battery keeps dying

[triston2469]

so im wondering if my "new computer" is messed up. the first computer i got from autozone wouldnt let my car start. I am on the 2nd one and it wouldnt let my car shut off. I assumed it was because of the Cam Position sensor being tapped into the Alternator relay. Well after moving it to a different fuse as a temporary fix. I am now finding that my battery keeps going dead. I'm wondering if the problem is an issue with the computer not shutting off or is it something else? If i jump the car off and drive it throughout the day its fine but once it sits over night the battery is dead. Any ideas?

 

[Blu92]

You may have moved it to a fuse that gets constant power from the battery. I'd pull the fuse and check voltage with the key off. If you see voltage find a circuit that only gets voltage with the key on. You might need to get one of those piggyback fuseholders if the existing fuse is of a different amperage than the device you're powering.

 

[undefined0000]

You can buy ECUs at autozone o.0

 

[dsmcurse]

ecu from the zone? wtf? im not so sure about that. but def sounds like your tapped into something that is constantly pullin a draw all night long.

 

[gst96spyderman]

+1 on fuse drawing power. Also could be a hot wire grounding out somewhere. Do youhsve an aftermarket amp hooked up?

 

[spawn87]

this is like the 3rd thread ive read that involves autozone parts haha. you got a perfectly good classified section here on tuners why whould you go to autozone? check the fuse location like mentioned but also see if you have any grounding issues like the power wire got fried and is in contact with ground. if you had to change locations due to your ecu not working right perhaps you should return that ecu and get an original IMO your only having to do extra due to the use of a inferior part.

 

[95eclispe]

ecu from the zone? wtf? im not so sure about that. but def sounds like your tapped into something that is constantly pullin a draw all night long.

yes autozone does carry ecus. I work for autozone its a vendor dealer part but we can get them. as far as the power drain sounds like you have a constant drain it seems like whatever fuse you piggybacked it to is live even with the car off. i would get a multimeter and test the fuses to find one of the right amps that only runs with the car on and wire it to one of those.

 

[triston2469]

That makes sense about the fuse. I figured it was in a good spot with the since the fuse i moved it tow as for what appeared to be the rear defrost fuse. i guess i will move it and see what it does. thanks for the help.

I also found out that the fuel pump relay is apparently going bad. It seems to click all the time now when the car is running. oh well i guess i will just have to figure it all out slowly. What doesnt make sense is that it didnt do that with the old computer in the car. i wonder if the fuse i hooked that wire to has something to do with the fuel pump relay as well.

 

[BoyRacerBlu]

Take the ecu back and purchase one from AES

All they do is reman or produce ecus and great price

Otherwise as noted, just check your circuits for parasitic draw. That fuel pump relay is seeing erratic current, enough to open and close the circuit, and then not enough obviously. Check to see what its drawing with the key in the on position

One quick way to see of the ecu is bad is if theres any erratic behavior just by observing guages, such as a wiggling tach/instrument guage.

Forgot to mention check your grounding, ecu's can start behaving weird when the car isnt properly grounded enough- ie relays, running issues, ect ect.

 

[triston2469]

Well none of my gauges are wiggly or anything like that. the most annoying issue im having is the fact that the fuel pump relay clicks so much. I moved the wire back to the relay it was on before and my problem of the car not dying right away is back, but it will occasionally work like its supposed to. I'm thinking the fuel pump relay is going bad cause when it doesnt die right away it will run just find for about a minute and then the fuel pump relay will click and the car will shut off. but then other times it will shut off just fine.

Also my car wont hold the same idle. sometimes it idles at about 2000 some times it idles at like 1500. its doesnt surge or anything just idles high. I've already replaced the IACV, TPS. I'm gonna clean my TB today and see if that helps any.

 

[gst96spyderman]

Biss switch check. You can adjust your idle from here

 

[triston2469]

Biss switch check. You can adjust your idle from here

are you talking about the BISS screw? I have tried adjusting it from there when i adjust it it causes my car to start surging. but whats odd is the BISS screw is screwed all the way in and when i start to loosen it the idles goes up till its backed off about 2 turns then it starts to surge

 

[gst96spyderman]

Excuse me. biss screw. Maybe the screw is cracked and needs replaced. I had sort of the same idle issue, nut you have some other issues tjay could be causing this idle surge.

