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Dead Battery

10K views 18 replies 10 participants last post by  rocketman 
#1 ·
Well, I drove home from work yesterday, parked the Enclave and came inside. My daughter came home later, didn't see any lights on in the car but this morning I have a totally dead battery. Tried to start the car remotely but when the doorlocks wouldn't work, I just thought it was the battery in the remote. I unlocked the driver door with the key, was surprised when pressing the power lock button on the door, my other locks didn't come up. The key wouldn't start the engine and is now stuck in the lock. The analog clock seems to be the only thing working, Buick driver assistance is on the way but couldn't use the OnStar either. Yeesh, what a mess, with a 3 month old vehicle with a little over 3000 miles!!! :( :mad:
 
#2 ·
I bought a 2004 Rendezvous in July 2004. Less than a year later I had a battery go dead. I was in a shopping mall parking lot waiting for my wife who had run in for a few things. I had the engine off but had the radio going. Couldn't have been more than 10 minutes, but when I tried to start the car....nothing.
I did have the Buick roadside service and they sent a truck out. The driver said he made his living on charging and replacing AC Delco (GM) batteries. The vehicle was under warranty and the Buick dealer replaced the battery.
Now I NEVER have electric devices in the car running unless the engine is on. Lesson learned.
By the way, I'll be trading the Rendezvous on an Enclave somewhere in 2010 or 2011. By then the novelty will have worn off and Buick will be dealing and rebating on Enclaves. And they'll have the bugs worked out by then.
Enclave is still the snazziest, sharpest vehicle GM currently offers!
 
#3 ·
I often play the radio/CD for up to 45 minutes at a time with the engine off. I have never had a no-start problem. This has been with GM/AC Delco batteries in various Buicks.
 
#4 ·
This brings up a question for me. I have been thinking with all of the electronics, computers, sensors, etc. on the new vehicles including but not limited to the Enclave, are they putting "larger" or more capable batteries in today's cars? Thats probably not the correct wording, but I think you get my point.

In addition, I have had my display screen dim for no apparent reasons on several occasions, only briefly, but I thought I should check the battery cables to see if they are tight as it seemed to happen at least a couple of times when going over bumps, has anyone else had this?
 
#5 ·
There was talk of increasing the battery size to 24 volt a while back, but I never heard anything more about it.
In the 1950's, the battery size was increased from 6v to 12v. Since then, a ton on electrics and electronics have been added to vehicles.
Ultimately, I think battery size will be increased.
 
#6 ·
The interior lights dim or brighten based on the external light amount, if you have your lighting set to "Auto". In the meantime, dealer left a message that I need "a part" that won't be in til tomorrow, so I get a crappy 2005 Century as a loaner til then. Boo hoo...
 
#8 ·
There seem to be a large number of discussions on the lambda forums about dead batteries. Some of the repeat victims have pushed their dealers until they find some little short somewhere (spin the wheel of electrical accesories!) I am now officially afraid my Enclave battery is going to be flat one morning.

So..
  • How long does it take to charge up a dead battery with a trickle charger?
  • Can you really jump start a car using one of those under $100 "jump starter" packs through a cigar lighter/"power point"? ( I do not want to find the battery -- which is not in the engine compartment..).
    http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-VEC010BD-Start-Starter/dp/B000E1HAIK
  • How many cranking amps do I need on a jump starter"

Anyone know how deep the storage is in the secret compartment in the back (the Enclave "trunk"). I may need to find a jump starter that fits.
 
#9 ·
Can't give you exact measurements right now, but it is at the most 5-6 inches deep, and then about a foot less than the width of the back end for length. It really doesn't have much space, however, you can take out the plastic insert by unscrewing a couple screws (made to be done) and that will add some space. Maybe another 1 or 2 inches if I recall.
 
#10 ·
Just went out to measure it for you, with the plastic insert in it measures exactly 4 inches deep. I did not have time to take the insert out (am at work) to see how much more you could gain with that out, mayber someone else has time. Hope this helps.
 
#11 ·
MRBUICK said:
There was talk of increasing the battery size to 24 volt a while back, but I never heard anything more about it.
In the 1950's, the battery size was increased from 6v to 12v. Since then, a ton on electrics and electronics have been added to vehicles.
Ultimately, I think battery size will be increased.
One draw back about going to a 24 volt battery is the increased weight. You would be amazed at how much attention the OEMs put on weight in a vehicle and how this affects component selection/design.
 
#12 ·
MRBUICK said:
I often play the radio/CD for up to 45 minutes at a time with the engine off. I have never had a no-start problem. This has been with GM/AC Delco batteries in various Buicks.
I tailgated at a football game with mine this year and had the DVD player/radio going for a couple hours. Vehicle started up fine with no problem.
 
