Starter/Battery issue problem fixed & found - Camaro5 Chevy Camaro Forum / Camaro ZL1, SS and V6 Forums

CamaroSS2010 · 07-07-2021, 06:15 PM

My story about my 2012 Camaro SS problem(s).
First off I want to thank everyone that has posted about battery/starter problems.
I did a lot of reading on this forum and learned a lot.

OK so this all started about a week ago.
Note: This all happens while I am at work.....

I usually park in an open space away from the trees (in order to avoid tree sap and bird Poop)
In doing so, I usually put up my windshield screen to keep the car interior cooler.
I usually go outside and sit in my car for lunch (about 45 minutes or so).

Since it is getting hotter, I decided to go and park in the shade.
Without even giving it a second thought, I left my windshield screen up resting on the dash.
The first time that I did this, when I got ready to leave for the day - I get in my car and turn the key and all I hear is clicking. I can't belive that my battery is dead because it is less than a year old. What the hell is this? I thought.
So, I find someone with a set of jumper cables. Again not thinking this through we jumpstart from the battery with the jumper cables. (I should have done it properly from the front engine using the terminals supplied. According to the Camaro manual, If you try and jump off from the battery
it could cause problems).
It started, but it was not quite right. The idle was very rough going up and down. The Tach did not work and I had a Service stabilitrak Warning pop up on the DIC. Also, the traction control and stabilitrak icons were showing up on the display yellowed out (not working).

So i decided to take it to the dealership and have it looked at (The dealership is only 1 & 1/2 miles away).
I pull in they hook up the scanner. It is showing a code: Crankshaft position sensor.

So it's kinda late so I decide to go home and drop it off the next day at the dealership.

I get up the next day and jump in the car and it starts up without any issue. So I'm thinking that it must have been a fluke
and drive straight to work. It's running fine now.
Again at lunch time I jump in the car and crank it up and move it to a shady spot. I sit out there again and have my lunch for about 40 minutes.

When it time to leave work for the day, I jump in the car and again, it happens - I turn the key and only here clicking - dead battery
again? I turn off the key and wait a minute or two and then try it again - It is trying to start, but it is turning over very slowly - but then it
fires up. Thank goodness!
OK - I think I will have to drop it off at the dealership and have this problem fixed.
Change out the Crankshaft position sensor and install a new starter.
So that is exactly what I do.
I am not able to drop it off at the dealership until the next week because they are way too busy with the holiday (July 4) coming up.

So Tues July 6, 2021 I take it in to be serviced - new sensor and starter.

I pick it up after work at the dealership.
They tell me that they installed the parts and it is fixed and running great.
Ok - problem solved.... I thought.

Today, Wed 7/7/2021 - I go out again to have lunch in the car. Again I pull into the shade - same as before.
However this time just before I'm ready to go back inside, I notice that my headlights are on because i See the green headlight icons
lit up on the gauges. I also happen to notice a RED battery icon. This is the first time that I am seeing this.
I had not been paying enough attention before. I really wish that I had.

OK now this is all making sense.
By leaving my windshield screen on the dash while I pull into the shade and have lunch - all the while my headlights were on and the radio was
on and my 4K front and rear DASHCAM were on and recording. Draining the battery big time. (I did read the Camaro manual at this time and discover that
this is by design. If the light sensor is covered up and the key is in the ON or ACC position in the ignition, the headlights will be on and will
not go off until the key is removed).
This is the problem - I had assumed that my headlights would automatically be turned off after a couple of minutes. So much so that I did not
bother to check and make sure the icons went out.
Also, knowing that my battery was less than a year old (new factory AC Delco battery) I totally discounted that it could be the problem.

Lesson learned.
I hope that by posting this it may help someone.

Car Nation Videos · 07-10-2021, 01:10 AM

Bro...........

Glad it’s fixed but the dealership saw you coming a mile away.

07-07-2021, 06:15 PM	#1
CamaroSS2010 Drives: Camaro 2012 SS Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Dallas Tx Posts: 66	Starter/Battery issue problem fixed & found My story about my 2012 Camaro SS problem(s). First off I want to thank everyone that has posted about battery/starter problems. I did a lot of reading on this forum and learned a lot. OK so this all started about a week ago. Note: This all happens while I am at work..... I usually park in an open space away from the trees (in order to avoid tree sap and bird Poop) In doing so, I usually put up my windshield screen to keep the car interior cooler. I usually go outside and sit in my car for lunch (about 45 minutes or so). Since it is getting hotter, I decided to go and park in the shade. Without even giving it a second thought, I left my windshield screen up resting on the dash. The first time that I did this, when I got ready to leave for the day - I get in my car and turn the key and all I hear is clicking. I can't belive that my battery is dead because it is less than a year old. What the hell is this? I thought. So, I find someone with a set of jumper cables. Again not thinking this through we jumpstart from the battery with the jumper cables. (I should have done it properly from the front engine using the terminals supplied. According to the Camaro manual, If you try and jump off from the battery it could cause problems). It started, but it was not quite right. The idle was very rough going up and down. The Tach did not work and I had a Service stabilitrak Warning pop up on the DIC. Also, the traction control and stabilitrak icons were showing up on the display yellowed out (not working). So i decided to take it to the dealership and have it looked at (The dealership is only 1 & 1/2 miles away). I pull in they hook up the scanner. It is showing a code: Crankshaft position sensor. So it's kinda late so I decide to go home and drop it off the next day at the dealership. I get up the next day and jump in the car and it starts up without any issue. So I'm thinking that it must have been a fluke and drive straight to work. It's running fine now. Again at lunch time I jump in the car and crank it up and move it to a shady spot. I sit out there again and have my lunch for about 40 minutes. When it time to leave work for the day, I jump in the car and again, it happens - I turn the key and only here clicking - dead battery again? I turn off the key and wait a minute or two and then try it again - It is trying to start, but it is turning over very slowly - but then it fires up. Thank goodness! OK - I think I will have to drop it off at the dealership and have this problem fixed. Change out the Crankshaft position sensor and install a new starter. So that is exactly what I do. I am not able to drop it off at the dealership until the next week because they are way too busy with the holiday (July 4) coming up. So Tues July 6, 2021 I take it in to be serviced - new sensor and starter. I pick it up after work at the dealership. They tell me that they installed the parts and it is fixed and running great. Ok - problem solved.... I thought. Today, Wed 7/7/2021 - I go out again to have lunch in the car. Again I pull into the shade - same as before. However this time just before I'm ready to go back inside, I notice that my headlights are on because i See the green headlight icons lit up on the gauges. I also happen to notice a RED battery icon. This is the first time that I am seeing this. I had not been paying enough attention before. I really wish that I had. OK now this is all making sense. By leaving my windshield screen on the dash while I pull into the shade and have lunch - all the while my headlights were on and the radio was on and my 4K front and rear DASHCAM were on and recording. Draining the battery big time. (I did read the Camaro manual at this time and discover that this is by design. If the light sensor is covered up and the key is in the ON or ACC position in the ignition, the headlights will be on and will not go off until the key is removed). This is the problem - I had assumed that my headlights would automatically be turned off after a couple of minutes. So much so that I did not bother to check and make sure the icons went out. Also, knowing that my battery was less than a year old (new factory AC Delco battery) I totally discounted that it could be the problem. Lesson learned. I hope that by posting this it may help someone. __________________ ________________ Delivered - 4/06/12

07-10-2021, 01:10 AM	#2
Car Nation Videos YouTube-Car Nation Videos Drives: 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Join Date: Nov 2019 Location: Florida Posts: 246	Bro........... Glad it’s fixed but the dealership saw you coming a mile away.