Not starting issue, battery drains after sitting for twenty-four hours

Good afternoon,

The proper way to diagnose the system is to charge the battery.

Then remove the negative cable and check the current draw. It should only be 50-75 milliamps. If it is more, then remove the fuses one at a time until the draw drops to normal. Then you need to find out what is on that circuit and disconnect the components until the drop is normal.

I attached a guide for you to follow.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/car-battery-dead-overnight

Roy

they had put in a new battery even though four other places said battery was good. Orielley's, Firestone, and Castriota Chevrolet said the battery was good. However, Coast GMC said it tested bad when they were replacing the first module cluster module to do with gauges.

They need to do the procedure I posted.

Roy

They did a battery draw test 3 times now but i was not present and i did not have this info, but they should be calling me tomorrow. I have the new fuel pump installed they said that would solve the problem. i hope they are right.

I doubt it very much.

Keep me updated on the progress.

Roy

will do.

It sounds like they do not know what they are doing.

Roy

got the car it started right up at dealer had a full tank of gas and trip reset when i filled it and it only had 61 miles on trip reset. After they replaced the fuel pump now it's reading 2 lines under half tank. key was warm when i took it out of ignition. went out to car to go get gas at gas station and would not start two attempts called dealer and went back out to car turned key part way waited 2 seconds for dash light then it started. which was one of the reasons i brought it to dealer that and battery draining overnight. so now i get to wait and see if it will start tomorrow or if battery drained.

Something is not right.

Keep me updated.

Roy

took car back to the same GMC dealer he said its normal to have to prime the pump by turning key and waiting 2or 3 seconds because the car is 20 years old. i called Firestone as they are familiar with the car and the problem i was having as i took it there first when i was having this problem, they said it's not normal and when i told him they just replaced fuel pump he said it should not be losing its prime. only good news was the battery did not drain, but this is how the problem started back in August and then by September the battery would drain overnight.

The pump should run for 2 seconds to prime the system. Then it should start right up.

Roy

when i described this problem, when i was first had this issue Joe was helping me, and he said that we needed to find out what was causing this delay. Other mechanics also told me this was not normal that the car should start right up without having to go to accessory first and wait 2 to 3 secs for dash lights to light also sent me videos on cam test wiring schematics and how to check for parasitic draw.

That is correct. You should not have to turn to the accessory position first and then wait with it in the on position. Did anyone replace the ignition switch?

The draw is a separate issue from this.

Roy

yes, i did and the car still did the same exact thing also after Firestone said I needed to take it to a GM dealer.
I took it to Castriota Chevrolet they were going to change ignition switch told me i had not replaced ignition switch that i had replaced security module they were waiting for part. they had my car quite a while, then he said after giving him the part number and sent pic of box and the part and brought box with me and old part, he said i could take the car as i is no charge or he could throw parts at it. so, i then took it to Andrews auto the man worked on the several hours checking every fuse and relay all good battery and alternator good he put a switch on battery so i would not drain at night put switch down to right to engage battery start the car had to delay at accessory and started right up. when through driving car lift switch up disengage battery and it would not drain overnight.

he only charged me $140.00 even though he had spent over 6 hours working on car he said he though i had a short in a wire somewhere and said he had a feeling it had to do with the security theft prevention module and that i needed to take it to GM dealer.

so, i took it to coast gmc and brought all the diagnostics from castriota chevy all recipt and old parts and daignostic from firestone which said security theft module they ran diagnostick s and called me saying it would be $3,300 to fix car i said why so much he said i needed motor mounts and an oil change brake job and cluster module I said i just had oil changed 2 weeks earlier and there was a decal in window.
I asked how much for security module he said around 500 dolllars but they would have to take it out send it to be refurbished i said ok he said this was going to be acouple days and i could not take th car because the cluseter module had to do with odometer reading and it was illegal to drive car without it he said he could do the brake job in meanwhile i said ok he said my pads had 0.2 tread left then he calls me saying a rodent had eaten threw my injector wirers and it would be$ 400.00 to run new wire 0r i could just have them repaired for $ 40.00i said repair i asked how could rodent get in there as my car is garage kept and i do not have rodents but when hurricane Irma hit about 6 years ago i had to evecuate and went to Arkansaw and car was parked outside he said it looked rusty and that it had probably happened then so then he called me said they fixed wire did the brake job and rplaced the cluster they have 2 codes they have to clear and the car was ready to go. so i pick up the car everything seems fine thought it was fixed they charged m$1,785.00 i did njot drive the car after parking in garage or even try starting it the first time i go to use it battery dead i jumpstarted it
drive it there he said he would do battery draw again.

then he calls me said we are getting to codes back pointing to module to do with gauges and when i jumped it i my dash said check gages qand my fuel gage was on empty but after awhile went back to full. so he tells me its $200.00 for gauge module and 300 to install it iaske your getting 2 codes that sayits this what were the 2 codes you were getting before and how did you clear them he said hee would have to check with mecanic and call me back.

then the called me a nd said module is instaled come pick the car up and i had also mentined when i asked to see what wires they fixed he pulled some foam out from engine and said see this is where he started making a nest and when igot home i was picking the foam out and throwing it away and a sharp object pok.

poked my finger and dug it out from underneath it had 2 prongs where it hadean broken and it looked like it could of been used to scrape foam to make it look like teeth marks and when i looked at bill they charged $391.00 for the repair of those wires.

