I've got a brand new battery and a new alternator. My battery is draining though and eventually gets to the point that unless I've charged it with a battery charger the car won't start. I've been doing research on the internet (before I found the learned masters at this site!) and from what I can gather, I may need a new negative battery cable as mine may be corroded somewhere keeping the battery from recharging. Also, I may need a new belt because mine may be loose, keeping the alternator rotor from spinning fast enough to generate the power. This makes sense because my engine is making a loud squealing noise when I accelerate.

Any help anyone can offer me would be greatly appreciated. I'm by no means a "car guy" but I know enough to do my own repairs and keep this thing running. But this problem has me at a loss.

 

I would start with a new belt then the battery cables.

 

i also would say the belt, and if you know the cable is bad i would try and replace it also. belt squealing for sure tell you that its not turning every thing properly ...good luck on your fix.

 

My first car when I turned 16 was an old 70 Honda Civic. The battery would not hold a charge and it got the point that I would take a crescent wrench with me and anytime I parked the car, I would disconnect the battery cable. After about a month of this, I was sitting in traffic with my buddy who couldn't resist messing with everything. He grabbed the cigarette lighter and it burned him. It turns out the darn thing was stuck in, and was always on. I threw it out the window right then and there, and my problem went away.

You'll probably solve your issue with the battery cable or belts, but if not, look for a phantom power sucker.

 

I would get a good belt and battery cable on it and see if the issue goes away... if not then i would start looking for something that could be causing a draw..

A good battery should only loose about 2% per week (providing it sits still that whole week) If all of the above solutions fail it is possible to have got a defective battery of the shelf..

I treat buying a battery like i do buying milk at the store.. Batteries contain dates in witch it was produced stamped on it just like milk has a sell by date.. i always sift thought the lot and find the one that has the newest production date. it will have the best charge. If you buy from a place that does not sell to many batteries, you could end up with a battery that has been sitting on there shelves for months. I have gone to an auto parts chain store before and have found batteries that where sitting on there shelf 6-8 months!

 

Have you scaned the electrical system?Voltage regulator will cause failure to charge the battery,(that's in the PCM)The squeel have you noticed any puddling of coolent just under the crank on the ground.That water pump bearing getting ready to go.Just a thought.............