What I Have. Electrical problem Battery alternator was tested and were fine but within five hours the battery dies they say something is draining the battery anyone have any Ideas 1996 Suburban LS?

Answer 1

Ask the mechanic to test for parasitic draw. That case seems a bit extreme but tat could be your answer. Of course the obvious things like dome light, glove box, hood light, any courtesy light staying on. But the fact that it draining the battery in 5 hours seems to indicate something other than a light. Take a look at the power windows. I have seen a power window switch stick in the up position. This will quickly drain the battery. Here are a few things to try. One, remove the negative cable from the terminal and put a test light between the cable and the battery post. If the light glows, there is a drain. To find what circuit is causing the drain, remove one fuse at a time until the light goes away. Then, install them one at a time. When the light glows there is a drain, when the light is off, the bad circuit was removed. You may not get the light to turn off. In that case, it means that there is a drain in some other circuit that does not run through the fuse panel. First place I would look at is the starter. Starters have been known to short out at the solenoid and cause a constant drain to ground. If all else fails, replace the battery with another know good battery. You may find that the battery is indeed the culprit, even though it checks good. Good luck. Rocky_B - See my entry here for more things you might want to check: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_could_be_wrong_if_the_battery_light_stays_on_and_the_battery_still_runs_down_on_a_1996_windstar_after_installing_a_new_battery_and_alternator