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2003 Suburban Battery problem

64K views 18 replies 16 participants last post by  Shotgun 
#1 ·
:mad:I have a 2003 Suburban that has approx 82,000 miles.
one day it wouldnt start seemed to be a dead battery and I had it jump started.. It started fine.
A week later didnt start again. Had battery replaced.
A month later wouldnt start . Battery was replaced as it was fully drained. Claimed it was a bad battery.

This has been on going for months.. Had the battery replaced 3 times.
Took it to Carmax they couldnt find what was draining the battery.. Checked cable, connection and left overnight to see if they could find the draw .. Found NOTHIng.

When its jump started it starts right away but when they check battery they say its totally drained.

This only happens when its left overnight.. Never during the day when I leave it outside work. I have checked that I not leaving anything on and there is nothing in the cigarette lighter or other chargers..

The only add on to the car is a remote starter. This has also been checked..

I took to Chevy dealer today.. They tried to claim it was the battery.. I find it hard to believe,not with it being replaced just a month ago. They are now leaving overnight to see they can find the drain.

I am at the end of my rope with this..
It doesnt happen all the time-about once a month but I have to pay to get jumped everytime.. I tried to use Balck and Deckers Smart Start Battery Charger one time and this TOTALLY did not work..

What are other option that some of you have seen..
My dad said they need to trace all the wires but I gonna have to pay a fortune for that..
I love this SUV but I am at the end of my rope.. HELP
 
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#2 ·
Whoever is working on that truck needs to check it for a parasitic draw.Something is staying powered up.A good tech with a Fluke 87 meter should be able to find it.
 
#4 ·
My 2003 Chevy Suburban started doing the same thing. Haven't found the cause for the drain as yet. Temp fix; I carry a spare battery and jumper cables. :D

Plan to trouble shoot the issue as follows:

Using a DVM in current mode (Amps); place the probes into each respective fuse holder on the vehicle's fuse panel and record the currents being drawn. This is how they did it back in WW2 in the air force.

If you do the test, post your current readings for each respective fused circuit, to make a reference archive thread. :drive:
 
#6 ·
you need to do a draw test ,you could have something staying powered up or you could also have a bad battery with an internal draw.have fixed many parasitic draw problems over the years,meter has to be in series on the battery,amperage setting of course make sure you allow 20 minutes or more for modules to power down,as far as going to carmax I doubt very much theyll ever fix it.
 
#7 ·
My solution on the wifes Rendezvous - a thing called Battery Brain. Kills the circuit when the battery voltage drops below 12V. I have been through every relay, every circuit, everything I can think of. The battery would drain so dead that you had to disconnect it to recharge it. It then would sometimes go a month without dying - other times it was a day or even a few hours. Seems to be a pretty common problem with no real positive solution. Still would like to find the real red X....
 
#8 ·
Before fastening the wire terminals to the battery, place a metal washer between the wire terminal and the battery. This may eliminate a poor contact.

In a recent situation, the battery terminals were firmly attached, or so one would have believed after tugging on the cable connections. However, when I pealed away the plastic boot, I found a gap between the wire harness and the battery plate. This may have contributed to poor amperage supply and poor charging.
 
#9 ·
I'm not sure if this is the solution to your battery drain issue but here was my solution. The PRNDL indicator and the low battery light would come on and the battery would be drained after a day or two. Long story short, replacing the fuse block under the hood seems to have corrected the battery drain issue. I'm not sure what retail is for this but it worked for me. It has been 2 weeks with no issue at all. Crazily, my daughter could turn on the dvd player while the low battery indicator and PRNDL were lit up. The mechanic could make the lights come on by pressing down in the middle of the fuse block. He replaced the fuse block and it seems fine now.
Hope it helps. I would have never even considered this as a possible source of the problem.
 
