my battery keeps dying. i have had it charged and even bought a new better battery and it still keeps dying. i think that maybe it is my alternator, but i'm not sure. could my stereo system be to much for it and caused it to go bad already. i have only had my car for 1 1/2 years. i don't know much about cars so i'm asking for help. i don't know if installing my stereo voided my warranty or not. i know that they are picky about things like that. thanks for any help anyone can give.

 

Sounds like you have a current draw somewhere. Is it possible that your new stereo is not shutting off when you turn off the key? If you wired your amps directly to the battery, check to make sure that they turn off when you turn off the car.

 

do you leave your key in the ignition when the car is parked in the garage?

in some cars... even though the key is not in the on position...it still creates a draw. this was the case in my wife's X5 & moms 3 series (all bmw's) and we had to keep changing the battery/charging until we were informed. in some cases if the car sat in the garage for a few days...then i went to start it...it was completely dead.

i'm not sure if the set up is the same with crossfire's electrical system...but could be a possibility.

 

BMW models recharge the key's battery whenever the key is in the ignition. Our Crossfires use regular replaceable batteries and the car doesn't charge the battery so leaving it in the ignition shouldn't create a current draw (as long as key is in the off position of course ).

 

good info...thanks for the update. i was unsure.

 

i don't leave the key in the ignition and i have had the stereo in the car for over a year now. i just started having these problems. that is why i thought maybe it was my alternator.

 

Hmmm... That's cause for concern. Normally when one troubleshoots a problem like this it is just a matter of finding out what has changed between when it was working and when it was not. In this case the cause may be more insidious. I hope for your sake that it is just the alternator or voltage regulator because phantom current draw can be a real pain in the @$$ to try and troubleshoot. It goes something like this:

• Disconnect negative battery cable and pull all the fuses. Place a voltmeter (or ammeter of sufficient sensitivity) between the battery and the cable. Make sure there is no reading.
• Re-install fuses one at a time until the meter registers voltage.
• Break out schematic diagram and start tracing it back.
• Lather, rinse, repeat...

Any halfway-knowledgeable shop should be able to test the alternator output for you in about 30 minutes.

 

I hope you find out what's wrong with your car, but why is this in the detail section?