Battery Goes DEAD in two days

[zog]

I jsut bought an 86 Coupe and it ran great for 3 days...I let it set 3 days and the battery was totally dead. I put it on the trickle charger for 2 days (2 amp charge) and it came back to life. My voltmeter read 13+volts on the battery before I hooked it up...

It started immediately, ran great for two days...sat for two days and is dead again.....

I don't know if I simply have a bad battery (have no idea how old it is) or a dead short....any know problems on the 86's???

[sanman]

no problems on 86s far as i know,sounds like to me you have a bad battery.i would have it tested thats the first place to start.

[zog]

I am kind of guessing that the problem is the battery, so I plan to take it to a shop and have it tested....I didn't want to chunk out $80 to find the there is a shorting problem specific t the car...thanks

[Top]

Most local/national auto stores (AutoZone/Checkers/Krogers/etc)will check your battery and alternator for free. Then you only need buy what you need. Of course they hope you buy it there. I have an 86 and it sounds just like mine when my battery finally went. Don't pay a shop to do it yet. Go simple. Both the Alt and Battery can be are easily replaced by you and save bucks for other things.

You can also get the battery out without removing the side panel. Unblodt the cruise servo and move it out of the way. Unbolt the top of the side panel and the bolts in the wheel well. Tilt the battery up at a 45 degree angle and ease it up. You will have to pull the side panel out slightly to get it to clear. Install is reverse.

Good Luck

[sumoboy]

Make sure that they do a Load Test on the battery. If there's a bad cell that test will find out.

[vigman]

You could get a battery disconnect switch...

The other thing to check is do your under hood lights work?

Do they shut off when you close the hood.. ( have you visually verified that)

Any aftermarket mods.. stereo etc etc?

Mike

[Corvette-Pilot]

Doesn't sound like an alternator.
Maybe a weak battery.
Like others have said, auto parts stores or even sear will test it for you. You can carry the battery into Sears and have it done.

Could also be something like vigman said, that something is on that shouldn't be.

When I bought my car I found the underhood lights unplugged?? I reconnected them and they work. Slowly closed the hoo to see if they went out and they did.

I am guessing the is some sort of common problem with the switch and the lights don't go off??

[RedRagTop]

I think we all know about the inherant parasitic drain common to these cars. My 88 will lose battery power over a couple weeks but never in a couple days! Bad battery that is snuffing itself I figure. A shut off switch at the battery, from what I hear, tends to affect the digital dash and such by resetting every time you use it. I think they were intended for non-digital cars for longer term storage so you woudn't have to pull a post off each time. Mine is dead as a doornail right now as it went to -40F here for about 6 weeks. I bought a battry maintainer (kind of a small, automatic battery charger) but by then I think the battery had frozen .
If you (or anyone) intends to park the car for any length of time spend the $30 for the tender and problems are over!

[zog]

Well, the battery checked out ok. Autozone and NTB both put a load on the battery and it held up well.

So, I installed the battery, hooked up the negative post to the cable, and put a 12 volt bulb in series with the positive terminal.

The bulb lit bright as day, with nothing turned on. I pulled the fuses one at a time, hoping for the bulb to go out....damn!!!!

So now all the fuses are out, the bulb is still on, I disconnedted the alternator, and the buld is still on....

So, I guess the problem is in the starter or the solenoid, or the ignition switch or??????????????????????????????

Any ideas before I wind up doing a total restoration of the electrical ???