1994 Buick Skylark 6 Cyl. Battery, Wipers, Hazards

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

I posted a few days ago about trying to find the hazard relay to replace it; now they seem to be working.



This morning the wipers weren’t working then started up. On top of this the clock was completely reset as were all the radio stations.



I’m at my wits end with this. Ten months ago the battery died and I brought the car to a service center. The mechanic said it was bad cables, changed them and also put in a new battery. He also told me the alternator was fine. Now about two weeks ago the battery died again. I hadn’t driven this vehicle in a while and wasn’t starting it so I figured that had something to do with it. The local auto parts store tried to recharge the battery but were unable to, telling me it was defective. Not wanting to go back to this particular mechanic I just bought another battery. Now I’m still getting the resetting clock and radio stations which were symptoms with the previous battery. The auto parts store clerck said that will happen if a battery is bad. Well, this battery is new!



Sorry for ranting. Any help is appreciated.

2

I would have a full (in vehicle) load test performed on the charging system.

If that shows no culprit, you may have to locate a parasitic drainer.

Pull the clock fuse and see if you still have a battery drain.

Also, ensure ALL ground connections are clean and tight. (This includes the engine to chassis ground. (Sometimes in a braided strap form)

3

Here are some checks for the battery drain problem: http://www.aa1car.com/library/battery_runs_down.htm

4

Thanks for the advice folks. I understand how to do the load test on the battery and then with the car running with the alternator, this as indicated by the above link.

What I don’t get is how to do the the “key off” test they talk about towards the end of the post. Here is the unit I bought today to do these tests:

http://www.byramlabs.com/images/hi-res/SPE-dm-350a.gif

If someone could tell me how to do it using this unit I would certainly appreciate it.

5

UPDATE: This morning the clock radio and stations were reset again when I went to start the car. I’ve noticed that every time this happens I’ll open the door to get in and the interior lights don’t work. Then I start the car and bang, radio is reset and clock is reset. If I open the door and the lights work, then the radio and clock are fine.