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Service battery charging system

118K views 52 replies 18 participants last post by  divotdug 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
2007 GMC Acadia 3.6 ltr. While driving home the DIC stated it was in battery-saving mode. Made it home and after turning the car off, it would not start. Had problems with the battery drain before, so I replaced it. Now the car runs fine, except I get the service battery charging system warning on the DIC. Could this be a bad alternator or fuse? Any suggestions on further diagnosing the problem would be helpful. Thanks.

P.S. I reviewed the forum before posting, but most of the posts don't address if a new battery has been installed.
 
#3 ·
It was reading about 12 according to dash, but after driving it, it now has been drained all the way and is dead. Won't start. Threw up a bunch of battery saver warnings and started shutting systems down, which I understand is normal when the battery is carrying the load.
 
#4 ·
Mayhem1969 said:
It was reading about 12 according to dash, ...
Have you had the alternator tested? Sounds like that could be the problem. If the alternator is charging the system, it should be putting out 14-16 VDC on the meter.
 
#43 ·
I just went through this last week. I replaced the Battery..... Baterry read 13.6 before start, 14.5 while running so all seemed good. I gave it back to the wife after a test run and it did it again. She barely got to work, so I charged the battery, checked all my fuses.... and I mean all of them, checked my grounds, alternator kicked on at start, good read again. Put a load on it, it still stayed above 14 so I went to give it another go and the alternator stopped reading and never read again. So i bought a new alternator after running many test with the multimeter, installed the new alternator, everything tested good. Held up to a load with everything on, took it out for a drive, I was stoked, made it about 4 miles, pulled over to air up a tire and then I saw the gauge drop back down from 14.6 to 13 again and barely made it home. At this point< I was at a loss. New Battery, new alternator, belt tension great, all grounds vclean, all connectors and wires still looked new and was on point. I went through every possible video and forum and finally admitted the possibility that the new alternator was bad, which wasnt easy due to the fact it all tested perfect before the $ mile trip... swapped it out with a new one and aint had a problem one since
 
#6 ·
Mayhem1969 said:
... I have read where the battery and alternator test fine, but the battery still drains. ...
If that's the case with your car, there's either a short circuit or some component that's not turning off when the car is powered down. It will take more help than a forum can provide to you in a search for what might cause that condition. There are so many variables involved that it will require direct professional assistance if you can't DIY.

For now, look to the possibility that the alternator has gone bad.
 
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#8 ·
I replaced the alternator. Now when I get in the car there are no lights on the dash or overhead, completely dark. When I turn the key to the on position, everything stays dark. The car does not crank. When I try to take the key out it gets stuck and will not turn to the off position. If I connect another car to the battery to jump it, then the lights respond and the key can move to the off position. However, I could not get the car to turnover. When my brother connected his F250 to jump it, the car started. It drove fine and the battery gauge read 14 to 14.5 and the alternator was clearly charging the battery. However, when I turned the car off, the same thing happened. He had to jump it again.

I took the battery out and charged it overnight. I was reading 100% charge when I put it in this morning. The battery shows that it has power when I use a test light. As soon as I take off one of the jumper batter cables the car immediately goes dark again. I can't think of anything else. It just doesn't make any sense to me. I'm open to any ideas.
 
#9 ·
You need to double-check your work and make sure everything is plugged back in, hooked up properly, and no wires got broken/pinched, especially in the battery compartment. Look through this thread - http://www.acadiaforum.net/index.php?topic=63.40. It might be helpful.
 
#11 ·
what about that big fuse--- that powers half the fuse box...



on the left hand side of the fuse box, there are large square circuit breaker type fuses. then under BATT2 there is a big 50amp fuse....
 
#12 ·
I have checked all the connections again. The battery is fully charged and the fuse in the battery is good. I show power going through the power cable at the battery. I have checked the fuses and they all look good as well. It does not appear that the car is getting power. But, I can't seem to figure out where.
 
#14 ·
Speleos said:
... There are so many variables involved that it will require direct professional assistance if you can't DIY.
I think you have reached this point. :shrug:
 
#17 ·
Mayhem1969 said:
I think I'm past that point! It's as if the car does not think the battery is even installed.
How can you say that you're past the point of needing professional assistance? You say the fuses are good, the battery is good, the alternator is good, and that jumping the car at the underhood lugs gives power to it. Seems rather obvious that either you're overlooking something, or you don't have the tools/know-how to thoroughly check circuit continuity from the battery to the fuse box. Wish you luck!
 