 

[triston2469]

Well everything that I know of that could be causing the surge is brand new as well or less than 3 months old. Could it be a cracked O-Ring on the Biss screw?

 

[OutKastGSX]

I had the Same issue with my car when I first got it. I started with simple stuff. I noticed my battery terminals/connections were rusted. So I bought new ones scuffed up the connections with some sand paper and It actually fixed my problem . Just saying it's worth a shot they are like 6 bucks.

 

[ChiTownHussla]

clean all connections. Get a used ecu from tuners. 1gs are notorious for messing up because of simple ecu issues. maybe you can find a dsm local and swtich ecu to verify.

 

[BoyRacerBlu]

addtionally with the erratic idle

HAVE I GOT A HORROR STORY FOR YOU!!!


Spray the intake with soapy water from a spray bottle to mist it into a lather when airborn

will expose any cracks on the intake

When I had my talon, it idled at 2000-1500 depending on temp- turns out the previous owner somehow shattered the intake mani, but the bolts holding the seperate pieces together never let on that there was a cracks through it. I never knew until one day I was determine to fix my high idle- sprayed the intake with soapy water, the car bogged, bubbles erupted from where there should have been solid metal, and all I couldn't help but think is

"Thhhaaaaats not right..."

 

[Arnie]

How're your terminals?

Maybe a Fuse or like they stated your ECU probably.

 

[triston2469]

Well I fixed the Idle issue. I cleaned ECU really good and found that when someone RTV'd the TB on they put way to much RTV on it and it closed the BISS screw hole. Also found that the little throttle sensor that the butterfly rests on was screwed in to tight and it wasnt allowing my TB to close all the way at idle which was makeing my car idle anywhere from 1500-2000 rpm.

The only thing I have left to fix is the fuel pump relay clicking and the intermitten problem with my car not shutting off right away. when it does that it acts like it has a turbo timer on it but my car is a non turbo. I'm thinking maybe the ignition switch is going bad? I know when my car decides it doesnt want to die I can put my car in gear and let off the clutch to kill it and all the lights in the gauge cluster light up like the ignition is still on which leads me to think the ignition switch is going bad.

Oh and to answer people questions about my terminals they are all good. and rust free. they are both less than a month old and my battery is less than 3 months old. Could the battery not being bolted down also cause this problem?

 

[gst96spyderman]

You should bolt down the battery... Just saying

 

[Jonny J]

Go invest 6 bucks on a test light... That will help greatly figuring out whats pulling power Just hook it up and pull fuses till you figure out what one is pulling the juice, then figure out why its draining your battery. I had this problem and it was because the dumb#$# before me hooked up the alarm system to the dome lights and it was shorting out causing my battery to constantly die. It kinda sucks not having dome lights but at least my car starts now. And yeah return the ecu and get one off here, i personally wouldnt go to autozone for a ecu. Also get a new relay from a junk yard, pretty cheap way to test if thats your problem

 

[triston2469]

I fixed the battery draw problem. now just gotta fix the other crap and yes i know i need to bolt my battery down i always tend to forget about it when im messig with stuff.

And as far as buying an ECU off of here the only thing i can find as far as a parts catalog is for the 4G63t and my car isnt turbo'd

 

[jbflash]

To do any proper electrical diagnosing you need a dmm or volt meter. You could use a test light but its not ideal, I would spend the extra few bucks and get a volt meter, then you can test the ignition switch and such.

 

[triston2469]

To do any proper electrical diagnosing you need a dmm or volt meter. You could use a test light but its not ideal, I would spend the extra few bucks and get a volt meter, then you can test the ignition switch and such.

I have a volt meter just forgot it at work when i went on days off

 

[RipperXX]

I am going to go ahead and admit I didn't read anything but the OP first post. But it's not something small, whatever it is, is drawing a LOT of power to kill a full sized automotive battery over night. I have ran car radio's and 1-2 speakers off a single car battery for months and months before it needed to be recharged. Whatever is killing your battery over night, must be drawing several amps.

That is not to say that it couldn't be several smaller sources...I have had the same problem with my car, I suspected the aftermarket alarm/remote start crap someone had in it with a rats nest of jacked up wiring so I just removed it. I wont know for sure though until I finish putting the car back together as im no guru and I don't feel like going though methodically and checking lots of individual circuits.