Hunting A Power Drain 98 Chevy Blazer
#1
12-11-2018, 01:36 PM
Hunting A Power Drain 98 Chevy Blazer
I am hoping for some suggestions as to how to go about this, because at first glance this feels like a potentially daunting task. Let me first explain the circumstances.
I was given this 98 Blazer in mid 2016 from my uncle, due to my old car, a 97 Olds Bravada, blowing its transmission on an inter-city trip due to the rear brakes being stuck in place.
In around late September, as the temps began to slowly drop from their consistant 80-100 degrees, my new Blazer began to choke at start up, and as October rolled through, it was getting harder and harder to start in the morning. Then, out of the blue, it stopped charging completely, and it was diagnosed that both the battery and the altenator were just done for.
Replaced them both that October, had a good run for another year until October of 2017 came around. Again, began to have trouble starting, until eventually it just wouldn't go on any more. Thankfully, the battery still had a week of warranty, and I replaced the battery for free.
Now, come this October, 2018, and we were back at the same issue. Somehow it made it through October, then November, and now here we are in December, and I am not sure if my car will start to leave work tonight.
I've been told by my uncle it could either be a constant power draw that he never bothered to diagnose, or a bad ground wire. I don't have a test light or multimeter, but I plan on getting both soon, at which time I'll put the test light in line with the negative battery terminal and see if it is a power draw issue, and diagnose from there via fuse pulling.
If it's a ground issue though, I don't even know where to begin, and where I'm hoping I could get some suggestions. What ground wires should I check? Obviously the one coming off the battery, but what others? And where are they? I don't have a Haynes manual unfortunately; that somehow didn't make it out of my Bravada so it's gone. All I know is that the remote start no longer works at all, even with a new battery (though that might be a fuel issue, this thing has a fuel pump you can hear coming for miles, and the gas level no longer works), but it could be a bad electrical issue too, so I don't know.
TL;DR: Replaced battery in this car every October since I got it in 2016 (this will be battery number 3), and car kills batteries over a single year of usage. Will do test light on negative bttery line to see if constant power draw, but if it's not and if it's a ground issue, where do I begin to look?
I was given this 98 Blazer in mid 2016 from my uncle, due to my old car, a 97 Olds Bravada, blowing its transmission on an inter-city trip due to the rear brakes being stuck in place.
In around late September, as the temps began to slowly drop from their consistant 80-100 degrees, my new Blazer began to choke at start up, and as October rolled through, it was getting harder and harder to start in the morning. Then, out of the blue, it stopped charging completely, and it was diagnosed that both the battery and the altenator were just done for.
Replaced them both that October, had a good run for another year until October of 2017 came around. Again, began to have trouble starting, until eventually it just wouldn't go on any more. Thankfully, the battery still had a week of warranty, and I replaced the battery for free.
Now, come this October, 2018, and we were back at the same issue. Somehow it made it through October, then November, and now here we are in December, and I am not sure if my car will start to leave work tonight.
I've been told by my uncle it could either be a constant power draw that he never bothered to diagnose, or a bad ground wire. I don't have a test light or multimeter, but I plan on getting both soon, at which time I'll put the test light in line with the negative battery terminal and see if it is a power draw issue, and diagnose from there via fuse pulling.
If it's a ground issue though, I don't even know where to begin, and where I'm hoping I could get some suggestions. What ground wires should I check? Obviously the one coming off the battery, but what others? And where are they? I don't have a Haynes manual unfortunately; that somehow didn't make it out of my Bravada so it's gone. All I know is that the remote start no longer works at all, even with a new battery (though that might be a fuel issue, this thing has a fuel pump you can hear coming for miles, and the gas level no longer works), but it could be a bad electrical issue too, so I don't know.
TL;DR: Replaced battery in this car every October since I got it in 2016 (this will be battery number 3), and car kills batteries over a single year of usage. Will do test light on negative bttery line to see if constant power draw, but if it's not and if it's a ground issue, where do I begin to look?
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
coolbreezedanny
Engine & Transmission
5
12-21-2016 08:52 PM
