Battery draw from radio
June 30th, 2014, 7:59 PM
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Battery draw from radio
I have a 2001 Silverado extended cab PU. Over the past couple of months the battery would drain completely dead if not driven for 4-5 days. I thought it was the battery but I had that replaced (twice) and all cables & connections checked. Alternator also works fine.
After doing some google research, I saw the radio best fit the culprit as a parasitic draw since my clock would reset to odd times ever so often or be turned off when I started the truck. I pulled the radio out and let it sit for several days and bam! Starts like a champ.
Now the question is: Is it really the radio ~ as in put in a new radio and it will be fine? Or is it a wiring issue that needs to be addressed? I would like to know before I fork out the money
Thank you!
After doing some google research, I saw the radio best fit the culprit as a parasitic draw since my clock would reset to odd times ever so often or be turned off when I started the truck. I pulled the radio out and let it sit for several days and bam! Starts like a champ.
Now the question is: Is it really the radio ~ as in put in a new radio and it will be fine? Or is it a wiring issue that needs to be addressed? I would like to know before I fork out the money
Thank you!
May 9th, 2019, 4:22 PM
#2
DITTO. I'm having a very similar issue - but I'm still questioning the base cause. Even new battery could not handle. I assumed either alternator was not charging (did not make sense - worked fine if sitting not long), or starter (ditto - didn't make sense) or parasitic draw.
* parasitic draw with 2 radio fuses pulled (1 inside engine, 1 inside passenger) was 0.1 A (by car computer i assume) or 100 mA. however spedometer, tachometer, and fluid temp do not work with both those pulled: and worse - the ODBII connector doesn't work. with spedo or odbii "mandatory": i want to fix this issue. i could swear i had to have the KEY ON to use odbii and now i don't. and i wonder if that's the problem (my key pot is sometimes difficult to use - maybe it has a poor contact too)
* parasitic draw with the two fuses in 1.5 A
* parasitic draw with radio removed: 0.65 A (i assume that's ODBII). i know a car computer can pull 800 mA (and should drop below that after some seconds or minutes pause - if it does not there is another issue going on). i have to redo that test i didn't wait to see if that dropped after sitting some minutes. i came here to the forum looking for info. i don't ever want 0.65 A drawing just to keep an radio (which is off but pulling .65A) keeping the clock and stranding me so i removed it.
* key - unknown - it could be the car things the key is in some position it isn't in
* ODBII / BCM computer. these maybe should stop consuming power after a few minutes and maybe do not. i still have to check that
* radio: i doubt it's the bcm's job to shut down part of the radio but not the clock when key is out of ignition (note i could be wrong). however i don't want to be stranded in the future (due to any other issue that might arise in future), so this pig radio is now unplugged
that still leaves me with a .65A draw - which i'm unsure if it falls after some time waiting or not. i think that's still too much: but at least i've removed 1/2 of a problem i don't ever need stranding me
* parasitic draw with 2 radio fuses pulled (1 inside engine, 1 inside passenger) was 0.1 A (by car computer i assume) or 100 mA. however spedometer, tachometer, and fluid temp do not work with both those pulled: and worse - the ODBII connector doesn't work. with spedo or odbii "mandatory": i want to fix this issue. i could swear i had to have the KEY ON to use odbii and now i don't. and i wonder if that's the problem (my key pot is sometimes difficult to use - maybe it has a poor contact too)
* parasitic draw with the two fuses in 1.5 A
* parasitic draw with radio removed: 0.65 A (i assume that's ODBII). i know a car computer can pull 800 mA (and should drop below that after some seconds or minutes pause - if it does not there is another issue going on). i have to redo that test i didn't wait to see if that dropped after sitting some minutes. i came here to the forum looking for info. i don't ever want 0.65 A drawing just to keep an radio (which is off but pulling .65A) keeping the clock and stranding me
so i removed it.* key - unknown - it could be the car things the key is in some position it isn't in
* ODBII / BCM computer. these maybe should stop consuming power after a few minutes and maybe do not. i still have to check that
* radio: i doubt it's the bcm's job to shut down part of the radio but not the clock when key is out of ignition (note i could be wrong). however i don't want to be stranded in the future (due to any other issue that might arise in future), so this pig radio is now unplugged
that still leaves me with a .65A draw - which i'm unsure if it falls after some time waiting or not. i think that's still too much: but at least i've removed 1/2 of a problem i don't ever need stranding me
May 9th, 2019, 4:26 PM
#3
the same truck at one time had a problem with the lower fuse/junction box inside cabin (the one behind brake pedal). i think i fixed it. BUT - never assume that your jumper/fuse blocks themselves can't be a problem: they can be. (so: when you diagnose, start by pulling fuses. but as you trace the problem do not just assume your block is infallible - they are not really built that well on any model of car)
May 9th, 2019, 5:23 PM
#4
CONFIRMING ORIGINAL POSTER (almost surely)
(i was a tech at a non-chevy dealer at one time btw)
(read above post - i had .65A draw after removing radio connector from back of radio. before that i had 1.5A)
I RE-TESTED. after about 15 seconds the (body control module? power control module?) shut the power back to 0.08A or about 80 mA which is not optimal for for 2001 "about normal" (that's with radio unplugged). I'm not sure the radio was connected correctly - though it appears to be the original (which does not mean correct!!). suffice to say a modern low power radio connected correctly MIGHT fix the problem (if the bcm works on that node, if it is not a "1 node problem").
