Question: battery not holding charge

[thomas90]

I have a 1990 corvette,new rebiuld engine,new altinator new battery.However will not hold charge.
Can a shorted wire or anything else do this?
Radio is nor working,wondering if this may have smoething to do with this.

 

[93Rubie]

How long does the car sit and how often to you drive the car?

If a wire was shorted it would blow a fuse or fusible link, I would hope so any how. The radio may have something to do with this only one way to tell. It sounds like you need to do what is called a parasitic draw test. Get a Digital Volt Ohm Meter or DVOM for short. Even a cheap one from Harbor Freight will work as long as you know how to use it. Put the wires of the DVOM into the Ground Jack and the 10Amp Jack. Then disconnect the negative battery cable, make sure all doors are shut and keys are out of the ignition. Leave he hood shut as well if you have your underhood lights hooked up. With the negative cable disconnected attach the red lead of the DVOM to the negative terminal on the battery, next the black lead to the negative battery cable. Your DVOM is now in line with the negative side of the battery. You are measuring amperage flow. Let the car sit for about 1 hour and see what reading the meter displays anything over 50 milliamps or .050 amps is too much and you definitely have a parasitic draw on the battery which is why it will not hold a charge. Only way to find this is pull fuses until you see the reading drop. Then narrow down that circuit and individually unplug things on that circuit until the draw goes away.

That being said, you best make sure that your charging system is charging and the battery can be charged outside the car and that it tests good for sure. Just because it is new doesn't mean jack. I've seen (too many times) new parts be bad.

Also, FYI, if you do not have a Field Service Manual or FSM, you need to get one. IF you plan on doing ANY diagnosis or work on your Corvette this is good as gold. No, the Haynes or Chilton manuals will not work, they are good for wiping your butt with and not much else.

 

[Clive]

Possible Bad Cell

There's a number of possibilities raised here to look into. It's also possible to have a defective battery cell as well. Have you had the battery load tested?

 

[vetteoz]

new battery.However will not hold charge.
Can a shorted wire or anything else do this?

How long does it take to go flat?
Have a aftermarket alarm ; many have problems with them

 

[nelson84]

My 85 vette was like that I bad a broken wire on the starter. Check all wiring from the battery to the starter it could be the same problem.