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2007 torrent draining battery


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recently i purchased a used 2007 Torrent. At first all was working well then I went out the other morning and the remote key fob would not unlock the doors so I manually unlocked it and got it. I placed the key in the ignition and got nothing when I turned it. The key then became locked in the ignition and I had to jump the battery for it to release. It ran fine for a day but overnight the battery drained again so I replaced it with a new one. The new battery started her right up. The key fob was acting janky so i replaced that battery too. I tested it and it unlocked and locked the doors. Again it sat overnight and in the morning I went out, unlocked it with the remoteĀ  but it wouldn't turn over when I attempted to start it. Lights came on but no start. The key came out and I tried to turn it on again, this time no lights or anything came on. Upon checking the battery voltage it appeared to be completely drained. Hooked it up to jump it and eventually a spark came back and it was able to get started. checked the cablesĀ and cleaned the connectors very well, hooked it all back up and it started. The battery had a voltage reading between 14.1-14.4 after letting it run for a few minutes. I hadn't been able to open the liftgateĀ  since I purchased it (don't know how long it wasn't working) and uponĀ  inspection realized that the motorĀ was not working properly so it was disconnected when the new battery was put in as we thought that may be what was draining the battery. One other suggestion is to replace the alternator as a remedy but have not done that yet.Ā 

HELP!!!!! what do you think could be draining the battery?

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Are there any other electrical gremlins apart from the lift gate? Would imagine something is drawing power to drain the battery when not in use.Ā 

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When tested the rear wiper also did notĀ turn on. When I checked the fuse box there was no fuse in that position. So i replaced the fuse and still nothing. Could this issue be part of the liftgateĀ  problem? Maybe a short in the wiring or something?

Had someone take a second look andĀ  found that the grounding wire had very poor contactĀ with the terminal connector, it came off with the slightest touch. So weĀ  hooked that back up and everything came on full force. I will find out tomorrow if that was the problem or if there is more to discover.

Thanks for your time.

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Hi Sabrina,

Quote

One other suggestion is to replace the alternator as a remedy but have not done that yet.

The majority of box-auto stores (Auto Zone, O'Reilly, etc.) are able to perform alternator tests both on, and off, the engine. I would suggest having the alternator checked (regardless of where) before replacing it.

Do you have access to a thermal heat gun (even a cheap-o unit would be fine)? If so, there is a simple process you can go through to help determine which circuit(s) have the parasitic draw (let me know if you do and I'll write out the procedure).

If you have access to a clamp-style amp meter I would put it around the positive cable coming off of theĀ  battery to see just how much of a draw there is (I want to say 50 mA or less is normal but I cannot confirm that right now - but it's definitely below 1 A / 1000 mA). If you do not have access to a clamp style amp meter, a standard multi meter will work however you'll need to disconnect the positive cable from the battery (which is just an annoyance but will test the system just fine).

My last point is, and this is really easier with two multi-meters, is with one meter connected to the battery (so you can see how much of a draw there is), you take the second multi-meter and begin manually testing each fuse in the under-hood relay center as well as in the interior / cabin electrical relay center. You check the fuse (no need to remove the fuse) and, if you see voltage, pull that fuse out and then check the meter connected to the battery to see if the draw has changed. If so, youĀ  found the, or one of, the circuits that is causing the draw.

Hope that helps at least a little.

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thank you so much. i do not have a heat gun but i can get one so that procedure would be great. I will try the many great tips you have suggested. the alternator was a culprit and i will definitely check it as well.

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My Torrent started up and ran without a problem after sitting overnight so I think the poor grounding connecting was theĀ  culprit. I still need to check the liftgate actuator and rear wiper mechanism but at least it's starting so I'm thrilled. Again thank you.

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Quote

My Torrent started up and ran without a problem after sitting overnight so I think the poor grounding connecting was theĀ  culprit.

Great to hear! šŸ˜€

Ā 

If you're still interested in the thermal gun process (it would be best to do this in a garage where all doors of the garage can be closed for a length of time):