#13 · (Edited)
It sounds like a parasitic draw of some sort. A draw test will usually determine with a good amount of accuracy what component is still drawing in power. Also it could be that a light or some accessory was left on and it drained the battery I know it sounds silly but I've seen a few folks who have drained there battery by accident because they left something on in the car
 
#14 · (Edited)
On my Trans AM the wire running from the alternator to the battery developed a short in on the end behind the alternator, as I would drive it would sometimes short out causing the battery to not charge as I was driving. I also had a problem with my glove box light sometime sticking on overnight because the switch was going bad and wouldn't always turn the light off when I closed it. Also had a friend with a car alarm that would drain the battery dead if he left it parked/armed for more than a day or 2 in the driveway (like over the weekend). Just some things to think about.

Another thing is if you have any after market audio equipment, or any other electronics, make sure it's all shutting off when you turn the car off (i.e. an amp staying powered up when the car is off, etc.).

Also what brand of batteries are you buying, are they all the same brand? I knew someone who had an Optima red top car battery and they would crap out after just a few weeks, after going thru like 5 of them he got a Die Hard Gold and never had another problem.
 
#15 ·
We had a 07 Yukon XL in here probably 10 times for a similar issue. Problem is, it would be dead for the customer but when we got it after he jumped it everything checked out OK. We finally had to drive to his house one morning when it wouldnt start, and although the battery tested good, the car had no power at all. The tech grabbed the cables to see if they were tight and the negative one was hot as hell. Turns out, the negative cable had a ton of resistance, and what was happening was at times it wouldnt allow power through to the fuse block, and others, wouldnt allow the battery to charge when the truck was running causing it to go dead. We just about had to get GM involved when we discovered the problem, and its been several months now without any issues.

Just another possiblity, check resistance and voltage drop between the cable at the battery and the ground point on the engine.
 
#16 ·
Ugh, I have been having the same problem for years now. My hubby owns an aircraft maintenance shop - and those guys did a test but couldn't determine the draw so I took it to the dealer. The dealer managed to change my vanity plate and tell me it was a dead battery. (duh) They shrugged their shoulders and gave it back to me. I carry a wrench on my key chain and disconnect the battery every night. I think the problem started occurring after OnStar went to digital (mine is analog). If you accidently hit the OnStar talk button on the steering wheel the radio switches over to Phone and the "off" buttons fail to turn it off. The only way to reset it is to disconnect the battery or pull the fuse. The other day I noticed a buzzing noise over my head and it was coming from the small circular speaker looking thing above the driver seat. A good fist smack stopped the noise, but make me wonder. Currently the speedometer is off (registering 60 mph in my driveway right now) and the heated seats just stopped working. I would love to have the battery issue resolved.
 
#17 ·
Note.......The "small circular thing" in the headliner over the drivers door
is a FAN for the auto climate temp sensor NOT the Onstar.

Also note there is a TSB for a dead battery on your year gmt-800 trucks.
It involves reprogramming the BCM with the tech 2 machine.

I will repost the TSB again today!
 
#18 ·
Here is one for the 07 and up:
Document ID# 2009971
2007 Chevrolet Silverado - 4WD



Subject: Intermittent Low Battery Voltage, Engine Will Not Crank, Cranks But Will Not Start, Charging System Light On, Service Battery Charging System Message DIsplayed, DTC B1405, B1516 Set (Reprogram BCM) #06-06-03-013B - (09/11/2007)



Models: 2007 Cadillac Escalade Models
2007 Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado, Suburban, Tahoe
2007 GMC Sierra, Yukon Models
1500 and 2500 Series Vehicles Only

This bulletin is being revised to add step 11 to the Additional Diagnostic Tips section. Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 06-06-03-013A (Section 06 -- Engine/Propulsion System).

Condition
Some customers may comment of one or more of the following conditions:
• Charging system light on
• Service battery charging system message displayed
• Intermittent low battery voltage
• Vehicle will not crank
• Vehicle cranks but will not start

• Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) B1405 and/or B1516 may be set
Cause:
This condition may be caused by Body Control Module (BCM) calibrations that create a lower battery state of charge than intended in low electrical power usage modes.

Correction:
Do This: Reprogram the BCM
Don't Do Thiso NOT replace the BCM or battery current sensor.


