At Fixya.com, our trusted experts are meticulously vetted and possess extensive experience in their respective fields. Backed by a community of knowledgeable professionals, our platform ensures that the solutions provided are thoroughly researched and validated.
I have a 2004 dodge grand caravan that keeps losing its charge. I had the alternator checked and Checkers said there was an electrical draw when everything was turned off. Has anyone ran across this before?
Re: I have a 2004 dodge grand caravan that keeps losing...
Its called parasitic draw, pull the ecm fuse, dixconnect the neg. batt cable and bridge it with a test light, pull one fuse at a time when the light goes off youwill know wich circuit is drawing,
- If you need clarification, ask it in the comment box above.
- Better answers use proper spelling and grammar.
- Provide details, support with references or personal experience.
Tell us some more! Your answer needs to include more details to help people.You can't post answers that contain an email address.Please enter a valid email address.The email address entered is already associated to an account.Login to postPlease use English characters only.
Tip: The max point reward for answering a question is 15.
P0740 torque converter malfunction
Possible causes
Low or dirty transmission fluid
Faulty torque converter clutch solenoid valve
Torque converter clutch solenoid valve harness is open or shorted
Torque converter clutch solenoid valve circuit poor electrical connection
P0562 charging system voltage low
Possible causes
Low battery charge
Defective battery
Faulty alternator
Problem with belt
Open or shorted system voltage circuit
Check that battery cables are secure on both ends of both cables. Check the alternator cables for abnormal wear, including cracking and fraying. Replace or tighten the cables as necessary.
I would check all connections. Make the belt that spins the alternator is tight. If you can get the vehicle to an advance auto parts or any tech that can test the battery and charging system that would help. They can all so a see if anything is drawing from the battery this will let you know If there is a problem with something draining the battery
If the battery dash light remains on, it is a strong indication that you have a recharging issue. The new battery will only work if the alternator keeps it charged well. My suggestion would be to take your car to a mechanic and have your alternator tested.
From the sound of it you have electrical problem, recharge the battery and if it wont hold the charge,buy a new battery,also the charging system should get inspected by the auto technician for problems,such as undercharging alternator,bad battery,parasitic draw and so on, parasitic draw takes out electrical energy from the battery, and when drained bad enough the car won't start, in that case you can try jump starting the battery with booster cables and another vehicle to get it going, also before going to the garage, make sure that all the switches are turned off, then see if the drain happens again and if it does,get the battery tested to see if its good or defective,the battery maybe weak and not holding proper charge,if the battery is defective replace it, if that don't work go see the technician. Ask the technician for the electrical systems check, when you get there.
You will nee to have the alternator checked, make sure they test it under a load for a while and also make sure battery connections are good and clean. follow the battery cable, the smaller of the two which is the positive side and cable, there are two positive cables coming off the battery. one goes to starter and the other to the fuse/ relay box, make sure where the cable connects to box terminal that its clean and tight. this problem sounds more like an alternator that stops charging enough under a load. a load is when you are using a lot of accessories like the wipers ,radio, heater and headlights, what happens is the alternator is weak and cant keep up and the computer shuts down things when there is not enough voltage to run them, also the battery should be tested also to make sure its holding a good charge and able to accept the charge. you will need to run the engine and turn on all Assyria's and leave them on for a while and have a volt meter on the battery to check the alternator output. good luck.
The battery on a Dodge Caravan is subject to the same drainage issues every conventional automobile battery has. If the alternator does not produce enough current to recharge the battery, it will lose its charge over time. If the voltage regulator is not functioning properly it can impair the ability of the battery to stay charged. If the operator leaves the headlights on, or the door open or any number of other accessories that draw electricity from the battery while the engine is not running, the battery will eventually die. Loose battery cables can also keep the alternator from supplying current back to the battery the votage regalator usally is first to go out. thanks
The alternator has a bad diode in the diode bridge in the alternator,this turns the light on,even though the alternator checks good,and is charging correctly,there is a bad diode,this diode ,along with others,changes ac voltage to dc voltage,if not replaced,it will start causing components to go out.
Check the battery first. Just because the lights are on doesn't mean it has enough power to start the van. If you or the van has a volt meter, the battery should read at least 13-14 volts to be good. If the battery is good then the alternator is good and we move on to the starter solenoid. I'm sure it's one of these. Do the lights go off or very dim when you turn the key? If so then battery.
×