OK, guys, help me out. For some reason, putting the key into the "accessory" or "on" position to listen to the radio while the squeeze runs into the store kills my battery. This has just begun lately.

The accesory position will kill it in 10 minutes, and a little longer for on.

I've checked all the battery cables and had the battery load tested (6-month old Delco) and they are good. There are absolutely no other electrical issues at the curent time, and neither has the car had any in the past.

Any ideas?

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Very very weird. Seems that anything that would kill the battery in 10 minutes would either blow a fuse or melt some wiring. Is the alternator working OK?

Car RUNS fine, alt is great, car will not drain battery when OFF.

Only when in ACC or ON (no start).


(was on the telly with him earlier) We have the same suspicion, and no intentional game, we'd like to know what others think without tainting your view.

There would have to be multiple high drain items running. I once left the headlights on for eight hours while at work & it still started. Just barely but it started (67 Dodge Dart). So it seems to me that it would take a very heavy gauge wire to drain it that fast. That would be a starter or alt. cable & I can't imagine any scenario where that would happen in the accessory position but not when off. Check the battery again? You got me stumped but I'll sleep on it.

I agree with Mike, that it would seem to need a few things going on here. It seems even stranger that it would take longer in "run" than "acc", as run should send power to the ignition system, while acc doesn't. For it to draw enough to run down a fully charged battery in 10 minutes, it would have to be huge!

About the only single item that I can think of that would draw that amount of current is the starter. However, there are several things that would have to go wrong for that to be drawing current in that key position, and not activate the starter. Most would also have the draw with the key off, though. I'd have to check the wiring diagrams for that year see what could go wrong. It is a strange one.

You were you parked on a slight grade while parked? Maybe there is excessive scale from the battery plates shorting out killing the battery? When you go to test its put on a level surface and checks out ok?

I cant imagine a load that would drain the battery in 10 minutes and not be an issue other wise, ie half stuck starter, fuel pump, etc.

Although it is weird the acc and on position differences.

Another angle would be that an issue with battery cables may be limiting its charge when you are running (running off the alternator and a little battery). So, when you run the stereo in ACC, it is pulling down what little power the battery has stored up.

Just happened to think. Those tests that A'zone does will usually tell if you have a "low charge." Might be able to just wheel in and have them check it.

Just a view from..... "The Twilight Zone"
Do do do do.. do do do do

He had the battery checked out perfect (new condition) at a local alternator/starter/battery exchange business.

Position doesn't appear to affect the problem. It'* happened on a slight incline and parked levelly. The alternator shows charging at 14.6 volts at idle. When I kill the battery this way, a 10-minute hit with my crappy little Chinese charger brings it right back up.

The battery is a 6-month-old Delco that has passed the load test at my local buddy'* garage.

I know it'* weird. It seems like there would be safety (fire) issues to discharge a 600-amp battery in 10 minutes, but everything else works and no smell of smoke nor fried wires I can see.

I do have VATS bypassed with a resistor, but I felt the resistor and it doesn't seem even warm. I can't imagine that circuit with its tiny wires causing the problem.

Try disconnecting the flux capacitor.

I know, I know, lame...

I have no idea what could really cause that.