Tom

Tom,

Q I own a 2004 Chevy Silverado extended cab pickup. The battery is new

and it won’t keep a charge. I had it charged twice this week and, although it
started the following day, the clock goes back to 12:00. When I turn the
ignition on, sometimes it starts and sometimes it doesn’t. I am selling the
truck so I don’t want to buy another expensive battery. I’m wondering if it
would be all right to put in a rebuilt battery and let the person who buys it
deal with the problem.

Charles—Texas

Charles,

A At this point I would suspect a rogue parasitic electrical draw sapping the

life energy out of the battery when the key is off (not a battery problem). In
order to track this down, a technician will have to monitor the battery voltage
while eliminating each electrical circuit until the draw is eliminated. When
the offending circuit is identified, then it must be traced to find the problem
and repair it. Otherwise, you will have to keep a full stock of batteries on
hand. Or, you can just pass the problem on to the next owner. I guess it all
depends on whatever you can sleep with.