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Why does my car battery keep dying?

I recently changed the intake air temp sensor

 in my 04 Acura TL. The car started up and ran fine for the whole night. I noticed when I got home as soon as I shut the car off my battery died, I know cause when I hit my power locks it was unresponsive. Tried starting the car the next day and needed a jump. I got it jumped and left the car the running for at least 30 min before shutting it off. My battery and alternator are basically brand new so could the sensor be faulty and be draining my battery?

Updated 6 days ago:

My battery has been tested and passed 

7 Answers

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  • Anonymous
    6 days ago

    Battery HAS TO BE LOAD TESTED.  Wal~mart does an electrical check for $20 and they check alternator output, starter current draw, battery load test and for electrical shorts.  (So they do the whole thing).  There is no SENSOR.   Usually the battery is shot. Lucky for you, you can buy a replacement battery right there at Wally's.  And it is the lowest price in town.

    .   04 is hardly any years on the starter. I expect that to be good.

    .  Battery clamps are not on properly(tight).  If you can wiggle off the clamp by hand, then it ain't on tight.

    . Honda is a good car so it is the BATTERY. always BLAME the battery first.

    .  Even new batteries are faulty.  A load test will determine if the battery is any good.  They who sold you the battery SHOULD DO THIS TEST FOR FREE as they get paid by the Battery manufacturer and replacement is FREE.

     It is not an air sensor thing. You do not have power when you are jumping the car THE NEXT DAY.

    .  Idling the car for 30 minutes does not charge the battery.  That just wastes gas.  Are you a short distance driver, shutting the car off at each stop? Like Pizza delivery? Sometimes going just a mile to make a delivery?  At night? Then part of the power of running goes to headlights and part goes to battery.

     A starter eats up  400Amps of power from the battery (think of it like a Big GULP drink) Every time you use the starter to start the car a BIG GULP of power is taken out of the battery.  Now the alternator P's in a thin weak stream of power to refill the battery(except the headlights take away some of that stream of electricity to turn on the lights, so the power to the battery is piddly....maybe 10 amps(or less) per hour.  But in that time you have made 2 more stop/starts.  The battery when new may hold enough for 20 of those before it is dead(you drank all the liquid out of the big Gulp and the refill process can NOT catch up.

    So it could be all your fault and the way you drive.

    35+ years mechanic

  • 6 days ago

    BAD wiring harnesss or STIL a bad ALTERNATOR and I hope you did NOT waste your $$$ on a AUTO ZONE BATTERY< they are PURE JUNK! Get A can of GUNK R ORIGINAL ORANGe engine cleaner and CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN the engine at a DIY car wash! BRING a FRIEND with oy you IN CASE! WASH EVERYTHING YOU SEE! There may be FLUIDS dripping on the STARTER or the ALTERNATOR ONLY! CLEAN the BATTERY POSTS and perhaps you bought a VERY BAD BATTERY! That is the AMERICAN WAY! SELL JUNK for a HIGH PRICE to make big profits! SADLY it isTRUE! WE are ONLY beginning to gegt CARS that are WORTH BUYING frmo the DOMESTIC car makers! And JAP cars ALWAYS wear out the EXHAUSTS the FASTEST! FOr the MOSTpart they ae JUNK METALS! I never had to replace a SINGLE THING on my FOUR AUDIS and TWO GTI VWs and my TWO BENZ cars but TIRES and BRAKE PADS and FLUID! GOING BACKWARDS< GM cars ALWAYS broke the FASTEST and they LOST all their values gthe QUICKEST! OLDS was GOOD but nsw they are DEAD!  SO is OPNTIAC and SATURN and CADDIES are stil NOT WORTH BUYING as they are HISTORY by 90,000 iels or so when the TIMING CHAINS all BREAK!>>AUTO ZONE wil check your CHARGE sysem for FREE! AND so will MOST frepair shops! USe an INTERSTATE or DKA or FACTORY BATTERY ONLY! Even iones frmoteh JUNK YARD are better tahn AUTO ZONE BATTERIES>

  • CB
    Lv 7
    6 days ago

    As everyone has said check the charging system with the car running AND make sure your idiot light on the dash that looks like a battery is functioning. (Should show up in the ign on-not started mode or for a second or two after the vehicle starts.  The light-on SHOULD indicate the charging system has failed but if it is blown you need a multi-meter to test.

  • Anonymous
    6 days ago

    New or not means nothing

    Your charging system and battery need to be tested.

    And since your battery was allowed to go dead, it has already lost capacity and will likely need replaced.

    Any Autozone or Advance Auto will test the battery and charging system for free

  • Anonymous
    6 days ago

    Do not guess and do not assume anything.  Get evidence.  Get a multimeter and check the charging system.  If charging system checks good, charge and load test the battery.  Check for a battery drain.  Good luck.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGB6ZEjGm7Q

  • 6 days ago

    Check the voltage at the battery with the motor running at 2000 rpms. You need a minimum of 13.7 volts or the alternator is not charging the battery fully. Rebuilt alternators fail. If one of the 3 diodes fried you'll still get 11 to 12 volts but the alternator will drain the battery in 6 to 8 hours. Check the fusible links in the engine compartment fuse box. If you have fuses on the positive battery cable clamp check them. When the fusible link for the electrical system blows the alternator will not work.

  • ?
    Lv 4
    6 days ago

    Invest in a cheap digital multimeter and test the battery and alternator. 'New' does not mean without fault. See video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRxvFcT7qKM

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