One CAVEAT: I never waited the 15 sec to see if the 1.5A draw (before disconnecting radio and RDO fuse) to see if it dropped to 0.08A. However - before i'd removed 2 fuses (1 in cabin, the left RADIO fused in engine compartment (there were two - only the left mattered)). Having removed those my parasitic draw problem was gone. It's an "ok assumption" from this point the radio was NOT dropping from 0.65A to nothing after the 15 sec - though i never confirmed it "totally".
SUMMARY: i never want a radio stranding me. if i need music i'll give my iphone a whack for music. being stranded can be dangerous. also i know for a fact my Dad (different car) had a radio put in and they wired it wrong and that wrong wiring turned into a battery drain i had to fix (in a jeep). and in another car i had: the antenna was causing parasitic draw (a spring loaded connector, if bent, would be crooked and cause shorting in antenna: there was no way to correct it it was spring loaded and cheap - yet another lesson: car radios are a disaster design). Lesson: any radio with that many wires to connect and a chance to strand you? In the age of "i got a lithium radio"? not worth the risk.
NOTE: in the test above i still had the "RDO" 10A fuse pulled AND the radio connector UNPLUGGED (inside cabin, accessed by panel adjacent to door inside jam). to remove radio connector for silverado 2001 is simple...
(000) take out that RDO fuse mentioned above
(00) wiser to remove negative terminal of batt. before you begin (on any repair job)
(0) turn engine off, key in to allow only shifting, power/acc off
(1) put on parking brake
(2) tilt steering wheel all down
(3) put shifter down (D 3)
(4) pull toward you sharply on panel covering both instrument cluster/radio (not up, don't remove dash)
(5) take out a couple radio screws
(6) push down on the radio release tabs: there is one on each side. slide it out.
(7) push on connector tab and rock the connector out, tuck it back where the sun doesn't shine
(8) put radio back in (so it looks 1/2 normal) - reverse of the above
(9) when you check for parasitic draw, test it for at least 30 seconds and be sure your test leads are pressing firmly without moving for all those 15 seconds - normal operation is that after 15 seconds the power drops from 0.65A to 0.08A automatically
(10) don't install another 10 lb. car radio. not worth it.
(i was a tech at a non-chevy dealer at one time btw)
(read above post - i had .65A draw after removing radio connector from back of radio. before that i had 1.5A)
I RE-TESTED. after about 15 seconds the (body control module? power control module?) shut the power back to 0.08A or about 80 mA which is not optimal for for 2001 "about normal"
(that's with radio unplugged). I'm not sure the radio was connected correctly - though it appears to be the original (which does not mean correct!!). suffice to say a modern low power radio connected correctly MIGHT fix the problem (if the bcm works on that node, if it is not a "1 node problem").One CAVEAT: I never waited the 15 sec to see if the 1.5A draw (before disconnecting radio and RDO fuse) to see if it dropped to 0.08A. However - before i'd removed 2 fuses (1 in cabin, the left RADIO fused in engine compartment (there were two - only the left mattered)). Having removed those my parasitic draw problem was gone. It's an "ok assumption" from this point the radio was NOT dropping from 0.65A to nothing after the 15 sec - though i never confirmed it "totally".
SUMMARY: i never want a radio stranding me. if i need music i'll give my iphone a whack for music. being stranded can be dangerous. also i know for a fact my Dad (different car) had a radio put in and they wired it wrong and that wrong wiring turned into a battery drain i had to fix (in a jeep). and in another car i had: the antenna was causing parasitic draw (a spring loaded connector, if bent, would be crooked and cause shorting in antenna: there was no way to correct it it was spring loaded and cheap - yet another lesson: car radios are a disaster design). Lesson: any radio with that many wires to connect and a chance to strand you? In the age of "i got a lithium radio"? not worth the risk.
NOTE: in the test above i still had the "RDO" 10A fuse pulled AND the radio connector UNPLUGGED (inside cabin, accessed by panel adjacent to door inside jam). to remove radio connector for silverado 2001 is simple...
(000) take out that RDO fuse mentioned above
(00) wiser to remove negative terminal of batt. before you begin (on any repair job)
(0) turn engine off, key in to allow only shifting, power/acc off
(1) put on parking brake
(2) tilt steering wheel all down
(3) put shifter down (D 3)
(4) pull toward you sharply on panel covering both instrument cluster/radio (not up, don't remove dash)
(5) take out a couple radio screws
(6) push down on the radio release tabs: there is one on each side. slide it out.
(7) push on connector tab and rock the connector out, tuck it back where the sun doesn't shine
(8) put radio back in (so it looks 1/2 normal) - reverse of the above
(9) when you check for parasitic draw, test it for at least 30 seconds and be sure your test leads are pressing firmly without moving for all those 15 seconds - normal operation is that after 15 seconds the power drops from 0.65A to 0.08A automatically
(10) don't install another 10 lb. car radio. not worth it.
Last edited by silverado 1500 2001; May 9th, 2019 at 5:44 PM.
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