  1. Open hood (I don't recall if the Torrents have an under-hood light. If so, remove or otherwise disconnect the bulb
  2. Open front driver and passenger door
  3. Close both rear doors (including lift gate)
  4. On both front driver & passenger doors, on the door side, engage the door catch (so the vehicle thinks the front doors are closed). You will need access to the cabin but opening the door(s) will wake the vehicle network up so engaging the striker catch allows you to have the door open while not disturbing the vehicle network
  5. With key out of the vehicle, press the lock button on remote such that vehicle chirps. By locking / engaging the security system this does three things: 1) it tells the vehicle that you are away from the vehicle and to go into "sleep" mode earlier than if you simply allowed all modules to timeout on their own, 2) it gives a more robust reading in that the security system is drawing battery power and 3) allows whatever suspect circuits to heat up (a warm fuse is what will show up on the thermal reading tool).
  6. Allow ample time for all modules to enter standby / sleep mode (rule of thumb, I give 30 mins) - hence the need for having the vehicle in a garage
  7. **OPTIONAL STEP** If a clamp meter is available, connect it around the positive (red), set it to read milliamps and note the reading on the display. If a standard multi-meter is used, between steps 1 & 2 above, disconnect the positive (red) cable from the battery and connect the multi-meter in-line with the positive (red) battery cable. Note that putting the multi-meter in-line with the battery positive cable will require the meter to be in the "on" position during the initial "go-to-sleep" phaseĀ  as, depending on the meter, if the meter automatically turns off it may cause a disconnect with the battery-to-vehicle connection
  8. **OPTIONAL STEP** With a secondary meter set to "volts", with the appropriate leads, begin back probing the fuses in the under-hood fuse relay center to determine if any fuses are current energized more than a few millivolts.
  9. Using your thermal gun, point it at each individual fuse in both the under-hood fuse relay center as well as the cabin fuse relay center (make sure not to press any buttons or open anything while in the cabin - this is why the door striker catches were engages in step 4). If you are using a thermal tool that shows you the "warm" and "cool" colors on the screen, this process is even easier. However, if you're using the thermal gun style where is just gives a number on the screen (i.e. a temperature reading), simple point the tool very close to the fuse, get a reading, and move on to the next fuse. With either thermal tool style, if you notice one fuse or a few fuses which are warm compared to its respective neighbors, this is a good indication you have found an energized circuit. Additionally, you can use a multi-meter at this step to measure the voltage across the "warm" fuse and compare that reading to a "non-warm" neighbor of the fuse(s) in question to get a somewhat-reliable (note "somewhat") baseline.

I think that pretty much sums up the process (it's actually easier than what I may have made it out to sound like above). If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!

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  • 2 weeks later...

turns out it has something to do with the rear wiper fuse. When I got it this fuse was missing, so I replaced it thinking I was helping. After putting in a new battery and alternator I remembered I had replaced this fuse when it was suggested that I start pullingĀ  them to see if anything changes. Duh, is right. I was super salty at myself for a minute over that as I had just spent money unnecessarily. But I got over it and now I know.

Ā 

AON;Ā  Ā A $7E8 engine code read.

I have an appointment with a trusted automotive service and repair shop( ex- employer) on Friday, I'm just curious. The check engine light came on yesterday and that was the code that showed up when it was hooked up during all the issues going on with the fuse. When I googled it then it mentionedĀ air intake and the knock sensor.Ā would a dirty air filter give this reading or could this indicate something more serious? I did noticeĀ a slightĀ vibration the last time I drove it when the check engine light first came on. It operated without failure for the 12Ā  city blocks needed to drive it back home where it remains parked. I'm just trying to gaugeĀ what type of repairs I may be facing.

20200320_181627.jpg

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See what the service location says regarding your rear wiper - a little experience coupled with a little bit of an educated guess says that the wiper motor needs to be replaced as it's trying to "park" (i.e. the wiper arm is trying to go into its "rest" position) however due to a failed motor assembly (could be the motor and / or the gears in the assembly), the wiper arm is not able to achieve the "rest" position. Typically, wiper motors will try for a length of time (several seconds) to "park" and if it can't, it will pause for a length of time (maybe several minutes) and then start the process all over again which all results in draining the battery. Also, when the wiper arm is trying to "park", it very well may not be noticeable by observing the arm on the outside of the hatch, just a FYI.

Ā 

Regarding the $7EA and $7E8 codes, those appear to be hexadecimal codes and admittedly I am not able to convert the codes to the standard "P", "B" or "C" codes (I did some searching on those codes but my interwebbing skills are currently failing me). Not sure if anyone else can chime in with more information regarding the codes.

Edited by Stewy
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On 4/1/2020 at 5:37 PM, Stewy said:

See what the service location says regarding your rear wiper - a little experience coupled with a little bit of an educated guess says that the wiper motor needs to be replaced as it's trying to "park" (i.e. the wiper arm is trying to go into its "rest" position) however due to a failed motor assembly (could be the motor and / or the gears in the assembly), the wiper arm is not able to achieve the "rest" position. Typically, wiper motors will try for a length of time (several seconds) to "park" and if it can't, it will pause for a length of time (maybe several minutes) and then start the process all over again which all results in draining the battery. Also, when the wiper arm is trying to "park", it very well may not be noticeable by observing the arm on the outside of the hatch, just a FYI.

Ā 

Regarding the $7EA and $7E8 codes, those appear to be hexadecimal codes and admittedly I am not able to convert the codes to the standard "P", "B" or "C" codes (I did some searching on those codes but my interwebbing skills are currently failing me). Not sure if anyone else can chime in with more information regarding the codes.

The 7E8 code is a cat failure code. Which can be a number of things! Complete cat failure, a crack in the housing or pipe or flange. Youā€™ll have to inspect it to see. More than likely with the car in the air and running.

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On 4/3/2020 at 10:53 AM, Last Indian said:

The 7E8 code is a cat failure code.

