Parasitic Draw -- Dead Battery

[USMCsilver]

My '23 ZR2 Silverado was dead this morning. I put a new battery in it about 4 months ago.

It doesn't get driven much and has sat for about a week. I got the vehicle health report in my email about 2 days ago, and it didn't mention a battery issue.

It was so dead, I had to pull the key outta the fob. And then, my jump pack wouldn't even budge the motor. It's sitting on a charger, now....

The only mods to the truck are power running boards and an amp. I don't think either are the issue.

Is is relatively easy (cheap) to find the battery gremlins, or am I better off just running the truck more often?

 

[bobo57]

My '23 ZR2 Silverado was dead this morning. I put a new battery in it about 4 months ago.

It doesn't get driven much and has sat for about a week. I got the vehicle health report in my email about 2 days ago, and it didn't mention a battery issue.

It was so dead, I had to pull the key outta the fob. And then, my jump pack wouldn't even budge the motor. It's sitting on a charger, now....

The only mods to the truck are power running boards and an amp. I don't think either are the issue.

Is is relatively easy (cheap) to find the battery gremlins, or am I better off just running the truck more often?

Power running boards will drain the battery in a week to 10 days. Which manufacturer do you have? I was thinking of adding the RSE steps to my Jepp but found out about the parasitic power draw. I called the manufacturer and their steps draw somewhere between 90-140 milliamps. That'll kill it in a hurry. Gotta keep it on a charger constantly.

 

[8ball_99]

Its very cheap, but it can be a hassle. You just need a multimeter. You can put the meter between the battery terminal and battery to meassure the draw. Then its just a matter of pulling fuses till you find the offending circuit. Could very well be the power steps like bobo57 mentioned. On a newer vehicle it's usually something thats been added. But it can definitely be a problem with something oem not shutting down properly.

 

[AXE]

My '23 ZR2 Silverado was dead this morning. I put a new battery in it about 4 months ago.

It doesn't get driven much and has sat for about a week. I got the vehicle health report in my email about 2 days ago, and it didn't mention a battery issue.

It was so dead, I had to pull the key outta the fob. And then, my jump pack wouldn't even budge the motor. It's sitting on a charger, now....

The only mods to the truck are power running boards and an amp. I don't think either are the issue.

Is is relatively easy (cheap) to find the battery gremlins, or am I better off just running the truck more often?

Sounds like a failed OTA software update. Had something like this on my wife's Tahoe, no rhyme or reason. Charged it up and started fine. Took it to the dealer for battery warranty. They charged and drained it twice and couldn't find any problems. It passed their tests and hasn't missed a beat in months

I leave my trucks sit for long time and have several accessories including lights, steps, air compressors, etc plugged in and it never drains. I travel for work and have let them sit 2 weeks to 2 months and started fine.

 

[AXE]

If you want a nice battery/charging system meter, get this Foxwell units from Amazon. It works great and the newest model is on sale now.

I used this on my wife's Tahoe battery and monitored it for a few days after it had been charged. I woukd notice the voltage move up and down, but not a lot. I think the ECU is always churning and communicating with GM.

Amazon.com

I have the older version, a little cheaper.

Amazon.com