# Battery save mode, warning lights, battery



## kmckilli (Jul 14, 2015)

First off, I apologize if I have posted in the wrong forum... I am a newbie.
I have a '12 LT with approx. 48K miles. 

This situation started after an evening at the drive in theater. After the first movie was over, I noticed my dash said something about my car going into battery saver mode (the movie sound come through a radio station...so you have to use your car radio). Went to start the car so we could go home and nothing. Just click click click...like the battery was dead. Checked the battery and it said was at 10v. Dash and interior lights still illuminated but could not roll up windows or shut the roof. A second try a bit later yielded a variety of error messages on the screen...service power steering was one. Can't remember the others. I let her sit through the next movie and then she finally started up. That was on Friday. Fast forward to today (three days later) and she is starting up very slow. I've started her 5 times today and the last time she almost didn't start. It sounds almost like the battery is dying. However, the info screen says the battery is at 14.4v. The last time I started her, the power steering alert came up again. 

Any suggestions as to what is going on?


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## au201 (May 18, 2013)

kmckilli said:


> First off, I apologize if I have posted in the wrong forum... I am a newbie.
> I have a '12 LT with approx. 48K miles.
> 
> This situation started after an evening at the drive in theater. After the first movie was over, I noticed my dash said something about my car going into battery saver mode (the movie sound come through a radio station...so you have to use your car radio). Went to start the car so we could go home and nothing. Just click click click...like the battery was dead. Checked the battery and it said was at 10v. Dash and interior lights still illuminated but could not roll up windows or shut the roof. A second try a bit later yielded a variety of error messages on the screen...service power steering was one. Can't remember the others. I let her sit through the next movie and then she finally started up. That was on Friday. Fast forward to today (three days later) and she is starting up very slow. I've started her 5 times today and the last time she almost didn't start. It sounds almost like the battery is dying. However, the info screen says the battery is at 14.4v. The last time I started her, the power steering alert came up again.
> ...


Most likely your battery is going out. When you look at the battery voltage with the car running, you are reading alternator voltage. Next time, read the battery voltage before starting the car...it should ideally be above 12V


Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


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## kmckilli (Jul 14, 2015)

I just checked and the voltage is at 10.4v and I got the service power steering message again. ???


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

kmckilli said:


> I just checked and the voltage is at 10.4v and I got the service power steering message again. ???


When a battery gets old, a deep discharge is the final blow. So to me, everything is pointing to a old battery that couldn't handle the drive-in. Assuming this is the original battery, it's probably time. I suppose it could be bad battery connection, but with the drive-in deal, I lean toward an old battery that reached end of service life.

14.4V with the car running seems a tad low, but not that low. So I think your charging system is ok.


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## kmckilli (Jul 14, 2015)

Well that stinks...but I guess it could always be worse. Thank you!


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Ever have to deal with insane marketing guys, hit you for the highest possible number, big numbers are better, right? Like cold cranking amps, worthless, first off done with a resistive load, a starter is nothing but resistive, has a surge currents of over 1,000 amperes, that can pull the battery voltage down to nothing. Solenoid drops out so get clicks. 

Capacity is a key specification you rarely see anymore, rated in ampere hours. To the best of my ability, Cruze battery is 60 AH, but depends on the load on the battery. And of course the best numbers. Like you may be able to draw 1 ampere for 60 hours, but sure can't draw 20 amperes for three hours, more like two hours. If drawing 60 amps, sure not for an hour, maybe 20 minutes at most. The greater the current, the greater the power dissipation within the confines of the battery. It has relatively high internal resistance.

Then that capacity is only good for a short period of time, sulfation builds up on the plates reducing capacity. A real killer for lead acid batteries in terms of capacity is full discharges, three full discharges can reduce the capacity down to 10% of its rated brand new capacity.

Another battery killer is always hot, why do we need our dome light on for 30 seconds after we close the door? Or the headlamps? I switch all this crap off if I can. With moisture, this crap can stay on, so you wake up to a dead battery. Anti-Thief and remote entry are other battery killers.

When FWD came along, killed the idea of using a cam driven engine fan, used electric instead upping the alternator capacity to at least another 40 amps. But if those fans do not come on when first starting the vehicle this leaves another 40 amps to charge the battery. Another battery killer, high charging rates, best way to charge a battery is at a 2 ampere rate.

If you leave your vehicle parked at an airport for a couple of weeks, far better to let the engine idle for about ten minutes to slowly charge the battery, but nobody does that, rev their engine at 5,000 rpm to get the hail out of there, not only destroying their battery, but also can burn up their alternator.

