What can drain a car battery when the car is off?
Even while your car is off, your battery provides power to things like the clock, the radio, and the alarm system. These things shouldn’t have a major impact on your battery. What may drain a car battery when it’s off, however, are things such as interior lights, door lights, or even bad fuses.
Why is my Honda battery dying so fast?
Honda’s Underpowered Battery is Subject to Parasitic Drains. The batteries also suffer from parasitic drains that continue to draw power as the vehicle sits unattended. The drain could come from the vehicle stability assist (VSA) system, a faulty A/C relay, or the wrong battery charge management mode.
What causes my car battery to drain so fast?
A short circuit may cause excessive current draw and drain your battery. Check the charging system for a loose or worn-out alternator belt, problems in the circuit (loose, disconnected or broken wires), or a failing alternator. Engine operation problems can also cause excessive battery drain during cranking.
Can a faulty alternator drain a battery?
Obviously, batteries sometimes fail on their own–but a bad alternator can actually cause the battery to drain because it’s failing to recharge it. If your battery goes dead, have the alternator checked when replacing the battery so it doesn’t happen again.
How many volts should my alternator be putting out?
Read the voltage on the meter – Start the engine and observe the voltage on the meter. The voltage should read a minimum of 13 volts. A good alternator should put out between **13.5-14.5 volts. Stress test the alternator – Place a load on the alternator by turning on the headlights, the radio and the air conditioning.
Why is my alternator only putting out 12 volts?
If the alternator drive belt is tight and the battery cable/connections are clean you should “full field” the alternator. This will bypass the regulator. If you get around 13.5 volts or more then the regulator is bad. If you still get 12.4 volts,the alternator is bad.
Why is my alternator putting out 15 volts?
Higher than 15 volts indicates a fault in the charging system’s voltage regulator or related circuits. If it’s substantially excessive, this can cause electrical system and/or battery damage. You mentioned your voltmeter runs at about 15 volts most of the time.