Hello friends,

replaced my battery about a year ago because it wasn't keeping a charge. Since I changed the battery the car has been running fine up until a few months ago. I have a truck so sometimes I won't drive the G for a few days. If I don't start the car for a day or so it cranks a few times and dies. I throw the jumpers on it and it's good to go. During the week when I'm driving to work the car starts and runs fine with no issues. Anyone have any idea what could be happening? I don't believe it's an alternator problem since the battery seems to be charging once I start driving it everyday. I haven't done much diagnostics on it since I know I could be going down a rabbit hole. Was wonder if there is a common problem that it could be. Also, since I had the new battery there hasn't been a time where I left a light on or accessory on to have the battery die. Any help or suggestions would great.

thanks,
Brian =)

 

If the battery is indeed "good" and still goes dead after a day or two then there is a parasitic drain somewhere. Could be the alternator, accessories, evap valve, or other "gremlin" of some sort. Without proper diagnosis it will be difficult to pinpoint the exact drain. A good multimeter will measure this drain- anything higher than 0.35-0.50mA after the car "goes to sleep" is considered abnormal drain.

If you are able- and until you have time to dig into the issue- consider getting a battery tender. Cranking the engine and letting it run for a few minutes does more harm than good to both the car and the battery. As all 3 of my vehicles (and tractor) sit idle for weeks at a time each have their own dedicated tender to keep the battery topped up. Just my 10¢.