Car is dead after getting a new battery

ggiwin

Symptoms first showed the day I was about to go to work and car was completely dead. No lights or anything. I had to use the key inside the fob to open the door. After work, I went out and bought a new battery. Installed it the same night and everything was working again. 4 days later, car is completely dead again. I jump started it and it took awhile before it would crank. I had to charge the battery, so I went out for a far drive.
Also, I took my car to autozone that same night, they said my battery and alternator are perfectly fine. That was on wednesday. On thursday, I moved my car up to my driveway due to street sweeping. It is now friday and my car is dead. again.
too bad I can't edit my title lol. Meant to say battery.

Trips

Looks like the battery is being drained by something not turning off.

Did you have anything aftermarket installed recently?

__________________

ggiwin

I have two amps, but I've had it for a couple years now without any issues.

ggiwin

What I think might be the problem is that the battery I bought was off the shelf, don't know how long it's been sitting there. Now it may have not been fully charged? It took about 13 days for my car to die again since the battery change.

SouthArk370Z

If the alternator and battery have tested good, then:
A VOM can you help you track down the drain.

__________________
Steering Lock Links - Search The370Z Bookmarklet - FSM @ NICOclub
Mankind has progressed past the need for war but we haven't evolved that far. - NachoMahma

90 ST

Just for fun...make sure the amps are turning off...remote turn ons can fail and not power down. It rare, but for the minute it will take one more possibility could be eliminated.

__________________
Not driving your car to keep it in nice shape, is like not wanting to smash your girlfriend so she stays tight for the next guy.

Zipper 104

I'm going to assume it shows it's charging when it's running, but I have no idea if that means only that your alternator is working or the charge is actually getting back into the battery.....so I'd check the first inch or so on the battery cables where they go into the battery connection clamps. Often the first inch or so can get corroded and fail to make decent connections to the battery clamps, and hence the battery terminals. They do a poor job getting a charge back into the battery and often the power back out to the car.
That could explain why an otherwise good battery goes flat in a few days. You're not, or only partially getting a charge back to it. When you jumped it, you were essentially connected right onto the terminals, bypassing the lousy connection(s).
I've had it happen to me. Alternator good, new battery, crappy running car and lousy starts. Two new battery clamps attached to cut back, cleaned up cables fixed all my issues.
Auto Zone probably tested your battery at the battery terminals and tested your alternator at it's outputs. I'm thinking neither test would expose lousy power in and out of your battery. Look at 'em. A real cheap fix if that's what it turns out to be.

104

2011 Nismo#91

I'm willing to bet it's going to be an alternator issue, but a bad connection can cause charging issues, make sure your terminals are corrosion free.

TopgunZ

I'm about 99% sure this is a bad alternator.

__________________
ROTREX SUPERCHARGER TUNER KITS - $6799/ CUSTOM STILLEN AIR TO AIR KITS -$2100/ 700+ WHP!! WWW.TOPGUNSPEEDWORKS.COM

ggiwin

Updates- I changed to a different battery on saturday. Has not died since. I wanted to rule out a faulty battery despite pepboys saying it was working. Also, anyone know if they take refunds on batteries?

TopgunZ

Heck yeah they do. I took one back over a year later once. They have warranties and you do not even need a receipt. Well, my interstate battery did at least. But if they don't take that bad battery back then that is majorly bad business.

__________________
ROTREX SUPERCHARGER TUNER KITS - $6799/ CUSTOM STILLEN AIR TO AIR KITS -$2100/ 700+ WHP!! WWW.TOPGUNSPEEDWORKS.COM

Trips

Good to hear it's been resolved.

__________________

ggiwin

Update- car is dead again with battery #2 since monday. Made an appointment with Will from concept 3. I'm suspecting that it's a parasite drain. I do have an aftermarket stereo with 2 amps so there may be a short somewhere along those lines. I will also do what zipper suggested. Can't do it today though. Busy with school and the possibility of jury duty. Best vacation ever

barncobob

car will run great with a new battery(for awhile) im guessing bad alternator/regulator

1slow370

sounds like an alternator. autozones alternator tester doesn't place enough load on the system to check for full amp delivery from the alternator. you really need one of the old carbon piles to diagnose it because it is like 170amp alternator or something ridiculous. it may just not be producing enough charge even though at low load its fine. my money is on it slowly starts to die faster and faster after each charge as the alternators regulator and diodes start to get worse.

__________________
ANSWER PRICE LIST
Answers - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - $0.75
Answers (requiring thought) - - - - $1.25
Answers (correct) - - - - - - - - - - $12.50