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New member in need of help.

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NoGPBrad

New member
Hello everyone, my girlfriend drives a 2003 Grand Prix with the 3800 engine. I am posting because I am having problems diagnosing an issue with her ignition/charging system. I'll start by saying that I am by no means a certified mechanic but I would consider myself somewhat knowledgable with cars in general. Anyway, her car is dying at random. We will jump her car and everything will work as it should; no lights dimming and all the usual. But once she parks it and leaves it maybe overnight or more than say 4 hours it will be dead when we go back out. I myself have tested the battery and alternator and I have taken the car to auto zone to have them test it for a second opinion. The battery and alternator seem to be operating as they should. Something must be drawing from the battery elsewhere. Do you guys have any idea what it could be? Is this a common issue? And yes, all lights radio, accessories are shut off before turning the car off. Thanks.


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Can't say what standard diagnostic procedure is, but I'd start with a parasitic draw test.

Isolate the problem circuit. Do you have a DVOM?
 
I do not have DVOM. I put my multimeter on the battery with the car off and was reading 12 volts then after starting the car I got 14 volts which is considered normal i figure. I think I have some tinkering around I need to do. Maybe a bad ground somewhere?


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Brandon- will do, thanks again.
Bob- the battery was replaced in March of last year. So it's almost a year old.


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Thanks for the tip Bob. I think I may have found her problem.. Where the cigarette lighter and ash tray is; do you guys know if there is an accessory light that will come on if that tray is not shut all the way? If so I noticed that light was on along with her glove box light was staying on every now and then.


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I can't say for sure about the '03, but I am guessing a small light bulb is not enough to completely kill the car in 4 hours.

When I was going to night school, I left my headlights on once (3-hour class) and got in the car and started up fine... Not that I would recommend doing that, but if a battery can power headlights for 3+ hours (and tail lights and side marker lamps etc.) then I doubt a light bulb which could be in a flashlight would kill the battery in 4 hours.

Several decades ago, Ford was having a problem where cars being delivered to dealerships had dead batteries. Not all cars - only the car furthest rearward on the delivery truck. Turns out the problem was because the car was tilted at an angle, and in those days there was a level switch that turned on the trunk light - which, after a few days on the truck, was enough to kill the battery in that car.

I bet that a glove box light is not enough to kill the battery in 4 hours, I would keep looking.
 


Ahh damn. The car started fine this morning after sitting from maybe 9:00 pm to 6:00 am. When the old lady get home from work I'll keep poking around at it.


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Again I appreciate your guys help. My only experience with Pontiac's is my G6 that I drove for 2 years and an '88 firebird that I bought and for my first car but I never drove it. I sold it for the g6. I am
more of a VW/Audi guy anymore. Granted, this issue is not something that is Pontiac specific haha I'm actually thankful it's happening on her Pontiac and not my VW haha.


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NoGPBrad said:
Hello everyone, my girlfriend drives a 2003 Grand Prix with the 3800 engine. I am posting because I am having problems diagnosing an issue with her ignition/charging system. I'll start by saying that I am by no means a certified mechanic but I would consider myself somewhat knowledgable with cars in general. Anyway, her car is dying at random. We will jump her car and everything will work as it should; no lights dimming and all the usual. But once she parks it and leaves it maybe overnight or more than say 4 hours it will be dead when we go back out. I myself have tested the battery and alternator and I have taken the car to auto zone to have them test it for a second opinion. The battery and alternator seem to be operating as they should. Something must be drawing from the battery elsewhere. Do you guys have any idea what it could be? Is this a common issue? And yes, all lights radio, accessories are shut off before turning the car off. Thanks.


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Click to expand...

I had Autozone and O'rielly Auto both check the battery in my car, they both said it tested just fine, but any time the temp dropped below freezing the battery would die. I bought a new battery and the problem went away. I've also had them test other things that were "fine" but when replaced with new ones the problems went away.
 
Hmmm. Maybe I should try swapping batteries. Yiu would think they would always say "Yep, looks like you need a new battery. Lucky for you we have plenty in stock here at the store"


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make sure they are using a load tester. it puts a load on the battery and shows how the cca's are doing. if they drop like a rock, its time to replace it.

cold weather will make it weaker if its on its way out.
 
Scottydoggs said:
make sure they are using a load tester. it puts a load on the battery and shows how the cca's are doing. if they drop like a rock, its time to replace it.

cold weather will make it weaker if its on its way out.
Click to expand...
That is the thing they just hook it up to see that it is putting out the proper voltage. Just because it is a new battery doesn't mean it isn't faulty. I have had brand new batteries go bad in less than 6 months before.
 
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