A revised calibration has been developed to address these conditions. Technicians are to reprogram the BCM using SPS with the latest software available on TIS2WEB. Refer to the Body Control Module Programming and Setup procedure in SI (Document ID# 1741198). As always make sure your Tech 2® is updated with the latest software version.
Additional Diagnostic Tips
Usually if a vehicle will start and then not start in a very short period of time, the condition may be created by a loose or corroded connection. In most situations a battery in a good state of health cannot be drained within minutes without a major and most likely very obvious short. The following items are also possible areas of starting and charging system concerns and should be considered as a part of your diagnosis. For more information refer to the Symptoms -- Engine Electrical diagnostic procedure in SI (Document ID# 1703276).

Verify the battery cable connections. It is possible for the negative or positive terminal connector nut to tighten without making a good electrical connection on the battery terminal. The top of the negative battery post should be slightly above the top of the cable clamp.
Verify the battery condition and state of charge using the Midtronics tester and a VAT40 or equivalent tester. Refer to the following diagnostic procedures in SI for additional information.
• Battery Common Causes of Malfunction (Document ID# 1703244)
• Battery Inspection/Test (Document (ID# 1703241)
• Battery Charging (Document ID# 1703243)

Verify proper operation of the charging system. Refer to the Charging System Test procedure in SI (Document ID# 1703783).
Verify that the vehicle does not have a parasitic battery drain. Refer to the Battery Electrical Drain/Parasitic Load Test procedure in SI (Document ID# 1741191).
Verify that the front and/or rear Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) blower motor turns off with the key in the OFF position. If the blower motor stays on, refer to the Blower Motor Always On diagnostic procedure in SI (Document ID# 1701247).
Ask the customer if they use the accessories (Radio, DVD player, etc.) with the key in the ON position but with the engine off. This may contribute to a low battery state of charge and difficulty cranking the engine. If the customer uses their accessories with the engine off ask them to turn the key to the ACC position instead of the ON position.
If the vehicle is equipped with aftermarket accessories, verify that they are not a source of concern. Remove or disable if necessary and retest the vehicle. Refer to the Checking Aftermarket Accessories procedure in SI (Document ID# 816776).
Verify that there are no loose connections at the 175 amp mega fuse.
Verify that the Retained Accessory Power (RAP) system is operating properly. The radio and accessories should shut off once the key is removed from the ignition and the driver's door is opened. For more information refer to the Retained Accessory Power (RAP) Malfunction procedure in SI (Document ID# 1776533).
Refer to the following Bulletins and PIs for additional areas of concern.
• A fuel pump relay sticking concern. Refer to Corporate Bulletin number 06-06-03-011B.
• An ignition switch concern and a loss of GM LAN data due to an unwanted ground. Refer to Corporate Bulletin 06-08-45-010.
• A rear door lock relay sticking concern. Refer to Preliminary Information bulletin PIT3984 (Document ID# 1820437).

Check circuit 1240 (Red/White wire) for a short to ground in the driver side or circuit 1340 (Red/White wire) passenger side "B" pillar area near the seat belt retractor. See Document ID# 1740425 for a copy of the wiring diagram for circuit 1240 that goes to the driver side and circuit 1340 that goes to the passenger side windows.
Caution: Circuit 1240 is protected by a 25 amp circuit breaker (LT DRS) and may be hot to the touch if the circuit is shorted to ground.

Circuit 1340 is protected by a 25 amp circuit breaker (RT Doors) and may be hot to the touch if the circuit is shorted to ground.

Here is another:
Technical Service Bulletins Summary

Make: CHEVROLET
Model: SILVERADO 1500
Year: 2007

Service Bulletin Number: 060603009
NHTSA Item Number: 10020948
Summary Description:
DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION ON BATTERY DRAW NO START - BODY CONTROL MODULE, BCM POWER TIMER. *KB
 
#19 ·
Had the update done to my Yukon XL about a year ago and haven't had an issue since. Some of the modules/computers wouldn't "go to sleep" occasionally and in turn would drain the battery quickly. Other times, you could leave it parked for a month and it would crank right up.
 
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