Battery died during storage = host of issues - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

DonM · 03-04-2023, 12:27 AM

My 2013 1LS has been in storage basically since early October. Since then, it has been taken on 2 short errands when the wife's car wasn't available.

I needed to take it out a few weeks ago, when the wife was using her car, but it was STONE dead (I don't have a trickle charger for it yet - never needed one).

After the wife came home, I got my dad's manual charger and hooked it up to charge the battery. It has a 12v/2a setting, so I put it on that and left it for a day or two. The car started fine (after hesitating for a second or so), but I was getting a noise that sounded like a pulley going bad. I was advised by another group that the computer was telling the alternator that the battery was still low and caused the alt to put out extra voltage to charge the battery, which is what was causing the noise

I had to make a pizza run last night, so I took the Camaro. It started fine, no extra noises, BUT the aftermarket stereo (Professionally installed) wouldn't power up. I only drove it about 3 - 4 miles, but on the way home, the battery light came on and I got the message "Service Battery Charging System," and the noises were back. The battery light did go out after a minute or so, but the noises were worse.

So once I got back home, I put the car back in the garage and decided not to try and drive it again, until it's scheduled to go into the shop for the faulty fuel pressure sensor and wheel bearing, but I WOULD like to know WTF is going on.

If I'd had know letting it sit this winter out was going to cause issues, I would have drove it more often (especially since this winter has been so mild so far).

ronwc · 03-04-2023, 01:50 AM

A 2A charger will keep a charged battery topped off, but is not really enough to charge an already dead battery. Try putting it on about 10 amps overnight, or if the battery is more than about 4 years old, just get a new battery.

DonM · 03-04-2023, 03:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ronwc

A 2A charger will keep a charged battery topped off, but is not really enough to charge an already dead battery. Try putting it on about 10 amps overnight, or if the battery is more than about 4 years old, just get a new battery.

The charger has two settings: 12v/6a and 12v/2a. I had it on the 12/6 for about 2 days and switched it to the 12/2 for about 4 days, that's when I took it off since it's a manual charger, not an automatic charger and I didn't want to 'cook' my battery.

If storing the car for the winter is going to become normal, I will buy an automatic charger and just leave it hooked up all winter next time on the trickle setting. The battery is ROUGHLY 2 - 3 years old.

These issues that popped up have me completely stumped.

DonM · 03-04-2023, 04:28 AM

Now something else ... Against my better judgement (and to make up for the pizza place screwing up my Autistic son's order last night), I drove the car to a donut shop less than 1/2 mile from the house to get his favorite donut (a cinnamon roll w/maple icing).

While waiting at the drive thru window, the message: "Battery Saver Active" popped up. So now I suppose it's safe to believe that my alternator is fried.

HDRDTD · 03-04-2023, 04:54 AM

If that's still the original battery, it's time for a new one.
Expect 6-7 years on average for batteries these days.

bottletalk · 03-04-2023, 05:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonM

Now something else ... Against my better judgement (and to make up for the pizza place screwing up my Autistic son's order last night), I drove the car to a donut shop less than 1/2 mile from the house to get his favorite donut (a cinnamon roll w/maple icing).

While waiting at the drive thru window, the message: "Battery Saver Active" popped up. So now I suppose it's safe to believe that my alternator is fried.

have a volt meter? test the battery when it's off then test it when it's running. with the car running it'll be around 13.5volts, if ur not getting this u have an issue with ur alternator. with the car off the battery should be 12-12.5....so far it sounds like ur battery.

DonM · 03-04-2023, 06:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bottletalk

have a volt meter? test the battery when it's off then test it when it's running. with the car running it'll be around 13.5volts, if ur not getting this u have an issue with ur alternator. with the car off the battery should be 12-12.5....so far it sounds like ur battery.

According to the DIC screen, the battery was @ 11.2 with the car running (if that thing is accurate).

bstromback2002 · 03-04-2023, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DonM

According to the DIC screen, the battery was @ 11.2 with the car running (if that thing is accurate).

How long was the car running? If you had just started it you need to give he ecm some time to ramp the voltage up to a normal voltage. Especially after a dead battery. Cars don’t do what they used to just instantly start charging at around 14 volts. It varies the voltage according to demand. And if you had just started it off a low or dead battery it will slowly ramp up voltage.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Mr_Draco · 03-04-2023, 08:50 AM

Everything you are describing is normal signs of a bad battery. Change the battery and the issues will go away.

silversleeper · 03-04-2023, 09:06 AM

autozone for free alternator and battery checkup with their testor.

I just bought a 135amp handheld testor,, an old school type for 40$ minus 15% coupon avail online for harbor freight testor. I wanted something to put a load on the battery to get easy display on a meter how alternator and battery were doing besides just volt meter. Batteries being $100 or more these days I didn't want to just throw new batteries at a problem if my alternator was at fault. Although it's about 3 to 1 if there is a problem its the battery vs alternator or belt.

0stones0 · 03-04-2023, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bottletalk

have a volt meter? test the battery when it's off then test it when it's running. with the car running it'll be around 13.5volts, if ur not getting this u have an issue with ur alternator. with the car off the battery should be 12-12.5....so far it sounds like ur battery.

At 12 volts, a battery is considered fully discharged and “flat”. Needs to be charged pronto.
I’ve always heard that a battery under 12.5 is the beginning of a problem.

Bee · 03-04-2023, 10:38 AM

I picked up one of these from Amazon a few months ago to troubleshoot an issue with my truck's battery. It takes out a lot of the guesswork.

