I have a 2001 CL S with 155,000 miles on it. My battery was nearly dead one morning a couple weeks ago (I still had interior lights and radio, but the engine wouldn't start). I jumped it, drove it to an Acura dealer and had a new battery installed.

Three days later, the battery is dead, completely dead this time. I jumped it and took it back to the dealer. They couldn't find a problem.

Three days later, the battery is completely dead again. This time I notice the positive battery cable clamp is loose, but I take it to the dealer anyway. They clean the terminals and make sure the cable clamps are tight, and I think the problem is solved.

Eight days later, the battery is completely dead, again. The dealer keeps it for 4 days, has 3 different technicians, and two managers look at it, and no one can figure out what the problem is.

I stop by a WalMart on the way home and buy a Black and Decker Start It so I can jump the car myself the next time. Sure enough, 3 days later, the battery is completely dead again. I jump it with my new B&D jump starter, drive it 5 minutes to Starbucks, get a coffee, and the car starts up just fine.

It's always in the morning that the battery is dead. I'm driving the car daily. I can't find any lights on. The car is completely stock, no add-on anything. Something is apparently draining the battery, (the midnight battery vampire?) but all the dealer's tech can see is a 45 milli-amp draw with everything off. The dealer is stumped. I'm stumped. Any ideas on how to troubleshoot this thing?

Thanks.

Alan

 

You have an open circuit somewhere, trouble is finding it of course. I had a DICE iPod adapter that (at the time) I didn't know was constantly on even after I turned off the ignition. Overnight, it would drain my battery, so I eventually removed it. Good luck.

 

45 milliamps is a little high - I'd expect less than 20 - but not enough to kill a battery like that. Maybe it is the midnight battery vampire. Buy/borrow/steal a current meter and connect it at the battery negative to ground terminal. Note the current draw in daylight. Then see what it is in complete darkness. There may be a light sensor in the system (automatic headlights ?) that is hogging current after dark.
But then the dealer was working in daylight or shop lighting.
PM me what you find,
Glenn

 

Did Acura rule out that the battery isn't any good and isn't holding a charge? Or possibly the Alternator isn't recharging the battery while it's running? I had an Acura battery die on me within three months of being replaced. Maybe take it to autozone and have them test the battery for you.

 

Acura said they checked "everything". I assume that "everything" would include the battery and alternator when you're looking at this sort of problem. I wondered if the belt that drives the alternator might be slipping. It seemed tight enough to me, but I'll take another look at it today (though a belt slipping at speed doesn't explain the overnight battery drain). I already stopped by an auto parts store, and a guy there checked the voltage and said it looked good to him and he didn't have any ideas on how to track down the problem.

I'll get a current meter and see what the draw is today, and then after dark.

 

anything to report ?

 

I thought I'd buy a voltmeter to plug in to the cigarette lighter, but I couldn't find one. A guy at AutoZone told me that a current meter might give me a clue, but the Acura guys couldn't find anything with more sophisticated equipment, then I probably couldn't track down a loose wire in all the electronics on the car.

So, I didn't do anything, except charge up my jump starter. And I haven't had a problem, in 6 days. I'm headed out to work now, so we'll see what happens this morning. I have my fingers crossed, hoping the battery vampire passed me by in the night.

 

You can buy a good digital volt meter at Sears for $20 or so, sometimes they have them on sale for about $10. It's worth having in your tool box, you can also use it around the house.

 

You really need a digital multimeter - one that can measure voltage, current, resistance, etc. Measuring battery voltage can be helpful troubleshooting some problems but not your dead battery problem. See my original post #3; you need to find what is draining the battery and monitoring the voltage is not the easy way. You need to connect a current meter in series with the negative battery lead so you can monitor current flow to the chassis. If the current drain is more than a small amount like 45 milliamperes, something is stuck ON - this can be something like a fuel pump relay that doesn't release when you shut the car down causing the fuel pump to run continuously and drain the battery. If there is a large current drain and you can't see or hear what is running you selectively pull one fuse at a time and watch the battery current. Since you mentioned it runs down overnight I guessed it might be a problem with the automatic headlight system (but I really don't know if your car has that).

 

Well, it took 10 days this time, but I woke up to a dead battery again. I jumped it, drove it 5 minutes to Starbuck's, was going to leave it running while I had my morning coffee, but the alarm went off when I opened the door, so I turned the engine off. It started right up a few minutes later.

I'll pick up a multi-meter, and check out the draw on the battery. When the Acura dealer checked it (3 different times), the draw was 45 milli-amps. I guess I'll have to check it every night, as it's an intermittent problem. Oh, and I don't have automatic headlights on this car.

Thanks.

Alan

 

Do you (or pevious owner if bought used) have a stereo system? If so, make sure all the fuses are working especially if you are running the factory head unit. Check the mirror control and make sure it isn't between positions. iF the head-unit ever stays on when the car is off, or if you hear the CD changer flipping through discs, while the car is off...you will have a dead battery.

You have a open circuit most likely...check wherever any custom/aftermarket work was done.

Get a battery with enough cranking amps, the lights drain the car quickly if its not running.

 

No auto headlights so I'm betting on a fuel pump relay. When it's really quiet, turn the ignition switch on and listen for the fuel pump (it's in the tank) to run for a few seconds and then shut off. Don't start the engine. Now you know what to listen for,
so the next time you park the car listen to see if it really has turned off. If not, find the FP relay and give it a tap to see if it releases.

Also, are there any aftermarket things like an alarm system on the car ? If so, that may be another place to look. I'm always suspicious of aftermarket add-ons.

 

"Or possibly the Alternator isn't recharging the battery while it's running?" my thoughts exactly gaping46and2 maybe its the battery not getting recharged maybe you should ask if acura check that I kind of doubt theres a open circuit somewhere.

 

I know this thread was from 2007, and before starting my own thread I was wondering if this ever got resolved? I'm havin the same problems, even after I changed the relay.

 

you checked the same things the OP checked?