These guys have no clue how to find a draw. What a shame.

In an hour, you will have an answer. Instead, they are throwing parts at it.

Roy

now he calls me and says my battery is no good i said i just bought it in january he said it should still be under warranty could i send photo of recipt so now hifind recept take puic and send he says they gave his guy a hard time and would not honor warrant so he s going to install new battery and he will warranty it.

You need to find someone who knows electronics and can find a draw.

You have been taken advantage of with all the bad work.

Roy

when igo to pick car up battery is humming and theres a high pitched ringing noise i point both these problems out to them he calls to mechacahics out and they said ringing is fuel pump and humming noise is nothing to be worried about once i get back seat back in i wont here i t i think when i first brought it to them with that lever on battery they did not turn it off and battery drained theyjump started it wrong at batter with that swich right there even though it sayin manual not to jump it directly to battery but on post under hood

the bnext day car is dead itry jumpstarti 2 times and cant even get it starte called aaa to tow car he was able to get it jump started and now the fuel gauge is bouncing back an forth between 1/4 tank and 3/4 tanki showed it to AAA driver he said that aint right and towed it there the next day they called me and said i need new fuel pump or i need to approve diagnostici told them i just cant afford to keepthrowing money at the car abnd its not getting fixed he said he would talk to service manager so they run diagnstic for free and say irts the fuel sensor unfortunately i need to replace the whole fuel pump he said it 600.00 for part and he will split the labor with me isaid and this is going to fix both problems th ignition delay and the battery drain he said yes he siad i told the guys we giot to get it right this time

You may be right. They may have jumped it backward at one time causing all these weird issues but none of them are related to the draw.

Roy

when i picked car up after replacing the fuel pump battery no longer humming no high pitched noise all gauges seemed to be working and car started right up did not have to delay at accessory there was grease on driver side door he cleaned it off while i was inside starting car i paid drove car home noticed gas now barley above 1/4 tank and it was full before all this and now i notice a dent where th grease mark had been i reset trip odometer every time i fill up and it said was driven 61 miles this didn't make sense so icalled him asked didnt you see dent when you cleaned grease off he said i noticed it but its an old car and thought it was already thereasked about gas did they put all fuel bac he said we did not have to pull tan k there is access to fuel pump throught trunk just 4 bolts and it lifts out

so he said he would talk to service manager about refunding gas so isaid was going to fill it but wantted to shoow him trip odometer he said go ahead and fill it went tio start car would not start tried again would not start turned it to accessory and waied 23 secs and dash lit then car started called him back he said bring car in i said i had dr appointment next day would bring after that so at 1 am went out as i could not sleep to see if car would start it would not start turning key all the way then i delayed at accessory waited 2 to 3sec was sluggish but started with a delay at accessory so brought car in he said the car was fixed and this is normal for a car that old

and now i have a 200pm dr appointment and i am hoping it will start going to try it now so i know weather or not i have to jump start it or just delay at accessory

Keep me updated.

Roy

car started i delayed before starting and waited for dash lights to come on is it possible that the ignition switch i got was faulty or damaged during shipping and handling because Castriorta Chevrolet wanted to replace that part but i told them i had done that and car still doing same thing.

it will be awhile before i have time and money to take the car to another place but if any new problems develope will get back to you did the other owner that was having same problem with their 200 Pontiac Bonneville ever resolve their problem? i only saw the post where they were having to turn ignition several times and sometimes took 5 tries to start car.

We will be here for you when you return.

Roy

This morning the car battery was drained again, that's Monday morning January 17. The last time I drove car was Thursday January 13, to go to doctor have another Doctor appointment at 2:10 tomorrow Tuesday January 18. started car and let it run for 5 minutes at midnight. I hope it holds until tomorrow I will try to start again around noon and let run 5 minutes if it starts otherwise will wait to jump it before Dr. appointment. after Dr. appointment I will take it to Andrews automotive to have that switch put back on battery so i can disengage the battery, so it won't drain. I will have to keep resetting clock and reset tire pressure indicator. I will keep you updated.

Okay, keep me updated with what you find.

Roy