I have a battery drain on my Chevy Malibu .axx (Electrical Battery Chevrolet Malibu Maxx)

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Question Details Asked:Mar 01, 2009 - 12:59 PMStatus:Closed

maxxedout1	I have a battery drain on my Chevy Malibu .axx anytime I leave the 2005 Maxx parked for more than a day, it won't start. I've replaced the battery and taken the car to my mechanic. the poor guys have checked all the electrical connections, run diagnostics, checked the bulletins and nothing has panned out. it seems fine if i do my normal routine, go to work, leave the car sit all day, drive home, etc. The other day, i stayed home sick but knowing that not using the car might make it die, i started it and left in running for 15 minutes. the next day, it wouldn't start. I've gotten really paranoid and stand in the garage until all the interior lights turn off. If anyone has had a similar problem, I'd love to hear about it. the next stop is the dealer and I'm not sure that i can afford to have them dinking around on it. My mechanic didn't charge me because he couldn't fix the problem. Help!
	In Maintenance & Repair > Electrical > Battery In Makes & Models > Chevrolet > Malibu Maxx 3 answers - 1434 days ago
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Answers

zaken1 03/01/09 8:31 pm PST

Try disconnecting the power wire to the alternator when you park the car, and not putting it back on until you are ready to start it again. If this eliminates the problem; the alternator has a shorted diode, and must be replaced.

vvillalobos 03/31/09 9:44 pm PST

I have the same problem , i went through each fuse and found out the radio was drainig alot of the battery at 3.76 amps when the car was off, i don't know about cars much but the battery has'nt drained so far . i'll get back to you tomorrow when i try to start it . no one could tell me what was happening either so im troubleshooting it myself i hope this works .

msdiem510 07/15/09 5:27 pm PST

I have the same issue with my 99 malibu. Come to find out that the radio was installed incorrectly as it worked when the key was out. This used up a lot of amps than normal on a car that should be off. Also, the car alarm was installed incorrectly so it ate up a lot of amps, as well. So I had to get the old alarm fully taken out and a new alarm installed. Same with the radio. This resolved the issue, but until I could get this done, I found myself taking out certain fuses everytime I parked my car so the battery wouldn't drain. When I was ready to go, I would put the fuses back in and it would start up. I'm not sure if it would be the same for you, but it worked, in the meantime...Good luck...

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