take it to the dealership and see waht they say.
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Old 08-24-2010, 04:11 PM   #6
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My car is 100% stock. All I did was take off the engine cover. And that was 4,000 miles ago.

I might take it to the dealership and see waht they say.
Milk, did you have the SS battery cable fix yet on your car? There was a tech bulletin that indicated that SS models had a problem with the battery cable too close to the exhaust or something like that and it needed to be replaced and rerouted.
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Old 08-24-2010, 04:20 PM   #7
Milk 1027
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Originally Posted by GearHeadPeter View Post
Milk, did you have the SS battery cable fix yet on your car? There was a tech bulletin that indicated that SS models had a problem with the battery cable too close to the exhaust or something like that and it needed to be replaced and rerouted.
I believe that was only in Early VIN builds. The problem was fixed in later VINs

My VIN is close to 100K
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Old 08-24-2010, 04:57 PM   #8
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My son's 77 Camaro was draining a battery every two days due to a shorting ground wire in the tail light. Took us forever to track that one down.
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