DonM · 03-04-2023, 10:43 AM

Great suggestions, all of you. I gave my NEW mechanic (Camaro Club APPROVED, mechanic) a heads up. I really had no plans on driving the car for at least another month or so, when good weather comes around and STAYS, this was just one of those things, so I'll probably let him look at everything when I get it to his shop.

bottletalk · 03-04-2023, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 0stones0

At 12 volts, a battery is considered fully discharged and “flat”. Needs to be charged pronto.
I’ve always heard that a battery under 12.5 is the beginning of a problem.

batteries form crystals on the plates when current doesn't flow through them, the longer the time the larger these crystals become. 90% of the time if a battery still reads 12vdc the sulfation is reversible but the battery loses a bit of its capacity to hold charge which lowers its ability to supply power(v*I).

03-04-2023, 12:27 AM	#1
DonM Camaro #4 Drives: 2017-Hyper Blue Metallic-2LTmanual Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: NE Ohio (Akron) Posts: 1,213	Battery died during storage = host of issues My 2013 1LS has been in storage basically since early October. Since then, it has been taken on 2 short errands when the wife's car wasn't available. I needed to take it out a few weeks ago, when the wife was using her car, but it was STONE dead (I don't have a trickle charger for it yet - never needed one). After the wife came home, I got my dad's manual charger and hooked it up to charge the battery. It has a 12v/2a setting, so I put it on that and left it for a day or two. The car started fine (after hesitating for a second or so), but I was getting a noise that sounded like a pulley going bad. I was advised by another group that the computer was telling the alternator that the battery was still low and caused the alt to put out extra voltage to charge the battery, which is what was causing the noise I had to make a pizza run last night, so I took the Camaro. It started fine, no extra noises, BUT the aftermarket stereo (Professionally installed) wouldn't power up. I only drove it about 3 - 4 miles, but on the way home, the battery light came on and I got the message "Service Battery Charging System," and the noises were back. The battery light did go out after a minute or so, but the noises were worse. So once I got back home, I put the car back in the garage and decided not to try and drive it again, until it's scheduled to go into the shop for the faulty fuel pressure sensor and wheel bearing, but I WOULD like to know WTF is going on. If I'd had know letting it sit this winter out was going to cause issues, I would have drove it more often (especially since this winter has been so mild so far). __________________ Don M Supercharged LGX + 6 speed manual = FUN!!

03-04-2023, 04:28 AM	#4
DonM Camaro #4 Drives: 2017-Hyper Blue Metallic-2LTmanual Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: NE Ohio (Akron) Posts: 1,213	Now something else ... Against my better judgement (and to make up for the pizza place screwing up my Autistic son's order last night), I drove the car to a donut shop less than 1/2 mile from the house to get his favorite donut (a cinnamon roll w/maple icing). While waiting at the drive thru window, the message: "Battery Saver Active" popped up. So now I suppose it's safe to believe that my alternator is fried. __________________ Don M Supercharged LGX + 6 speed manual = FUN!!

03-04-2023, 10:38 AM	#12
Bee Drives: SS/RS - Rally Yellow Join Date: May 2009 Location: Levittown, PA Posts: 595 View My Garage	I picked up one of these from Amazon a few months ago to troubleshoot an issue with my truck's battery. It takes out a lot of the guesswork. __________________ Check out my build here. SEPA5 South Eastern Pennsylvania 5th Gen Camaro Club

03-04-2023, 10:43 AM	#13
DonM Camaro #4 Drives: 2017-Hyper Blue Metallic-2LTmanual Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: NE Ohio (Akron) Posts: 1,213	Great suggestions, all of you. I gave my NEW mechanic (Camaro Club APPROVED, mechanic) a heads up. I really had no plans on driving the car for at least another month or so, when good weather comes around and STAYS, this was just one of those things, so I'll probably let him look at everything when I get it to his shop. __________________ Don M Supercharged LGX + 6 speed manual = FUN!!

03-04-2023, 01:50 AM	#2
ronwc 2011 Camaro RS conv Drives: 2011 camaro rs Join Date: Jun 2021 Location: largo, fl Posts: 18	A 2A charger will keep a charged battery topped off, but is not really enough to charge an already dead battery. Try putting it on about 10 amps overnight, or if the battery is more than about 4 years old, just get a new battery.

03-04-2023, 04:54 AM	#5
HDRDTD Drives: 2013 Triple Black ZL1 Vert M6 ECF Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Trenton, Michigan Posts: 7,047	If that's still the original battery, it's time for a new one. Expect 6-7 years on average for batteries these days.

03-04-2023, 08:50 AM	#9
Mr_Draco Drives: 2SS/RS Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Western North Carolina Posts: 7,200	Everything you are describing is normal signs of a bad battery. Change the battery and the issues will go away.

03-04-2023, 09:06 AM	#10
silversleeper Big Crow Drives: '13 ZL1 Join Date: Mar 2017 Location: California Posts: 1,493	autozone for free alternator and battery checkup with their testor. I just bought a 135amp handheld testor,, an old school type for 40$ minus 15% coupon avail online for harbor freight testor. I wanted something to put a load on the battery to get easy display on a meter how alternator and battery were doing besides just volt meter. Batteries being $100 or more these days I didn't want to just throw new batteries at a problem if my alternator was at fault. Although it's about 3 to 1 if there is a problem its the battery vs alternator or belt.