Diagnostic Aids

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2019 GMC Savana 3500, 2019 GMC Savana 2500, 2019 Chevrolet Express 3500, and 2019 Chevrolet Express 2500. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

When diagnosing an intermittent battery draw, if the battery voltage is interrupted by disconnecting the battery, it may cause the condition to clear. You may want to connect the EQPMSK6211 Battery Booster Pack or equivalent to the positive and negative battery cables prior disconnecting the negative battery cable to prevent a loss of voltage.
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 may cause the BCM to remain awake and cause a current drain on the battery.
Refer to: Checking Aftermarket Accessories .
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.
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 min. The typical current draw for this is about 1 A.
The K9 Body Control Module has discrete input and output terminals to control the vehicle's body functions. The K9 Body Control Module is wired to the High Speed GMLAN bus, Low Speed GMLAN bus and multiple Local Interconnect Network (LIN) buses and acts as a gateway between them. The various K9 Body Control Module input and output circuits are illustrated in the corresponding functional areas on the K9 Body Control Module electrical schematics.
The K9 Body Control Module functions as the power mode master. The ignition switch is a low current switch with multiple discrete ignition switch signals to the power mode master for determining the power mode that will be sent over the serial data circuits to the other devices that need this information; the power mode master will activate relays and other direct outputs of the power mode master as needed. Refer to Power Mode Description and Operation for a complete description of power mode functions.
The K9 Body Control Module functions as a gateway or translator. The purpose of the gateway is to translate serial data messages between the High Speed GMLAN bus and the Low Speed GMLAN bus for communication between the various devices. The gateway will interact with each network according to that network's transmission protocol. All communication between the K9 Body Control Module and a scan tool is done through the primary High Speed GMLAN bus.
Digital OnStar Generation 6 and later vehicle communication interface module do not "wake up" every 10 minutes for the first 48 hours as the Generation 5 and prior. Generation 6 and later vehicle communication interface module current draw is very low, less than 40 mA, so the OnStar system is left in that state for up to the first 48 h. Parasitic draw of up to 40 mA with an occasional spike as high as 80 mA through the vehicle communication interface module 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 body control module for monitoring purposes, actual system wake up only occurs when the fobs for the vehicle are used. When other devices on the same remote keyless entry operating frequency are activated, such as the 4 tire pressure monitoring sensors and other vehicle Fobs in the vicinity, the body control module 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 remote keyless entry 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 the label on the original battery 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 may be longer. If the reserve capacity is lower, then the battery run down time may be shorter. The graph below indicates roughly how many days a 690 cold cranking amperage 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