#14 ·
Clave Man said:
There seem to be a large number of discussions on the lambda forums about dead batteries. Some of the repeat victims have pushed their dealers until they find some little short somewhere (spin the wheel of electrical accesories!) I am now officially afraid my Enclave battery is going to be flat one morning.

So..
  • How long does it take to charge up a dead battery with a trickle charger?
  • Can you really jump start a car using one of those under $100 "jump starter" packs through a cigar lighter/"power point"? ( I do not want to find the battery -- which is not in the engine compartment..).
    http://www.amazon.com/Black-Decker-VEC010BD-Start-Starter/dp/B000E1HAIK
  • How many cranking amps do I need on a jump starter"

Anyone know how deep the storage is in the secret compartment in the back (the Enclave "trunk"). I may need to find a jump starter that fits.
Yes, you can start a car with one of those Radio shack, in the cigar lighter outlet, emergency packs! (about $35). (saved my son once!) BUT, if battery is a total wipe out, as opposed to decently drained.......forget it.

The larger carry-around units, ( $39-190, w/300-700 amps!) with the built in cables are good for about 3 years before they don't take a good charge anymore . They will start most anything with a good, factory, battery connection and posts (IE. not a loose or broken/corroded battery post) The Enclave has 2 "jump points" under the hood on left side near firewall. One is the red covered cap (+) and the other is a piece of metal marked negative or ground (if I remember right) a few inches away. Use these to jump start, not under the seat compartment where battery is located!

In ALL cases, let the good battery sit connected several minutes to the bad battery. In the case of the little cigarette units, you MUST wait 10-15 minutes as per their instructions! ALL accessories, lites (whee possible) and electronics /radio/heater should be OFF in both cars. Let the good car run a few minutes to help put some power into the dead battery. With this power "base" , you should be able to jump start most cars. Even with light duty cables. (14-18 guage) I carry the Radio Shack unit, just in case. It's the size of a carton of cigarettes.


A trickle charger should give you enough power to start a car in 15-20 minutes, depending on battery's condition, damage to cells, etc. Usually, if it won't start in that time, you have a more serious battery problem.

I installed car alarms for 10 years and learned alot, on the job! Playing a radio/CD for 30 minutes, with a good charged battery (driven daily for 15-20 minutes) should be fine in 99% of the cases. :thumb:
 
#15 ·
Ok, the dealer said the Enclave has 18-20 computer modules and one had gone haywire and stayed on. Overnight, it managed to drain the battery. The part was FedExed and installed the next day, and although I had to take a crappy 2005 Century loaner (ugh!), the Enclave seems fine again. No charge for anything as it was all warranty work, but the hassle and missed worktime, plus suffering through driving the rolling mattress, I mean Century, was a pain in the ass. Ah well, it just goes to show how spoiled we are driving our Enclaves when a 3 year old average four door sedan rides and handles so lousy. Unfortunately this episode points out that Buick's reputation notwithstanding, it's always a crapshoot buying a new model, and also speaks to the thread about Buick service vis-a-vis loaners. If GM seriously wants to put Buick up against Lexus, Acura and Infiniti, it would behoove them to stop steering Enclaves into rental fleets and have at least one per dealership for service and trip interruption duty...
 
#16 ·
Just get a set of jumper cables!! they are way easier, faster, and cheaper than the other things. ive had to jump several cars in the last 6 or 7 months with my truck and it only takes 3-4 minutes at the most!
 
#17 ·
Thanks for the info Smokin SRX!

I had no idea there were jumper cable connection posts in the engine compartment. That's a real good thing.

I don't have to open some hatch under the seats to do a jump start. I'm thinking a $40 trickle charger would be good to have for the garage.
 
#18 ·
Clave Man said:
Thanks for the info Smokin SRX!

I had no idea there were jumper cable connection posts in the engine compartment. That's a real good thing.

I don't have to open some hatch under the seats to do a jump start. I'm thinking a $40 trickle charger would be good to have for the garage.
I may have misunderstood and misled you. By "trickle charge" I now think you mean one of the VERY weak (1 amp or less) battery "tender" chargers. (used mainly for "hobby" or collectible cars, driven only on Sundays). I mean (in above post) an actual, light duty 6-10 amp charger! They are from $29-79 everywhere!

Glad you like the battery connections under hood! The red cap is easy to spot (passenger side, near firewall) but get a flashlite and find the NEG connection, metal flange, BEFORE you need it! It kinda blends in. :thumb:
If i get a minute I'll post a pix! Bear with me though! ;D
 
#19 ·
I've had a Charger for Years and I wouldn't be caught without it. It has never failed.
 
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