[JudareSan]

I upgraded my dash on my 2008 CTS with a Boss Audio System! A few days later my battery was drained and My key was locked in ignition. Fast Forward: New Alternator, Relay, Starter; it did it again! Do you recommend a 2nd Battery or a small amp to regulate how much the system drains in motion or in stasis?

Moved from the CTS V forums to the appropriate Gen II CTS forum.
Welcome to the forums, JudareSan.
-Long

 

[tinman]

Post this up in the CTS forum for a better chance at some help.

 

[Long]

Post this up in the CTS forum for a better chance at some help.

Done.

 

[NHCTS4]

Try disconnecting power to new system and see if that stops the drain.

 

[JudareSan]

Thanks Long! I appreciate it! @NHCTS4 I could do that, but I'd have to unhook my dash panel frequently. I didn't have this issue before I got the android auto system, but I've been reading other posts and apparently the same issues occur in the newer models as well; and those systems come standard with the vehicle. My factory radio was moved to my trunk to allow my a/c controls to keep working. Steering controls are also connected. I put a brand new alternator, relay, and starter on a couple of days ago so I know the stereo output is the problem. So should I put an amp or an extra battery?

 

[JudareSan]

Or maybe there's some kind of fuse I can connect to regulate output from the radio!?!

 

[Hurricane87]

Or maybe there's some kind of fuse I can connect to regulate output from the radio!?!

It's not an "upgrade" if the car won't start. The worst case scenario I usually quote is the guy who put a head unit in his Monte Carlo and lost his headlights. You easily beat that.

These cars have notoriously finicky electrical systems. Put the factory head unit back where it belongs and drive your car.

P.S. The sound comes out of the speakers.

 

[JudareSan]

It Drives amazing! I've slightly modified my engine to be more efficient. But my 08 model doesn't have the handsfree settings standard so I modified that too cause we're like in the 21st Century! I need hands free access! I'm only like 170k miles in. Trunk has plenty of room for an extra battery, perhaps?! I still have factory speakers! I just needed my screen for access.

 

[JudareSan]

It's not an "upgrade" if the car won't start. The worst case scenario I usually quote is the guy who put a head unit in his Monte Carlo and lost his headlights. You easily beat that.

These cars have notoriously finicky electrical systems. Put the factory head unit back where it belongs and drive your car.

P.S. The sound comes out of the speakers.

I want to modify my interior too. I've always attracted to that DanDeville- DTS but I just so happen to get BLESSED with the CTS right on time. So driving my car is the whole reason I'm UPGRADING. That's why I'm seeking suggestions on how to modify to modern standards. I'm a sailor, I know how systems work. Any OTHER suggestions?!

 

[Long]

You've got alot going on here.

Is your battery the proper size, fully charged, and tested? Even new batteries can fail.
Is your new alternator OEM or a rebuilt parts store unit? These cars prefer the factory alternator. You can also have it tested.
Why a new starter? Again, quality parts need to be sourced.

If the charging system tests out you should reverse the radio installation back to factory. It sounds like a rather complicated network you've created leaving the original head unit tied in a remote location.
Lots of room for errors here.

I do not believe a second battery will help, IMO it will only complicate things further.

 

[Joseph Upson]

I know how systems work. Any OTHER suggestions?!

How about CANBUS? I don't know enough details from what you've posted to have a good idea about what's going on, but from what you've stated, it sounds like the modification itself is the problem. Members with at least 2 or more years presence here on the forum can recall a number of problems associated with stereo upgrade attempts, so the recommendation to set it back to stock does not originate from a quitters attitude. It's difficult upgrading to a higher option status using original equipment from a donor car as a result of the sophistication that comes along with the high-tech.

Is the battery being drained as the car sits parked overnight, or is it drained after driving for a while, then shutting down and stepping out of the car for a few minutes and returning to continue? That's an important difference not made clear here.

I can't imagine and am pretty sure it wouldn't happen, that you could drive along with insufficient voltage/current supply (due to stereo load, or any other) and no trouble sign be given in the form of a chime, or the notorious loss of power steering that almost every single alternator failure is accompanied by, with insufficient voltage in this car .

Are you aware of the fact that the computer controls the alternator output and determines the voltage output under all conditions while the motor is running?

Have someone with a capable scanner check the car for body control module codes (BCM) and see if you have any, chances are you do and they do not set off a check engine light. Codes of this nature can offer clues.

The CANBUS system is the internet highway for the car and it is used to transfer and receive data between modules (all onboard computers), that can cause problems like this when the information depended upon is missing, or in error.

 

[Racer-X-]

I upgraded my dash on my 2008 CTS with a Boss Audio System! A few days later my battery was drained and My key was locked in ignition.

Help me a little with this. You turned off the car, left the key in the ignition, and a few days later the battery was drained?

Or your battery drained a few days later while you were driving it with the key in the ignition.

It's a Really bad idea™ to leave the key in the ignition in these cars and walk away for a long time. Stuff stays powered up when the key is present in the ignition, even when the engine is off and you've left it parked. That could be what's draining the battery. In short, your issue may fall into the category of "Operating exactly as designed."

Fast Forward: New Alternator, Relay, Starter; it did it again!

Some heavy hits from the parts cannon. And I seriously doubt all of those parts failed. I also seriously doubt you replaced them with Original Equipment quality parts, so you'll very likely have more issues with the "new" parts down the road.

Yet, the battery is conspicuously absent from the list. Has the battery been tested? Is it in really good condition?

Do you recommend a 2nd Battery or a small amp to regulate how much the system drains in motion or in stasis?

