What is draining my battery in my 2016 Scat Pack Challenger???

Discussion in 'Challenger Mechanical Problems Forum | TSB's' started by hockey4sb, Apr 15, 2025.

  1. Apr 15, 2025 at 8:40 PM #1
    hockey4sb

    hockey4sb New Member

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    I got a new battery from Costco 2 weeks ago as the one I had was dead after winter storage. After 1 week the new battery was completely dead. Tried to jump it with my Jeep and with a battery booster and nothing. Some lights but no crank, or even a click. Only thing I know was left on was a inside light so I replaced it again with an Interstate H7 (94) and car started up fine. Ran a while turned off, restarted with not problem. Yesterday, car started multiple times with no problem. Today, not even 24 hours later and the battery is dead. No lights, nothing when I open the door. Any suggestions? Not sure if Costco will give me another battery.
     
  2. Apr 16, 2025 at 12:56 AM #2
    Cloverdale

    Cloverdale Full Access Member

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    Research 'how to find a parasitic battery drain' to self troubleshoot.
     
    Last edited: Apr 16, 2025
  3. Apr 16, 2025 at 7:53 AM #3
    SRT-Tom

    SRT-Tom Well-Known Member Staff Member Super Moderator Article Writer

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    You should see if your alternator is charging. If that is not the problem, like Cloverdale said, it is probably a parasitic drain. Check on these things:

    1. Faulty Door Light Switch
    2. Faulty Door lock actuator (integrated light switch)
    3. Trunk lock switch
    4. Faulty car stereo or the wirings to it.
    5. Any aftermarket electrical parts were installed incorrectly.
    Turn off all the devices in the car and make sure you have a fully charged battery ready to go. Use a multimeter. Set it up to the highest AMP setting and connect it to the battery. If you receive a reading of more than 50 milliamps, there is a parasitic draw on the battery. Your clock and other common equipment that runs on the battery should read between 20 and 50 milliamps.

    Pull out one fuse at a time while monitoring the multimeter. It helps to start with the lowest amperage and move up. If you pull out a fuse that causes the reading to drop significantly, you’ve found the culprit. Consult the fuse chart in your owner’s manual to determine what component is causing your problems.

    From here, you will probably need to do a little more investigating. Let’s say the fuse runs your audio system- you still have to figure out if the radio, power antenna or other device is drawing power.

    In this situation, you will unplug each device running on that fuse until you see the power draw stop. That’s your offending component.
     
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  4. Apr 21, 2025 at 12:30 PM #4
    Dodgehemi61

    Dodgehemi61 Full Access Member

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    I would return the battery and get a new one from the dealer to start with. I have found that OEM batteries will last much longer than most aftermarket ones, plus many times it will cost less.
    And put an amp meter in line with the positive battery terminal and the battery post. Them pull one fuse at a time and put back in and keep doing this until the amp meter drops to almost zero. This will show you which circuit has a load on it to look for the faulty part.
     
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  5. May 21, 2025 at 9:53 PM #5
    Moparisto

    Moparisto Full Access Member

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    Bravo for this concise fault-finding angle of attack.

    Another thing you can do, costing more money, and likely less accurate, is getting a clamp-on DC ammeter and close it around the positive battery cable, and do as he said above.

    You can also clamp it around individual wires you may find and suspect.
     
  6. May 21, 2025 at 10:18 PM #6
    Dodgehemi61

    Dodgehemi61 Full Access Member

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    A clamp on amp meter will not work when doing these tests. They will not monitor the small amount current that is being checked.
    You need an inline amp meter like a Volt Ohm Meter.
    Plus trying to clamp on each wire will be as almost impossible to identify each one.
     
    Last edited: May 23, 2025
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  7. May 27, 2025 at 2:24 AM #7
    Moparisto

    Moparisto Full Access Member

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    A standard DC clamp-on ammeter typically has a minimum current measurement range of around 1-2 ampers. While some specialized clamp meters, like those designed for measuring leakage currents, might have a lower resolution, reaching into the milliamperes, the general-purpose clamp meter is best suited for higher current values.

    That which is generally true is not always specifically true.

    Thus, my statement:

    "Another thing you can do, costing more money, and likely less accurate, is getting a clamp-on DC ammeter and close it around the positive battery cable, and do as he said above."

    From this website:

    https://www.kleintools.com/catalog/...ac-auto-range-trms-low-impedance-loz-2000-amp

    Digital Clamp Meter, AC Auto-Range TRMS, Low Impedance (LoZ), 2000 Amp
    CL900
    • Digital Clamp Meter measures 2000A AC/DC, 1000V AC/DC, 60 Milliohm
     
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  8. Jun 2, 2025 at 5:10 PM #8
    Dodgehemi61

    Dodgehemi61 Full Access Member

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    This is a nice meter but something that will read 2000 amps will not measure 5 milliamps of current. This is where my Fluke 87 works great for this. :)
     
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  9. Jun 2, 2025 at 9:48 PM #9
    baccaruda

    baccaruda Full Access Member

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    I told him the beginning to take it back and let who ever sold it to him to either check the battery our put another in the car . but mysteriously my post disappeared?
     
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  10. Jun 3, 2025 at 12:23 PM #10
    Cloverdale

    Cloverdale Full Access Member

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    A cheap trickle charger when sitting idle may keep the battery from draining until you determine the drain source.
     
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