#18 ·
2007 GMC Acadia 3.6 ltr. While driving home the DIC stated it was in battery saving mode. Made it home and after turning car off, it would not start. Had problems with battery drain before, so I replaced it. Now the car runs fine, except I get the service battery charging system warning on the DIC. Could this be a bad alternator or fuse? Any suggestions on further diagnosing the problem would be helpful. Thanks.

P.S. I reviewed the forum before posting, but most of the posts don't address if a new battery has been installed.

I have this same problem , I’ve replace the battery and the alternator and like once a week I get this warning but only at night , so what I’m next going to do about it is get the wiring harness for the whole charging system looked at because its
Most likely a wire some where gotpinch or got corroded , I bought this car at 225000 km and replaced wire harness on the doors just cause of the problem these 2007 GMC Acadia have with water leaking inside it and crorroding them so my best bet is you have the same problem with the wires
 
#29 ·
Hi, there!

I see it’s been awhile since this forum was last active but Im just wandering if replacing the wiring harness did the trick or if anyone else knows of any other options?

Hate to sound like a broken record but my cars battery charging system is doing the exact same thing it seems to have done here and I’ve also replaced the alternator, battery, & ECM. I wasn’t aware the 2007 gmc acadias had a problem with water leaking in the windows but that certainly explains why mine randomly do or don’t work. lol. I was waiting for one to give out completely before I checked it out since this battery charging system issue occurred first and is now rendering the vehicle unusable.

I would appreciate any info on this matter. Thank you.
 
#19 ·
golbinslayer, do you realize that you responded to a post that's almost 4 years old?
 
#21 · (Edited by Moderator)
It's October 14 2019 and I'm reading all these information about electric drain of from battery of an Acadia. I have an Acadia 2010 with the same problem.
My Acadia has electric issues on the driver side door, the horn stoped unespletaby, the passenger and driver side mirrows stop responding.
This old information now has given me a clue to pin point the problem.
 
#26 ·
We did something extraordinary to momentarily fix the problem while we find the right electromecanic who knows the the problem. I installed on the back of the GMC two batteries 975 cca in series as power supply\support hook to a 12 feet jumping cables so the system always keep 12+ volts. And unplug the the negative cable when the car is parked for the day. I works and we'll been doing this for the last 5 months.
 
#27 ·
Ti2ink - I'm sort of confused about what you said here: "I installed on the back of the GMC two batteries 975 cca in series as power supply\support hook to a 12 feet jumping cables so the system always keep 12+ volts."

Can you please give some detail, like you connected them in series? As in connected (ground ->battery -> battery -> fuse block/starter/alternator connection)? Batteries in series add the voltage so as I read this, you applied a total of 24v to the car.

You must mean connected in parallel so battery capacity is doubled and volts stay at 12. But even if this is so, you must have a huge parasitic draw on the battery to have to go through that to make it until next start. And do it for 5 months. Whoa. I guess you gotsa do what you gotsa do.
 
#28 ·
Ti2ink - I'm sort of confused about what you said here: "I installed on the back of the GMC two batteries 975 cca in series as power supply\support hook to a 12 feet jumping cables so the system always keep 12+ volts."

Can you please give some detail, like you connected them in series? As in connected (ground ->battery -> battery -> fuse block/starter/alternator connection)? Batteries in series add the voltage so as I read this, you applied a total of 24v to the car.

You must mean connected in parallel so battery capacity is doubled and volts stay at 12. But even if this is so, you must have a huge parasitic draw on the battery to have to go through that to make it until next start. And do it for 5 months. Whoa. I guess you gotsa do what you gotsa do.

I think I ain't explain it well. But you right. Tire of every day jumping starting my 2010 Arcadia I placed a single battery on the back of the car and hook a jumping cable to negative and positive and the other two ends to the car battery posts located under the rear seats center floor carpet.
I just added two more batteries in series but still 12 volts as you said, just because one last 3 months and 3 probably a lot of more .
I don't know what is causing the battery drowning power after parking the Acadia.
Battery is good, alternator is good, it gotta be something else that thousands like me don't have a clue.
 
#34 ·
As is the "battery compartment." 😱
 
#36 ·
You're not worthy of the keystrokes.
 
#39 ·
v2t
 
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