PT Crusier battery dies after 5 days of no use.

[sawdust123]

I have an '03 GT and an '05 convert. My first battery on the GT only lasted about two years but I have never had a drain problem like you have.

Do you live in cold, wet weather and do lots of short trip driving? I can imagine that with the heater on high, the window defrosters on, the wipers on, the radio on and maybe your lights and fog lights, you can drain about as much power as the generator is producing and not charging your battery enough between trips. Did the dealer check your charging system when they checked your drain rate?

[fritz_t_coyote]

quote:Originally posted by PT OWNER

Everything on the car was put on by dealer or factory.

Ok....
The Dealer add-ons:
Alarm system (other than factory installed)?
Stereo add-ons (Improperly connected power amplifier or CD Changer)?
Nav system?

Basically ANY dealer-added electrical gadget is a prime suspect.

[PT OWNER]

2003 BASIC VERSION NO EXTRA BUT A/C, STEREO/CD PLAYER, POWER WINDOWS
2003 PT ADD-ON's BY DEALER - POWER DOOR LOCKS/ALARM
2003 PT CURRENT DRAW PER DEALER MECHANIC - 0.031 AMPS
I DO NOT THINK THE CHARGING SYSTEM WAS TESTED.
I ROTATE DRIVING THE 2 PT'S EACH WEEK. ONE STAYS IN THE GARAGE WHILE I DRIVE THE OTHER. THATS WHEN THE BATTERY DIES.

2005 CONV CAME WITH A/C, STEREO/CD PLAYER, POWER WINDOWS, POWER LOCKS/ALARM, POWER CONV TOP, FOG LIGHTS. DEALER NEVER GAVE ME AN AMP DRAW ON THIS CAR.

FRIENDS SUGGESTED BUYING A GOOD BATTERY AND JUNK THE CHRYSLER VERSION. EVEN SUGGESTED A BATTERY WITH MORE CAPACITY. BUT SINCE IM STILL ON WARRANTY I FIGURE I KEEP USING THE CHRYSLER VERSION TELL I GET THEM TIRED OF PROVIDING ME WITH NEW ONES. THAT's IF THEY ACTUALLY DO REPLACE IT WHEN THEY TELL ME THEY DO.

LIVE IN HOUSTON, TX WITH HIGH HUMIDITY BUT NEVER OWNED CARS THAT THE BATTERY DRAINED TO THE POINT OF HAVING TO JUMP THE CAR IN A WEEK.

SORRY ABOUT THE CAP LETTERS FORGOT THE CAP LOCKS WAS ON. PLEASE DO NOT BE OFFENDED.

[fritz_t_coyote]

quote:Originally posted by PT OWNER


2003 PT ADD-ON's BY DEALER - POWER DOOR LOCKS/ALARM

Ok, so next time you put the 03 away in your garage for a week: pull the fuse for the dealer-installed alarm.

And in 5 days you will know if thats the culprit.

But it appears you have some kind of gremlins in your garage that eat juice.

(as for the convertible: when you garage it for a week leave the drivers side window just -slightly- lowered, so if the battery dies you will be able to open the door without damaging the weatherseal on the top)

[bobs turbo pt]

something is draining the batterys thats for sure !!

[PT4U2C]

I have 2 PT's, an '01, 5 1/2 years old, and an '03 Dream both of which often sit for weeks in the garage (I travel weekly by air.) The '01 has the ORIGINAL Mopar battery, as does the '03. Never had any issues(I know--time's up on the '01!), nor I have heard of these kn ids of problems. Any tests done for open circuits, current draw, exposed hot wires, wrong connections? A new dealer seems like a starting point along with some testing. Good luck.

PT4U2C/1KICKNPT

[SteelBlueGT]

Every summer I have left my 03 GT for a little over a month in my garage and every year I half expect a dead battery. It has always started up on the first try just like I drove it the day before. What you have is NOT normal. Find a dealer that will take the time to find out what is draining your batteries. Whatever it is it looks like the problem is shared with your other cars too!!

[marinercox]

My wife's 2002 PT Cruiser's battery used to get low if the car was not driven for a week or so. So did my 1994 Miata. This is not uncommon for a lot of cars because of the age and condition of the battery and the battery draw imposed by units that consume electricity when the ignition is off, such as car alarms, radios, control unit memories, etc. I cured the problem when I replaced the batteries in the PT and Miata. I installed a trickle charger harness on the battery terminals and plug the cars in to the minicharger when they are not in use. It takes a couple of minutes; the minicharger cost $19.95 at Wally World and my batteries are always fully charged. You can use a low amp solor charger as well -- check Northern Tools.

[Jered]

Just wondering...

I remember hearing there being an issue with the headlight switch and it randomly turning the fog lights on...

do you have fog lights in both of them?

Have you ever looked to see if that was a possibility?

Just throwing an idea out there... As I read it several times that the fog lights were the issue with a mystery dead battery...

[soonercruiser]

PT Owner,
Post the dealership question on the "Gulf", Regional Forum near the bottom of the Forums list. That may help getting a Houston answer. Or, post on one of the Texas PT sites.
Big D Cruisers
I do know that I have had a problem with corrosion & drain on one of my 2006 PTs. The dealer ended up replacing the battery connectors.

But, beyond that, I think that the OEM batteries are just pretty "weak", like the OEM ignition parts that are talked about constantly on the tech forum. The GT Vert's battery was replaced this spast fall. And, the NA soonercruiser's battery has been pretty weak cranking in the cold weather this winter in OKCity. So, I will probably get it replaced before the hot summer weather!
Look for a good replacement, like Interstate Battery. Got ours for around $70 (including install) at Sam's Club!