ugh batteries

[steve6]

<rant>

I went to start my caddy tonight, and the battery was totally dead! not even enough juice for an interior light when I opened the door.(i haven't driven it in a couple weeks) I thought the caddy's had protection for that! I had to boost it with my Pontiac Firefly(3 cylinders of pure muscle )

A few odd things occured, the climate control was in imperial(f) and the dash was in metric(still showed km's). Had to toggle the button a few times to get them to both show metric. It even reset the clock to 12:00!

</rant>

[MAC]

I went to Florida not too long ago for over two weeks and when I returned to the airport my Eldorado started right up.

[Cadillac Jim]

I would get your battery checked, and then check for something draining your battery, like an interior light left on or the glove box left ajar. Things like the hood and trunk lights are cut off by the car after awhile.

When the battery is disconnected or goes dead, I find these things are reset:

• OBD II codes (a couple are set to show the system was reset without a code reader)
• Clock time
• Current radio station

These are the things that do NOT reset, and are as you left them:

• English/metric setting on IPC module (yours was scrambled)
• Radio station presets
• Memory seat and memory mirror settings
• Phone settings, including last number called and quick-dial, etc.
• HVAC temperature and other settings

I don't have a comprehensive list but it might be in the FSM. The only thing that you mention that I think is odd is that the english/metric settings were scrambled. It's possible that the HVAC is reset but the IPC is not, and that I keep my HVAC on English settings so I don't notice.

[KHE]

Is the battery the original battery from 1999? If so, it has most likely reached the end of it's life.

[BodybyFisher]

Anti-RANT mode <on> If you do a history of your posts you will see that you have some negative post/statements toward your car, GM etc. Try to get the facts before you <rant> and show >> Your angry response is exaggerated when compared to the actual 'problem' you have experienced here. Its best to get the facts/explanation before displaying an angry rant. Anti-RANT mode <off>

What is happening to your car over two weeks is normal, and it is very dependent upon the health and % of full charge of your battery as other members have indicated. You don't say where you live but add to that, the cold weather we had over the last two weeks. The 'problems' you experienced with your clock and displays are related to the low power condition the car experienced. Low or intermittant power creates havoc with the computers. When the battery is fully charged you might disconnect the battery for a few minutes to "re-boot" the systems. The following info is from GM regarding the storage of 99 Cadillacs on a lot and its ability to be started over time.

Parasitic Drains and On-the-Lot Battery Discharge

Important

In most cases of discharged batteries in low-age, low-mileage vehicles, proper charging procedures with approved charging equipment is the only repair necessary.

Here are some rules of thumb that might help relate parasitic drains to how long a battery would last on a parked vehicle.

The Reserve Capacity (RC) rating multiplied by 0.6 gives the approximate available ampere-hours (AH) from full charge to complete rundown. Somewhere between full charge and complete rundown, the battery will reach a point at which it can no longer start the engine, although it may still operate some of the electrical accessories.

Using up about 40% of the total available AH will usually take a fully-charged battery to a no-start condition at moderate temperatures of 25°C (77°F). Put another way, for a typical battery in a storage situation, depleting the available AH by 20 to 30 AH will result in a no-start condition.

Important

If the battery begins storage at 90% of full charge, reduce the available AH accordingly.

The recommendation for maximum parasitic drain is around 30 mA (0.030 amp). A typical drain today actually falls into the 7-12 mA range, even though some vehicles do approach the maximum. Multiply the drain (in amps) by the time (in hours) the battery sits without being recharged. The result is the amount of AH consumed by the parasitic drain. The actual drain may be small, but over time the battery grows steadily weaker.

Here's an example: a vehicle with a 30 mA drain and a fully-charged 70 RC battery will last 23 days. But if that battery is at only 65% of full charge (green dot barely visible), it is going to last only 15 days before causing a no-start.

Effects of Temperature on a Standing Battery

The parasitic drain will be fairly constant over a range of temperatures. The important temperature is that of the vehicle at the time a start is attempted. Colder temperature raises the threshold of a no-start by increasing the residual power needed. When the temperature falls to 0°C (32°F), the battery will be able to put out only about 85% of its normally available starting power, and the engine may need as much as 165% of the usual power to start.

