Fullphase

Driving down the road in my 2007 Equinox , I noticed the clock display not working. Also, the radio cluster was completely dead. This condition will drain the battery in about 30 min. I've bought and used a starter box to help when this happens.

When this first happened, I hadn't noticed the radio cluster being dead. But since this has happened a few times now, I've learned some things about it.

I've found out that if I remove and replace a battery cable as soon as I can after noticing the dead radio, that everything is all of a sudden working as it should.

This is also the effect of the battery is completely drained and needs a jump to restart. Everything works again.

I am also having an issue with the average MPG display going to zero overnight sometimes. Don't know why.

I'm wondering if this an issue with the car's computer.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

ruley73

Have you had the battery & alternator load tested? Your symptoms are all pointing to a dead battery. It's normal for the average fuel economy display to reset when power is disconnected. Low system voltage will have the same effect. In my experience GM radios are very sensitive to voltage drop and often stop working before other symptoms of low voltage show up.

Fullphase

Thanks for your response.
I've had the charging system checked and all is good. The radio can die while the car is running and the alternator is supplying all the current to operate everything, so I don't see a "low voltage" causation.
However, whatever is causing the radio to die will begin to drain the battery as soon as the car is turned off. It will lose enough power to not start the car in about 20 minutes and will be completely dead overnight.
But, as I previously stated, if I disconnect the battery cable as soon as I notice the dead radio and reconnect it, everything works again and the battery does not discharge.
Looking forward to a solution.
Thanks again.

ruley73

I need some clarification because what you said in your first post really doesn't make sense: "Driving down the road in my 2007 Equinox , I noticed the clock display not working. Also, the radio cluster was completely dead. This condition will drain the battery in about 30 min" - By this do you mean the battery is dead after 30 minutes with the engine running or within 30 minutes after the engine is shut off? The former is highly unlikely if the alternator is working properly, but the latter could be true with a bad battery and a good alternator.

What is the battery voltage indicated by the DIC in the gauge cluster while the engine is running? Same question, but with key turned to RUN position five minutes after the engine is turned off (engine off & no accessories turned on)?

Are you disconnecting/reconnecting the battery terminal with the engine off or running to reset the condition?

At this point I'm still not sold that the battery is good - especially if it's more than 4 years old.

Fullphase

Everything is fine while the engine running. Whatever causes the radio cluster to go dead also starts draining the battery as soon as the engine is off.
Engine is not running when the battery cable is removed and replaced. But doing that resets whatever caused the radio cluster to die and there are no further problems - until the next time. This condition can reoccur a week to several months after an episode. It is a constant worry and I'm always checking to see if the radio cluster is working or not when driving this car.
And the gauge cluster does not have a voltage indicator. But I've had the complete charging system tested and it all checks good.
Thanks

ruley73

Please answer the following questions:

Does your Equinox have Onstar or any aftermarket add-ons/accessories?
How often is the vehicle driven?
How old is the battery?
Was the battery load tested with the engine off?
How long has this issue been going on?
Was it happening with the previous battery?

This is an odd issue, but honestly, with the exception of the starter motor, radiator fan motor, and maybe the HVAC blower motor, there's nothing else on the vehicle that would drain a good battery enough in 30 minutes to prevent it from starting the engine. That is why I believe the battery is bad.

Also, I want to confirm your Equinox really is a 2007, because 2007+ models do have the ability to view battery voltage in the Driver Information Center. If your Equinox doesn't have this feature, it's an older model. The 2005-2006 Equinox has a radio that looks like this:

2005-2006 Equinox Radio

The 2007-2009 Equinox Radio looks like this:

2007-2009 Equinox radio

Fullphase

Hello,
Yes, it is a 2007 Equinox. I can check the voltage on the DIC.
With engine running: 14.2v.
5 mins after engine off and no peripheral equipment running: 12.2 v
I have had this car for two years and have no knowledge of previous owner's issues.
It does not have OnStar but does have XM radio and self-dimming rear view mirror.
I don't know how old the battery is, but it holds its charge fine.
Thanks

EME76

Did you find a solution? We are having the same problem brand new battery, replaced the alternator last week, mechanic said a fan was draining but that wasn't it. Now the radio is not working again. Worried it won't start tomorrow again. 😕