1995 olds 88 battery dies after sitting

Hello everyone,

I have a 1995 Olds 88 (92K, 3.8L) which I've bought 3 months ago and its battery keeps dying after sitting for a day or so. I changed the old Walmart battery with a new Energizer one and the problem remained. I took it to a small shop; they checked the car by plugging something to the battery and unplugging the fuses one by one to see if there was a drain. But they could not find it. Then I took the car to an auto electrical shop and they said it was my battery. Everything else (alternator etc.) were ok. So I changed my already new battery (it was not easy; cus the guys in V.I.P. where I bought the battery said there was nothing wrong with the battery but at last they gave up and replaced it). After sitting for a day for the first time the car again died. I keep paying to mechanics for nothing or for wrong diagnosis. What do you think I should do? I can't replace the car and I don't know much about cars (I've read the thread on battery discharge but I don't think I can detect it myself)

As a side note I can give you the following information which I don't know if related to the above problem or not.

1. A couple of days ago the car stopped running as I was just leaving the interstate entering into a curve. Just stopped running with steering wheel got kind of locked and all the lights on the dashboard (right word?!) came on. It didn't start immediatly but a couple minutes later started and everything was fine.

2. Check engine light comes on and off intermitently. I couldn't detect a routine. And as if kidding me, it is off when I take the car to the mechanic.

3. Passed the inspection 2 months ago with a new exhaust pipe installed.

Thanks in advance..

Can Yildiz

Welcome to AF !

Do you have the stock stereo or an aftermarket?

IF you have an after market this coulnd be the drain on your battery.

As you have found out, electrical gremlins can be hard to find.
But most compitant shops should be able to isolate the troubles.

Yes there is a remote starter installed. But I was told that it isn't the culprit.

Well If its not the remote starter,
then it is going to take a good wiring diagram ,
and some patients to find.

Good Hunting

Well it sounds like you have tested all the fused circuits, but no mention of the alternator! Take the battery wire off of the alternator and use DMV to check for any voltage between the battery wire and the battery post on the alternator.:)

CS-Series alternators, use diodes within the rectifier plate known as avalanche diodes. There is an up and a down side to using these devices. On the up side, they prevent damage and surges, current spikes, and such from reaching sensitive electronic equipment inside the cab and under the hood. On the down side, due to the nature of their operation, their lifespan is not as long as the earlier diode trio’s used in 10/12-SI alternators.

In most cases, the only things that go wrong with an alternator, is the brushes wearing out (resulting in a weak magnetic field, this can be easily checked by placing a screwdriver against the alternator case) or the internal regulator/rectifier or diodes going bad. :sunglasse

When the diodes fail, they usually short out or begin to “leak”, this is when many people first notice battery drains and in the morning the vehicle does not start. Avalanche diodes “collapse” and allow field current to continue to flow, thereby continuing the alternator’s output, instead of shutting down (losing forward bias) and starting up (overcoming forward bias thresholds) which creates surges and spikes. These diodes eventually leak and allow a path to ground, which eventually will drain the battery.:uhoh:

Error

The mechanics said that the alternator was ok. But one of them didn't check it the way you mentioned; and the other (electrician), I didn't see how he checked it. So having read your post I have doubts now.

The car also stops running suddenly while driving on the road. It's already happened twice so far which is a new problem (one on highway, one in downtown). Is this also a symptom of alternator failure?

Also, the battery dies completely; no lights, no power anything... If I don't let it sit in the parking lot for the whole day and drive at least 10 minutes a day it's just fine.

What do you think?

Thanks..

The car also stops running suddenly while driving on the road. It's already happened twice so far which is a new problem (one on highway, one in downtown). Is this also a symptom of alternator failure?

Also, the battery dies completely; no lights, no power anything... If I don't let it sit in the parking lot for the whole day and drive at least 10 minutes a day it's just fine.

What do you think?


This does sound exactly like its your alternator :grinyes:
I'd replace it with a New one.

I did a search for this topic and found this website/thread. I realize that most of these posts are around 7 years old, so my post won't help the one(s) from then, but maybe my theory is correct and will help someone else. My elderly mother has a 1995 88 Olds on which the battery dies after a day or so or maybe a week. (Sometimes it will stay charged longer than other times). I have checked every light and switch that I can think of/see. The alternator is nearly new, so I don't believe that to be the problem. This problem started about a year ago. A few months ago as I was leaving her house after dark, I looked into her car and noticed that the clock on the radio was on. I didn't think much of it at the time, but since the problem has persisted, I happened to remember the radio light being on that night and did a check. After charging the battery for an hour or so, I started the engine. Then when the car engine was turned off, the radio light would go off immediately and the interior lights would go off when the door was shut. This leads me to believe that the ignition switch may be worn to the point that it shorts at times. That would explain why the radio light was on that night.