[tommy_harrell]

I have a 2009 2LT V6 6speed. build date of october 08, purchased new in october 09. the car currently has 24k miles on it.

the car had a dead battery 3 times in November, dealership replaced battery under warrenty in December. This past week, the wife drove the car home monday just after 8 AM from work pulled it into the garage and left it till this evening (friday 6pm) and it is completely dead, IE unable to pop trunk to get to the jumper cables. the car frequently sits for 3 to 5 days in a row, as she works weekend nights at a hospital. this is starting to get alittle old, does anyone have any tips or advise? this car is more of a PITA than the '92 ford aerostar with over 200k she got rid of.


Tommy

 

[Starship]

Welcome to the forum. It sounds like there's a deficit in store vs. drain. If you have access to a multimeter and know how to use it, you can check for the amount of current the vehicle uses while sitting around and then start pulling fuses to see which circuit has the heaviest draw. That said, I have a feeling that the deficit is from the usage pattern (infrequent, short trips). The factory recommends that the vehicles in the dealership lots get started and idled for at least 30 minutes once a month to maintain the battery.

I've been using battery minders for years to keep my batteries topped off. The one I use now is a CTEK Multi US 3300 battery charger/maintainer. In fact, the first thing I did soon as I got my Malibu was to purchase an extra CTEK eyelet connector and install it. You may want to consider getting a battery minder (BatteryMINDer, Battery Tender, or CTEK brand). You can expect to get more life out of the battery to boot.

 

[DrivenDaily]

Hey SS,
Do you think a Red top or Yellow top battery would help as well? I'm not trying to spend their money, but if the battery is drained too low too often it'll shorten the life of an otherwise good battery. The color-tops use a different design and can take deep drains with fewer issues.

Tommy,
I've seen those battery tenders advertised on TV (Speed channel and a number of PowerBlock series). They are more advanced the old battery chargers with trickle charge in that they're supposed to know when the battery needs juice to charge and when it needs just a little bit to keep it topped off, without boiling it and drying it out.

Since you're still under warranty, are you willing to take it to the dealer and have them do the testing like SS suggests? That could reveal a parasitic drain that is beyond the design specs, leading to a cure instead of a bandaid. They might find a device is at fault and be able to fix it the right way. Throwing batteries at it is going to keep you in the same vicious loop.

Keep us posted with what happens, and ask more questions, too. This is a great forum. Oh, and officially, Welcome to CMF!

 

[jeepgrady]

It can't have anything to do with his infrequent usage. I have left my Bu unused for like four months and she started right up. Either something is draining it or the alternator is not charging properly.

 

[Starship]

Hey SS,
Do you think a Red top or Yellow top battery would help as well? I'm not trying to spend their money, but if the battery is drained too low too often it'll shorten the life of an otherwise good battery. The color-tops use a different design and can take deep drains with fewer issues.

The starter takes quite a chunk of stored charge. And, a lead acid battery will self-discharge some. If the battery is not topped off by driving good distances, the stored charge will keep going down. Then, there's a point of no return once the stored charge gets down to a certain point and capacity is permanently lost. I understand that the deep cycle batteries can be discharged without this memory effect but they can't provide the cranking amperage.

It can't have anything to do with his infrequent usage. I have left my Bu unused for like four months and she started right up. Either something is draining it or the alternator is not charging properly.

I have a hard time thinking they didn't at least checked out the charging system at the dealership. And, I don't doubt your claim of "four months" but you didn't occasionally crank it and then only run it a few minutes over that period. Still I put it on the CTEK unit whenever I don't drive my vehicle for more than a couple of weeks. Then, I go through pulling fuses and cranking a couple 10 second intervals to prime the engine with oil first.

 

[Silver LTZ]

Tommy,
I've seen those battery tenders advertised on TV (Speed channel and a number of PowerBlock series). They are more advanced the old battery chargers with trickle charge in that they're supposed to know when the battery needs juice to charge and when it needs just a little bit to keep it topped off, without boiling it and drying it out.

I use a Battery Tender on the Camaro, as sometimes it sits for over a month at a time. Works great.

 

[dpopeck]

Odd, I don't read in Tommy's post anywhere where he said the drives are short distances. And the car has 24K miles in about 15 months of driving (purchased new in Oct 09 and now has 24K miles). Maybe their usage of the car has changed though.

Anyway, maybe Tommy could reply with how far the car is typically driven when used.

I'm betting there's a problem with the car. The only wild card in this is that Tommy noted the car was built in Oct 08 but sold in Oct 09, so it might've lived a neglected life at the dealer for 12 months sitting on the lot, with an occasional short distance test drive. And if the dealer put in a replacement battery, that might've been sitting on the shelf for a while. He could check the manufacture date on the battery to verify that.

I also have a Battery Tender (2 actually). I put one on my Miata if it hasn't been driven for a month or so. But I could probably go twice as long without an issue.

 

[dpopeck]

and it is completely dead, IE unable to pop trunk to get to the jumper cables.