I recommend finding the current drain and fixing that first. A second battery might make it last a little longer, but if you have a big current drain, it's going to drain both batteries. It might take a little longer, but that's all you're going to get. I'd start off by pulling the fuse(s) for all the "new" stuff when you park it and seeing if it still kills the battery, or better yet, actually measuring the current drain at the battery and pulling fuse(s) for the "new" stuff first and observing if the drain stops when you pull a fuse.

 

[JudareSan]

So if I put the factory system back in how will I travel hands free?

How about CANBUS? I don't know enough details from what you've posted to have a good idea about what's going on, but from what you've stated, it sounds like the modification itself is the problem. Members with at least 2 or more years presence here on the forum can recall a number of problems associated with stereo upgrade attempts, so the recommendation to set it back to stock does not originate from a quitters attitude. It's difficult upgrading to a higher option status using original equipment from a donor car as a result of the sophistication that comes along with the high-tech.

Is the battery being drained as the car sits parked overnight, or is it drained after driving for a while, then shutting down and stepping out of the car for a few minutes and returning to continue? That's an important difference not made clear here.

I can't imagine and am pretty sure it wouldn't happen, that you could drive along with insufficient voltage/current supply (due to stereo load, or any other) and no trouble sign be given in the form of a chime, or the notorious loss of power steering that almost every single alternator failure is accompanied by, with insufficient voltage in this car .

Are you aware of the fact that the computer controls the alternator output and determines the voltage output under all conditions while the motor is running?

Have someone with a capable scanner check the car for body control module codes (BCM) and see if you have any, chances are you do and they do not set off a check engine light. Codes of this nature can offer clues.

The CANBUS system is the internet highway for the car and it is used to transfer and receive data between modules (all onboard computers), that can cause problems like this when the information depended upon is missing, or in error.

Help me a little with this. You turned off the car, left the key in the ignition, and a few days later the battery was drained?

Or your battery drained a few days later while you were driving it with the key in the ignition.

It's a Really bad idea™ to leave the key in the ignition in these cars and walk away for a long time. Stuff stays powered up when the key is present in the ignition, even when the engine is off and you've left it parked. That could be what's draining the battery. In short, your issue may fall into the category of "Operating exactly as designed."

Some heavy hits from the parts cannon. And I seriously doubt all of those parts failed. I also seriously doubt you replaced them with Original Equipment quality parts, so you'll very likely have more issues with the "new" parts down the road.

Yet, the battery is conspicuously absent from the list. Has the battery been tested? Is it in really good condition?


I recommend finding the current drain and fixing that first. A second battery might make it last a little longer, but if you have a big current drain, it's going to drain both batteries. It might take a little longer, but that's all you're going to get. I'd start off by pulling the fuse(s) for all the "new" stuff when you park it and seeing if it still kills the battery, or better yet, actually measuring the current drain at the battery and pulling fuse(s) for the "new" stuff first and observing if the drain stops when you pull a fuse.

Yes. It normally drains overnight while its parked. I tested the battery(in the trunk) yesterday and it's fully charged at 12.8v but when I try to crank it, it drains from the ignition circuit and won't start until I give an extra boost, then it cranks right up no problem. What is CANBUS?!

 

[Long]

A fully charged battery and a load tested battery are two different things.

 

[Racer-X-]

Yes. It normally drains overnight while its parked. I tested the battery(in the trunk) yesterday and it's fully charged at 12.8v but when I try to crank it, it drains from the ignition circuit and won't start until I give an extra boost, then it cranks right up no problem.

Again, maybe I'm just confused.

Maybe you checked the battery voltage yesterday and it was 12.8V, then you tried to crank it yesterday, immediately after finding it at 12.8V and it failed to start? That's a symptom of a battery with serious issues that probably needs to be replaced.

Or, maybe, you checked the voltage yesterday right after you parked it, and it was 12.8V, then you let it sit overnight and went out today and tried to crank it and it wouldn't start. If that's what happened, then what was the voltage today, immediately before you tried to start it? If it was 12.8V today when you tried to start it, that's a battery problem, refer to the previous paragraph. If it was under 11V today when you tried to start it today, then something was still powered on overnight and drained the battery. You need to find that and resolve that issue.

 

[Racer-X-]

One other follow up question. In your "upgrade," did you wire power for anything (like an amplifier) directly to the battery?

 

[Joseph Upson]

So if I put the factory system back in how will I travel hands free?


Yes. It normally drains overnight while its parked. I tested the battery(in the trunk) yesterday and it's fully charged at 12.8v but when I try to crank it, it drains from the ignition circuit and won't start until I give an extra boost, then it cranks right up no problem. What is CANBUS?!

OE bluetooth install.

Look up CANBUS on youtube after you're sure about the status of your battery. If the battery is being drained over night, it could possibly be because of something you have wired in not turning off, or possibly because a computer is not turning something off, or is turning something on that you are not aware of.

I recall using a digital battery tester on a relatively modern car that had a high idle following a jump start. I had to disconnect the negative terminal because despite the car being turned off and the key being removed from the ignition, the tester returned an error message instructing me to turn the car off. Disconnecting the terminal was the only way the tool would test the battery which tested good. Whatever the case, the car is not off until the computer controlling that state says it is, even if it looks like it is. After the battery cable was reconnected, and the car started, the idle returned to normal. The apparent problem was a poor battery connection and that caused a problem during the jump start. Perhaps the computer was stuck in active mode during that test.

 

[Padgett]

Yes, if no drain it is usually a bad connection. Might try holding on start for a few seconds and see if anything gets hot. Or compare the battery voltage to the starter voltage. Or measure the difference between the battery and the starter voltage. Nothing replaces proper instrumentation. Have left mine sitting for a week before with no issue but then have an AGM.