Ok, gotta ask how you were able to decipher those codes (internet search... ?) so I can do it should something like that come up again šŸ™‚

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11 minutes ago, Stewy said:

Ok, gotta ask how you were able to decipher those codes (internet search... ?) so I can do it should something like that come up again šŸ™‚

I have a GM code book from my days in the business, but I do believe if you put that in to aĀ search for 7e8 engine code you can find it that way too.Ā 

Edited by Last Indian
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Ahh... you have the inside connection šŸ™‚. Originally I did do some digging but everything I was finding was from, what I consider, garbage sources (think along the lines of the credibility of those posting on Yahoo Answers) or it was an individual posting things along the lines of "that's [the $7e8 code] not a real DTC - you have to have something that starts with 'P'" and so on.

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Ummm...doesn't $7E8 indicate the engine data stream and $7EAĀ indicate the transmission data stream and not a particular error code? I'm not arguing with Last Indian's diagnosis but I thought $7E8/$7EA indicated another menu needed to be selected. Just asking....

Edited by Frosty
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Thank you all so much for the information. I took it to a garage and the mechanic suggested a full tune up, which it apparently needed badly, before he could determine what the code was referring to. I gave the green light, it cleared the code and o far so good. I still have the litfgate/ rear wiper issue to contend with and will be considering your suggestions.Ā 

I really appreciate all of your help.

p.s. I'm digginĀ the things to ponder, thanks for sharing.

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2 hours ago, Frosty said:

Ummm...doesn't $7E8 indicate the engine data stream and $7EAĀ indicate the transmission data stream and not a particular error code? I'm not arguing with Last Indian's diagnosis but I thought $7E8/$7EA indicated another menu needed to be selected. Just asking....

Correct Frosty! I know I said code, but the data, not a code,Ā indicates a cat issue not a sensor issue, or at least thatā€™s the way I interpret it to be. Which is way I said a cat issue or pipe.

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4 hours ago, Last Indian said:

Correct Frosty! I know I said code, but the data, not a code,Ā indicates a cat issue not a sensor issue, or at least thatā€™s the way I interpret it to be. Which is way I said a cat issue or pipe.

Yeah, from what I've been reading that sounds spot-on. The way I view it in my mind, and in part to check my understanding, is the hex valuesĀ  are similar to reading live data from a vehicle (how some scan tools can show real-time sensor voltages, MAP In/Hg's, etc., etc.). Essentially the "$7EA", for example, is the "stream" and contained in that stream are the various values for whatever component $7EA references. Then, if one of those values (lets say an O2 voltage value) is out of specification, THEN a P-code (or B or C code - depending on the fault / component) is set and so long as the P-code is active you are the proud owner of an illuminated MIL.

Edited by Stewy
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Sorry JUSTA. Hex is short for hexadecimal or base-16 numbers. Us computer-types understand binary and how converting to different number systems works. So technically speaking 07EA is a hexadecimal number.

We are use to base-10 numbers. All numbers go to 0-9, then 10-19 and so on. Each significant digit or decimal point is a power of the base - 10.Ā  100, 1000, .1, .01

Hex works the same way except it goes from 0 to 15, so we represent the numbers as single characters,Ā as 0-9 and then 10-15 as A-F. So 0-F.Ā  So 10 in hex = 16 in decimal.

Anyway - most folks need not worry - usĀ computer geeks understand it.

Edited by Frosty
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4 hours ago, Frosty said:

Sorry JUSTA. Hex is short for hexadecimal or base-16 numbers. Us computer-types understand binary and how converting to different number systems works. So technically speaking 07EA is a hexadecimal number.

We are use to base-10 numbers. All numbers go to 0-9, then 10-19 and so on. Each significant digit or decimal point is a power of the base - 10.Ā  100, 1000, .1, .01

Hex works the same way except it goes from 0 to 15, so we represent the numbers as single characters,Ā as 0-9 and then 10-15 as A-F. So 0-F.Ā  So 10 in hex = 16 in decimal.

Anyway - most folks need not worry - usĀ computer geeks understand it.

:rofl:Ā  Boy that clears everything right up.Ā  Ā Way past my pay grade.Ā  In fact I don'tĀ see pension on the pay scale.:slap:

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20 hours ago, Frosty said:

Sorry JUSTA. Hex is short for hexadecimal or base-16 numbers. Us computer-types understand binary and how converting to different number systems works. So technically speaking 07EA is a hexadecimal number.

We are use to base-10 numbers. All numbers go to 0-9, then 10-19 and so on. Each significant digit or decimal point is a power of the base - 10.Ā  100, 1000, .1, .01

Hex works the same way except it goes from 0 to 15, so we represent the numbers as single characters,Ā as 0-9 and then 10-15 as A-F. So 0-F.Ā  So 10 in hex = 16 in decimal.

Anyway - most folks need not worry - usĀ computer geeks understand it.

Ā 

We have binary, decimal and hex - don't forget octal šŸ˜

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