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battery drains in 5 minutes???

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1.5K views 11 replies 10 participants last post by  summax  
#1 ·
Hi the battery in my car is always dead. it is a brand new battery and i just had the alternator tested yesterday and it was good. the battery terminals are new as well.Everytime i charge it up on my battery charger it will start up. But if i let it sit for 5 minutes or so the battery goes dead. I have taken all the fuses out that have power with the key off but it still changes nothing. Any suggestions on what it could be???

Thanks
 
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#3 ·
I've never heard of this. The only thing that could kill a battery in five minutes is cranking the starter nonstop for that long. (Unless you''ve figured out a way to run an arc welder off of it. ;-) Does the battery get really hot in those five minutes? Did the car fry or short out its last battery before this one? At this distance, I'd say the battery itself is bad. If you exchange it and the new one does the same thing, wow, no idea.
 
#4 ·
i have had the battery tested today and it is good i just got it about a month ago. Also the battery does not get hot
 
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#6 ·
Yeah, this has me scrathing my noggin, too.

I would take the battery to a parts store or other place that offers free battery checks. They don't make batteries like they used to, so it wouldn't surprise me at all to find out yours has a dead cell or something.
 
#8 ·
You said battery was good. You said you removed fuses. Look at a wiring diagram and start at the battery. Look for shorts, especially at Starter and Solenoid. mabye it is draining through there. Also check other circuits that may not go through fuse panel.
Good Luck
 
#11 ·
At what amperage are you charging the battery? Be aware that charging at higher amp ranges will not fully charge the battery, and can result in a "surface charge" which will fool modern electronic battery testers. I have seen instances where the tester will show 100% charge, then with the battery left to sit overnight on the shelf it would show only 20% charge the next day. To avoid these false readings I use an old fashioned "load" tester first to deplete any "surface charge", then the electronic one to reveal the true state of the battery. All of this can be avoided by using a trickle charger, charging at 1-2 amps for at least 6-8 hours or overnight. Ideally, use a charger that automatically shuts down when the battery is fully charged.
Having said all that, you need to find out what discharged your "new" battery in the first place. You say the battery terminals are new, but what about the cables? Check them for cracked insulation and corrosion, and double check where they attach at the end opposite the terminal. A bad ground or corroded cables (or both) can cause a high resistance condition, which can drastically reduce the amount of power available at the starter. When combined with the above described "surface charge" condition and perhaps a starter solenoid nearing failure, this could cause the symptoms you describe. When the battery goes dead after five minutes, will it still run the lights and accessories or is it truly dead? Have it tested in this condition instead of charging it first. Good luck.
 
#12 ·
Check the connector to the alter

I had the same problem before. At first I thought the battery went dead so i bought the brand new battery, the problem still occured, again i brought the battery back to get a diff one. The problem was still there. This time I took my time and looked every wires and connectors, It turned out to be the connector that goes to alternator was loose. why dont you take a look at the alternator and see what wrong and the connection that goes to the voltage regulator.

Good luck
 
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