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About LinkBacksYes the wipers and windshield wiper fluid spray works as well.
Do you think its okay to test during rain and heavy winds of 20+ mph? Or should I wait for it to settle? (possibly another day)
Yes the wipers and windshield wiper fluid spray works as well.
Do you think its okay to test during rain and heavy winds of 20+ mph? Or should I wait for it to settle? (possibly another day)
If the engine bay of the vehicle is completely protected from water getting into it, then no problem doing that testing. If not, then wait until it's dry.Originally Posted by Slow-But-Fast
Sorry it took so long the weather hasnt been so great. Here is what I got:
Voltage test before start: 12.5-12.7
(Waited 10 seconds)
Engine on (radio automatically on; can not turn off): 14.5
Heat on max; levels fan speed 1-4: 14.5
Recycle air on: 14.5
Ac on: 14.45
Rear window heater: 14.40
Front wipers: 14.36
Rear wipers: 14.30
Dash light on (not front lights): 13.50
Front lights on: 13.45
Highbeam lights on: 13.30
Hazard lights on: 13.00
Inside light on: 12.8
Front window drover up and down: 12.5
1500 RPMs (held for 5 seconds): 12.5-12.6
2000 RPMs (on and off spiked for 5 seconds): 13.5
RPMs after voltage test (about 10 seconds): 859-872
No noticeable RPM spikes or drops whem moving, vacuum lines, o2 sensor connections, position sensor, spark plug wires, and more unknown wires.
When I got my alignment a month or so ago they also checked my battery and they said it was still good. Is the voltage suppose to drop with all of this electronic stuff on? Is it a bad battery or alternator?
Last edited by Slow-But-Fast; 01-26-2017 at 05:51 PM.
Voltage should not drop down that low, should definitely not remain way lower than the baseline (unloaded) voltage, and IMO the charging system on your Aveo is not functioning correctly. First check the tension and movement of the serpentine belt - sometimes the tensioner goes bad, and a pulley bearing on the way out can also become an issue (slipping). How old is the battery? You wrote the static voltage as 12-5-12.7. Did you mean those readings were taken at different times, or that you saw the voltage moving through that range with the vehicle not running? (static voltage should definitely not fluctuate). I suggest you take it to a full service shop to have the battery and (if the battery is ok) alternator tested.
All of that said, I'm not going to tell you that all of those codes are a result of a possible charging system issue. But it is a smoking gun at this point, and I'd be interested to see what happens with those codes if you're able to track down and fix a charging system issue.
I was the one who was turning everything on. My buddy was the one who was reading the voltage and I was writing them down. The static voltage of 12.5-12.7 was at two different times. A couple days ago I tried the static voltage and got 12.7. Today I got 12.5.
I will have to get back to you on testing the tension and having it checked at a full service shop. Also I have no idea how old the battery. I got the car in late June. How do I test the alternator?
Although I don't like to jump ahead and shoot from the hip, I'd be putting my money on a bad battery in your case. The load testing that you did, along with the drop from 12.7 to 12.5 is a red flag waving around that it's on the way out. That said, it is also POSSIBLE that something else is causing those things to happen, such as some weird parasitic draw or short circuit, or one of the serp belt/pulley issues mentioned previously.
When alternators fail, they usually stop charging, set the battery light on, and result in a dead battery fairly quickly. There are some exceptions, where the alt produces bad DC, but those are situations are quite rare. However, it can't be completely ruled out, nor can a voltage regulator issue either at this point.
With a battery of unknown age, I could go along with just replacing it, based on the fact that it will need to be anyway in the not-too-distant future. But perhaps you can find a shop who will test the battery for free, and (hopefully) confirm that it's bad before pulling the trigger.
You can also go to a parts store and they will load test a battery for you. That will show if its good or not for sure.
Wow. It's been so long....I apologize for that. I've been very busy. The battery is fine. I went to Advanced Auto. The tension on the belt is tight but is capable of moving if you tug hard enough.
Surprisingly my mpg has gone up. All I did was accelerate slowly and then used cruse control at around 67-70 mph for about 40 miles straight and got about 23 mpg! No aggressive jerks so far and its been about a week! That's a record in months (the mpg and no jerking)! I also purchased an aveo repair manual. They just came out a few months ago!
Anyway, whats the next test?
Regardless of what AA said, I can't get past the battery. Those load test numbers are bad - not even close to borderline. With a test result like that, I'd normally have the alternator and voltage regulator in the mix, but the .2 static drop over a couple days is a smoking gun IMO. The other suspects, such as a bad alternator or a parasitic draw/short would normally drain the battery to where it won't start, and that's not happening in your case.
If I thought the charging system was good, I'd be comparing the voltages of the TPS and accelerator pedal, because that's what the P2135 (i.e. first code read) is based on. But I wouldn't be confident of any other electrical test results until the load test is good, because good reference voltage is always a prerequisite, and that's suspect in the case of your Aveo. Plus, you replaced the O2 sensors, but are still getting low voltage O2 codes.
I've read reports of batteries with bad cells that pass testing, and don't believe those testers can identify every issue that a battery can possibly have. I'm not in any position to tell you what to do, but I'd buy a new battery if it were mine (taking into consideration that your battery is of unknown age). All of this is, of course, just my non-professional opinion, and I have no problem saying I could be wrong here. Perhaps someone else will offer a different opinion.
I'm going to redo the battery testing when I get a chance. It's suppose to rain/snow the next two weeks..... If the battery testing at Advanced Auto could be misleading, how could I really check if the battery is bad?
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