The combined effect of these two factors is to reduce the number of days the battery can stand with a parasitic drain. At 0°C (32°F), the battery can stand only half as long as it could at 25°C (77°F). And at -19°C (0°F), the standing days are reduced to one-fourth.

Temperatures above the moderate climate of 25°C (77°F) increase the battery's internal self discharge. If the battery is in a locale where the temperature is averaging 32°C (90°F), an additional 5% to 10% of the available ampere-hours will be lost in a month due to self-discharge within the battery. At temperatures below the moderate range, self-discharge will be low enough to be negligible compared to the parasitic loss.

What the Policies and Procedures Manual Says About Parasitic Drains

Because determining how long a battery may last in a storage situation is not precise, the P& P manual provides a clear-cut policy, excerpted here.

"Discharged batteries can freeze at temperatures as high as 0°C (32°F), causing permanent damage. Other permanent damage may result from allowing batteries to stand discharged for extended periods."

"To alleviate this condition, the negative battery cable should be disconnected on vehicles which are not going to be in service within a 20 day period, beginning from the time the vehicle is shipped. If this is not possible, batteries should be recharged periodically, every 20-45 days, until the green eye is visible."

"Disconnected batteries will slowly discharge, especially with higher temperatures; therefore, even disconnected batteries should be checked every four months and recharged if necessary."

"Vehicles on display are subject to battery discharge due to drains from courtesy lights and other accessories. Provision to maintain battery state of charge for these vehicles will be necessary."

[GreenMachine]

It should be noted in the programmable features Cadillacs have, for periods where you will be letting your car sit (well my 98 does) an option to turn on "storage mode" where the car will save all your information and shut it down so that it will have NO battery drain.

[billytheshoe]

I maybe speaking out of turn, if the car har automatic ride leveling and that is controled buy air as earlier GM models are, its entirely possible the air compressor is draining the batT due to an air leak. Correct me if this is not possible.

[GreenMachine]

From my knowledge the compressor only operates at "run" position for the key.

[KHE]

I don't know about the FWD models but my RWD Fleetwood will run the level control compressor without the ignition in the ON position if the load in the trunk increases.

[MAC]

I don't know about the FWD models but my RWD Fleetwood will run the level control compressor without the ignition in the ON position if the load in the trunk increases.

The 94 Eldorado level control compressor will not come on until the ignition switch is in the "ON" position. I have never heard the compressor come on otherwise.

[Cadillac Jim]

I read here once that the automatic leveling continues for five minutes after the key has been turned off "to allow for a set of golf clubs to be removed from the trunk."

[MAC]

I checked GM's 94 Service Manual (p. 3D1-3) and it states:

In order to ensure that the ELC system is operating with at least minimum air pressure an air replenishment cycle is commanded each time

the ignition is cycled on

. The replenishment cycle operates as follows:

Height sensor position is checked when the ignition is turned on. If the height sensor indicates that it is not necessary to raise or lower the vehicle, an internal timer circuit is activated. After a delay of 35-45 seconds, the compressor is turned on for 3-5 seconds. This ensures that the air adjustable shocks are filled with adequate residual pressure.

If weight is added to or removed from the vehicle during the 40 second delay, the air replenishment cycle will be overridden and the vehicle will raise or lower after the normal 13-27 second delay.

Maybe things changed for 99?

[winterset]

Steve6,

With the winter coming up, I would just get a new battery. even if the battery is "only" a few years old, it has been drained & experienced a "deep cycle". You will probably have some headaches this winter. While you're at it, take the terminals apart, and clean them wilh battery terminal cleaner (pep-boys etc.), and I also used di-electric grease on the terminals to keep them clean&dry. If you have the work done by someone, make sure they clean the cables good. also, don't start the car with a jump start, and make the alternator charge a dead - possibly damaged battery, otherwise, you'll probably need an alternator this summer or so. THe cars computer acting odd is expected with fluctuations in voltage.