Battery also has a lot of soldered connections on the inside, and also subject to a high self discharge rate. This bit about making batteries more compact to save weight also declines its life.

Drive-in theater? We still have one south of town, screen is half falling down, poles are still there, but hasn't been in operation for the last fifty years or so. Are they transmitting the signal over FM? Ha, with all these new center consoles, can't even put your arm over your girls shoulder anymore.


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## kmckilli (Jul 14, 2015)

@NickD, sadly, there are only a few drive ins left out there... This one has 4 screens, 2 movies on each screen, and a great concession stand. They are packed on the weekends. Can't beat 2 movies for $10 per person. And yes, they transmit over FM. Even bad movies are good at the drive in. 

The Cruze is in the shop as I type... possible battery or alternator, they say. We'll see when they call me with the news this afternoon.


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## NickD (Dec 10, 2011)

Everything I mentioned can be tested in about five minutes with a Midtronics GR8 series battery diagnostic tester. My understanding that all GM dealers are required to have one.










All they have to do is to plug it in, connect the positive and negative battery cables, push a button and walk away. Sounds off an alarm when done and prints out a rather long ticket telling whether the battery should be replaced or not. Provided you can find an honest dealer, but won't in my town, first that crunch in 2008 then GM forced them to spend a fortune for remolding like I as a customer give a darn. Just want good service and prices. With my battery, got ten pounds of BS from these jerks.

But as an engineer have all the test equipment to do this step by step, but takes me an hour. But this is okay, can take me several days to test out a new circuit, but after its approved, design a computer piece of test equipment to do all the same test in 0.2 seconds.

Ha, asking GM reps for help, tell me to find a better dealer. Now this takes some searching. Hope your dealer isn't screwing you to death, not easy to fool an engineer.


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## rcclockman (Jan 16, 2012)

Probably bad battery cables on top of all that too.


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## ChevyMgr (Oct 27, 2010)

NickD said:


> Everything I mentioned can be tested in about five minutes with a Midtronics GR8 series battery diagnostic tester.


Usually much longer than that. Sometimes GR8 requires the battery to be charged 1-2 hours before it will even attempt to test a battery.


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## BamaNYC (Jul 14, 2014)

*check out this thread*

Read thread 
[h=2]Special Coverage #14311: Negative Battery Cable[/h]sounds similar to me.


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## BamaNYC (Jul 14, 2014)

kmckilli said:


> First off, I apologize if I have posted in the wrong forum... I am a newbie.
> I have a '12 LT with approx. 48K miles.
> 
> This situation started after an evening at the drive in theater. After the first movie was over, I noticed my dash said something about my car going into battery saver mode (the movie sound come through a radio station...so you have to use your car radio). Went to start the car so we could go home and nothing. Just click click click...like the battery was dead. Checked the battery and it said was at 10v. Dash and interior lights still illuminated but could not roll up windows or shut the roof. A second try a bit later yielded a variety of error messages on the screen...service power steering was one. Can't remember the others. I let her sit through the next movie and then she finally started up. That was on Friday. Fast forward to today (three days later) and she is starting up very slow. I've started her 5 times today and the last time she almost didn't start. It sounds almost like the battery is dying. However, the info screen says the battery is at 14.4v. The last time I started her, the power steering alert came up again.
> ...


check out thread 
[h=2]Special Coverage #14311: Negative Battery Cable[/h]


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## Rapp (Feb 17, 2013)

Similar circumstances for my 2012 LTZ. Slow cranking/starting for about a week. Then one morning, nothing! Previously had issues with corrosion on cables. Cleaned them at least twice over the last six months of the battery's life. Wife came home from work (25 mile drive) and when she pulled in to the garage there was a strong smell of rotten eggs. Battery done! Took the battery in to a NAPA store just to confirm. Replaced the battery and both the positive and negative cables for a little under $200. I could have saved money had I ordered the positive cable on line but unfortunately we needed the car opperational STAT so I sucked it up and paid the chevy dealership parts department for the positive cable (none of the local parts stores carried that specific cable). Four years for the stock Delco battery is about all you get on average.


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

Rapp said:


> Replaced the battery and both the positive and negative cables for a little under $200.


Why the cables? Did the battery blow?


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## Rapp (Feb 17, 2013)

No. They just got badly corroded over the last few months that I felt I wasn't able to clean them adequately enough so I figured it best to change them out.


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