Of course since you have the 2LT, the rear seats fold down.

But if you had your doors locked with a completely dead battery, you can get in through the drivers door with your key, but you have to then climb around the front seats to get to the rear seats, to then get into the trunk. Wonder how I know that

I do hope the next Malibu comes with a trunk keyhole.

 

[jeepgrady]

Of course since you have the 2LT, the rear seats fold down.

But if you had your doors locked with a completely dead battery, you can get in through the drivers door with your key, but you have to then climb around the front seats to get to the rear seats, to then get into the trunk. Wonder how I know that

I do hope the next Malibu comes with a trunk keyhole.

Why would you have to climb around the front seats? Why wouldn't you just lift the rear door lock button, open the door and drop down the rear seatback?

 

[jeepgrady]

four months[/I]" but you didn't occasionally crank it and then only run it a few minutes over that period. Still I put it on the CTEK unit whenever I don't drive my vehicle for more than a couple of weeks. Then, I go through pulling fuses and cranking a couple 10 second intervals to prime the engine with oil first.

I didn't start it periodically, because I wasn't home during that period.

 

[Starship]

I didn't start it periodically, because I wasn't home during that period.

Ah, you misunderstand me. What I meant was, if you crank it and then only run it a few minutes, chances are you won't put back what you drained and you'll actually lose capacity.

 

[mrblanche]

There is something draining the battery. And it doesn't have to be much; one lightbulb will do it in 24 hours.

So...you have to go looking for what's draining. It could be anything (and there is always a drain on the battery in order to maintain the memory in the radio and such things), but a good place to try is a light bulb in the trunk or under the hood. If those are adjusted wrong, they won't go off when closed and can run down the battery. Parking on a fairly steep hill will make this more likely.

 

[tommy_harrell]

Of course since you have the 2LT, the rear seats fold down.

But if you had your doors locked with a completely dead battery, you can get in through the drivers door with your key, but you have to then climb around the front seats to get to the rear seats, to then get into the trunk. Wonder how I know that

I do hope the next Malibu comes with a trunk keyhole.

I figured that wonderful feature out, when we returned from a week vacation, just before I discovered the generic light duty jumper cables weren't enough to jump start the car. she now has a set of cables identical to what i carry in my diesel pickup for starting farm equipment (20ft 2gauge)

Odd, I don't read in Tommy's post anywhere where he said the drives are short distances. And the car has 24K miles in about 15 months of driving (purchased new in Oct 09 and now has 24K miles). Maybe their usage of the car has changed though.

Anyway, maybe Tommy could reply with how far the car is typically driven when used.

I'm betting there's a problem with the car. The only wild card in this is that Tommy noted the car was built in Oct 08 but sold in Oct 09, so it might've lived a neglected life at the dealer for 12 months sitting on the lot, with an occasional short distance test drive. And if the dealer put in a replacement battery, that might've been sitting on the shelf for a while. He could check the manufacture date on the battery to verify that.

I also have a Battery Tender (2 actually). I put one on my Miata if it hasn't been driven for a month or so. But I could probably go twice as long without an issue.

the car was driven on 6-30 mile trips in the 4 days before it was parked (Friday night 30miles, Saturday morning 30miles, Saturday night 30miles, Sunday morning, Sunday evening, Monday morning)

I jump started the car today and drove it to the dealership (25 miles) and it was slow cranking to restart when i arrived. hoping they find something, an electrical issue this early in the cars life doesn't make the future very exciting. i hope to avoid the battery tender, just because it would be a pain. heck, if I'm going to plug it in every night it might as well be a Chevy volt or something.


Tommy

 

[mrblanche]

If you had a new battery, drove it to the dealership, and it was slow cranking, I'd be willing to bet you have a bad alternator. That, or a bad connection on the battery; it could be as simple as a corroded connection to the frame on the ground wire.

 

[DrivenDaily]

I concur. And the nice thing is, it behaved badly at the dealership! So now they can see the "cavity" and will get it filled or pull the tooth.

 

[tommy_harrell]

dealer called, they believe the electrical draw is caused by an "onstar modual." one has been ordered and they should install it on wednesday. hoping for the best.


Tommy

 

[1983zsled]

Hey Tom,

Did the onstar module fix your issue? I'm having the exact problem with my 09 LT2. It goes in the shop Monday and they need all the help they can get. On my 4th battery now. I can leave my 07 Trailblazer for 2 weeks with no issues. 3 days with this POS and it's dead!
Let me know if it worked for you.

Thanks.

 

[1983zsled]

Update! Took the car in and mentioned the Onstar drain issue. After the tech diagnosed it the first 4 times as a bad battery they finally got it. In testing the onstar module they found it had a high drain. They re-programmed it and the new drain level was acceptable, however in the process the driver side power window motor stopped working and they had to replace it. Man this car is going to cost me when the warranty runs out.....I thought this car and GM had changed but I guess not !