2016 Chevy Equinox No Crank: Mystery Solved After Failed Jump Starts

Initial Complaint and Testing

• 🚗 A 2016 Chevrolet Equinox was towed in with a no crank, no start condition.
• ⚠️ The tow truck driver, owner, and neighbor all reported that the vehicle would not jump start and would not accept a charge from a battery charger.
• ⚡ Upon arrival, the vehicle was found to be stone dead with zero volts, but a jump pack was able to start it, and it stayed running after the jump pack was removed.

Battery Diagnosis

• 🧐 The battery, an EverStart Plus from Walmart, was found to be relatively new, dated 10/25 (current date 1/26).
• 🔋 Despite being the wrong physical size, the battery tested well, showing 642 cold cranking amps (rated 590) and recovering to nearly 13 volts after a load test.
• 💡 The battery's high surface charge of 13.23 volts after being started and driven was peculiar, as it was expected to have dissipated.

Parasitic Draw Test

• 🔍 A parasitic draw test was performed with the doors locked and the vehicle in its normal state.
• 📉 The initial inrush current was around 1.23 amps but quickly dropped to 1 amp as modules powered down.
• ✅ After approximately 9 minutes, the draw reduced significantly to 12 milliamps, with only minor spikes from the security system's LED.

Mystery Solved: Usage and Charging

• 🤷 The lack of an excessive draw suggests the battery drain was not due to a fault in the vehicle itself.
• 💡 The owner revealed they have a broken leg and the vehicle is only used to drive to the end of the driveway for mail, often not allowing the engine to run long enough to charge.
• 🔋 This intermittent usage pattern, combined with the limitations of modern smart jump packs and chargers (which may not engage with very low voltage batteries), likely explains why previous attempts to jump or charge the vehicle failed.
• ⚠️ The vehicle does not have a fault, but the battery requires proper charging or consistent use to prevent it from going dead.