My GF'* Cobalt\* battery doesn't seem to hold a charge. It has to be jump started every time. Sometimes it cranks and doesn't start, but it never dies once it'* running. The alt puts out 14V and tests good according to Auto Zone.

The battery tests "charge and retest."

The engine light comes on, but there are no stored codes.

I started to change the battery, and I noticed that the neg cable was hotter than the positive. I d/c'd the neg cable and hooked up and amp meter. There is a 3A draw.

I don't usually work on GM cars. Some cars I have worked on have a big draw when you first hook up a new battery while all the systems check themselves, then the draw goes away after a few minutes.

Does the Cobalt have a draw at first when you hook up a new battery, then a "sleep" mode after a few minutes? Or should it be a close to 0 amp reading with the key off when I connect a battery?

How many amps should I read if I hook the ammeter up to the battery neg with the key off?

Are there any common causes of current draw on this car?

Thanks!

sounds like there is a short in the system causing power to go to ground. have you checked for any chaffed wires?

yea... sounding like something is grounding out

I pulled all the fuses, and I still had a draw. Now the car won't start even with a jump. First It cranked, but not start. It did this once to my girlfriend earlier today and then did it again to me coming back from auto Zone, before I pulled any fuses. Both times we managed to start it, but not this time.

Now it doesn't even crank.There is no security light. Only an engine light. It flickers a little bit, but the connections are good.

I pulled the cooling fan II relay to get easier access to the fuses. When I put it back, it started squealing and the fan came on. I tried other relays, and they all did the same thing. I checked to see if pulling the relay stopped the draw, but it did not. The aux fan comes on every time I connect power now. It'* 103 degrees here, but the car hadn't been running for hours....

I don't think that there are any damaged wires. It'* my girlfriend'* car. I would know if anything was damaged. At next light I will d/c the auxfan and see if that might be the draw. I think they have always hot power. That has nothing to do with no crank,/no start, but maybe the draw. Maybe I threw some computer part out of whack when I pulled the fuses.

Does the final starge resistor for the blower have always on power in GMs?

the fan relays have B+ all the time and the pcm controls the coil side cool/fan1 (relay and fuse) would be low, cool/fan2 would be high.

if you pull all the fuses and there is still a draw theres something your missing, some times its a sticky relay, etc.

Any idea what is making it not crank now? I don't have an OBDII reader available.

Chain of events:
GF'* car needs jump. Easy start. Assumed GF left light on or something overnight.

GF drives to work, car needs another jump to start after work. Car cranks long time before starts.

I jump car and take it to Auto Zone to get the batt/alt/codes checked. Engine light is on.

No codes, even with MIL light on in front of my face, alt putting out 14V, battery questionable.

Buy battery, return to home to check for draw. Car is very hard to start.

Turn off key, connect meter between battery neg and neg cable. 2.5A draw.

Pulled all fuses and relays, still 2.5A flowing from, battery.

Replace fuses/relays. Aux fan II relay squeals like crazy, fan comes on.

The relay doesn't squeal any more, but the fan is always on. The car will not crank. There is no security icon on the dash, only the engine icon. It seems to flicker a little bit, but barely noticeable and possibly nothing worth note. I suspect that I have tripped something that is not letting the car start, but I have no idea what. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

The relay for coolin fan II now constantly makes noise, gets burning hot, and runs the fan. It'* not the relay causing the problem because I tried another relay and I tried the CoolFanII relay in another socket. The different relay squealed and the original relay did not make noise in another socket. #$%^. Surely this must be the same problem as the draw.

Anybody got wiring diagrams for the aux fans in the 05 Cobalt?

a ground anywhere on the wire that goes to the pcm will cause the relay to stay on. hope 06 is the same.

Thank you, that diagram is very helpful.

Do you have a wiring diagram for the underhood fuse panel?

Has anyone ever heard of the under hood fuse panel causing problems?

the only problems ive had are with the relay sockets being loose. did you see if there was a ground on the control wire for that relay?