Diagnostic Aids

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2010 Pontiac G5 and 2010 Chevrolet Cobalt. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

Rule out any possible aftermarket equipment causing an unacceptable parasitic current drain. Aftermarket accessories installed into the courtesy lamp circuit can cause the inadvertent power timer in the body control module (BCM) to keep resetting. This would cause the BCM to remain awake and cause a current drain on the battery.
Rule out customer driving habits such as regular short trips that do not allow enough time to properly charge the battery. Refer to Battery Description and Operation .
Verify that the battery and charging system are in proper working order. Refer to Battery Charging and Charging System Test .
A battery discharging for no apparent reason while the vehicle is parked can be caused by an intermittent draw, such as a module waking up, or a continuous draw, such as a dome light or stuck relay.
Some systems and modules such as OnStar®, and regulated voltage control (RVC), if equipped, are designed to wake-up, perform a task, and go back asleep at regular intervals. Refer to Body Control System Description and Operation for the system or modules description and operation.
An engine off natural vacuum evaporative test can occur if the engine control module (ECM) determines the drive cycle has met the appropriate criteria immediately after key off. The ECM will stay awake and the vent solenoid will stay energized for as long as 45 minutes. The typical current draw for this is about 1 A.
Digital OnStar gen 6 and later VCIMs do not "wake up" every 10 minutes for the first 48 hours as the gen 5 and prior. Gen 6 and later VCIM current draw is very low, less than 40 mA, so the OnStar system is left in that state for up to the first 48 hours. Parasitic draw of up to 40 mA with an occasional spike as high as 80 mA through the VCIM for the first 48 hours is normal.
Some automatic climate control systems can remain in a semi-awake state for up to three hours, actual draw amounts vary by vehicle platform but are typically not greater than 50 mA.
An extremely low mA current level is consumed by the RKE receiver for monitoring purposes, actual system wake up only occurs when the fobs for the vehicle are used. When other devices on the same RKE operating frequency are activated, such as the 4 tire pressure monitoring sensors and other vehicle FOB's in the vicinity, the RKE receiver will have a 100 mA spike. These spikes are normal and occur too briefly to have a significant effect on battery drain. Competing signals may cause RKE performance issues such as jamming but should not cause excessive battery draw.
If an excessive current draw is not present during initial testing, continue periodic testing over a 1-2 hour period to see if the current draw increases and stays above an unacceptable level.

NOTE: The battery specification listed below is a generic specification. Refer to Battery Usage when testing the battery.

The battery run down time will vary depending on the batteries reserve capacity. If the reserve capacity is higher, then the battery run down time would be longer. If the reserve capacity is lower, then the battery run down time would be shorter. The graph below indicates roughly how many days a 690 cold cranking amp battery with a 110 min. reserve capacity starting at 80 percent state of charge will last with a constant current draw until it reaches 50 percent state of charge. Differences in battery reserve capacity and temperature will affect the results.

Current Drain	Days
25 mA	33
50 mA	16.5
75 mA	11
100 mA	8.25
250 mA	3.3
500 mA	1.65
750 mA	1
1 A	0.8
2 A	0.4