My 2000 H1 batteries are dead if I do not drive for 3 weeks. Dealer say that's normal. It has a viper security system which I do not use. Any ideas ??? Thanks

 

Need to put a trickle charger on if you aren't going to drive or start it for three weeks. Lots of things draw small amounts of power even when the car is turned off. After market electronics, security systems, phone chargers, TV/DVD systems, etc.

 

It is very common.

Nick

 

get rid of that alarm!! draws power even when it is not armed. also draw check your system at the battery with everything off should be no more then .04 amps

 

So, my question is this...where should the needle be , generally, on the alternator charging meter? Should the needle be a little in the charging side or should it be pointing straight up, in the middle, so to speak...?
I am concerned that my 2 batteries (2003 H1 wagon) are not up to par and the charging circuit is always charging, which I believe it should not do. I may be wrong, but if the charging circuit is always charging, then the diodes are going to fail, sooner then I want them to, because the charging circuit in the alternator never shuts down....Am I correct in my thinking, here???

 

my 97 started doing the same thing a couple months ago. charged and load tested the batteries checked out ok. 2-3 weeks later the batteries would hardly last 3-4 days. from vibration and age a short internally in one of the bateries was causing the problem. Have your batteries tested at any good battery shop with one of their digital testing machines as it will show a shorted cell. before this I could go months without starting and the truck always had plenty of power. now if batteries check ok doing an amperage drain test will point out the problem. simply disconect the ground and put any good digital ampmeter between the ground and chassis. now if the reading is high try disconnecting your alternator as a shorting diod will cause a severe drain. any other circuit can also be eliminated by removing fuses one at a time and observing a drop in your amperage reading.

 

ebicker , don't rely on the instrument gauge as being accurate as they are famous for showing false. check your voltage with a good multimeter and you should see a charging voltage of about 14.5volts. alternators have built in temp sensitive resistors which vary the voltage accordingly. really hot you may only be charging at 13.5volts. really cold and you may be charging at 15+volts. when your truck is running your alt is always charging! it never turns off and then turns on again it always trys to maintain a regulated voltage of 13.5-14.5volts within the max amperage capacity it was designed for.

 

Hello.
You may have a short or there is some thing putting a drain on your batterries. I know that on our lattest vehicles in the Canadian Forces there are small solar cells on the vehicles to help keep the batterries charged. I know that on one of the Mercedes G wagons in our compound sat for almost a year and the solar cell kept the batterries at a full charge with out being startted.