Dodge Viper SRT-10 (ZB). Manual — part 63

A vehicle that has not been operated for approxi-

mately twenty days, may discharge the battery to an
inadequate level. When a vehicle will not be used for
twenty days or more (stored), remove the IOD fuse
from the Power Distribution Center (PDC). This will
reduce battery discharging.

Excessive IOD can be caused by:
• Electrical items left on.

• Faulty or improperly adjusted switches.

• Faulty or shorted electronic modules and compo-

nents.

• An internally shorted generator.

• Intermittent shorts in the wiring.
If the IOD is over thirty-five milliamperes, the

problem must be found and corrected before replac-
ing a battery. In most cases, the battery can be
charged and returned to service after the excessive
IOD condition has been corrected.

(1) Verify that all electrical accessories are off.

Turn off all lamps, remove the ignition key, and close
all doors. If the vehicle is equipped with an illumi-
nated entry system or an electronically tuned radio,
allow the electronic timer function of these systems
to automatically shut off (time out). This may take
up to three minutes.

(2) Determine that the underhood lamp is operat-

ing properly, then disconnect the lamp wire harness
connector or remove the lamp bulb.

(3) Disconnect the battery negative cable.
(4) Set an electronic digital multi-meter to its

highest amperage scale. Connect the multi-meter
between the disconnected battery negative cable ter-
minal clamp and the battery negative terminal post.
Make sure that the doors remain closed so that the
illuminated entry system is not activated. The multi-
meter amperage reading may remain high for up to
three minutes, or may not give any reading at all
while set in the highest amperage scale, depending
upon the electrical equipment in the vehicle. The
multi-meter leads must be securely clamped to the
battery negative cable terminal clamp and the bat-
tery negative terminal post. If continuity between the
battery negative terminal post and the negative cable
terminal clamp is lost during any part of the IOD

test, the electronic timer function will be activated
and all of the tests will have to be repeated.

(5) After about three minutes, the high-amperage

IOD reading on the multi-meter should become very
low or nonexistent, depending upon the electrical
equipment in the vehicle. If the amperage reading
remains high, remove and replace each fuse or circuit
breaker in the Power Distribution Center (PDC) and
then in the Junction Block (JB), one at a time until
the amperage reading becomes very low, or nonexist-
ent. Refer to the appropriate wiring information in
this service manual for complete PDC and JB fuse,
circuit breaker, and circuit identification. This will
isolate each circuit and identify the circuit that is the
source of the high-amperage IOD. If the amperage
reading remains high after removing and replacing
each fuse and circuit breaker, disconnect the wire
harness from the generator. If the amperage reading
now becomes very low or nonexistent, refer to Charg-
ing System for the proper charging system diagnosis
and testing procedures. After the high-amperage IOD
has been corrected, switch the multi-meter to pro-
gressively lower amperage scales and, if necessary,
repeat the fuse and circuit breaker remove-and-re-
place process to identify and correct all sources of
excessive IOD. It is now safe to select the lowest mil-
liampere scale of the multi-meter to check the low-
amperage IOD.

CAUTION: Do not open any doors, or turn on any
electrical accessories with the lowest milliampere
scale selected, or the multi-meter may be damaged.

(6) Observe the multi-meter reading. The low-am-

perage IOD should not exceed thirty-five milliam-
peres (0.035 ampere). If the current draw exceeds
thirty-five milliamperes, isolate each circuit using the
fuse and circuit breaker remove-and-replace process
in Step 5. The multi-meter reading will drop to
within the acceptable limit when the source of the
excessive current draw is disconnected. Repair this
circuit as required; whether a wiring short, incorrect
switch adjustment, or a component failure is at fault.

8F - 10

BATTERY SYSTEM

ZB

BATTERY (Continued)

USING MICRO 420 BATTERY TESTER

Always use the Micro 420 Instruction Manual that

was supplied with the tester as a reference. If the
Instruction Manual is not available the following pro-
cedure can be used:

WARNING: ALWAYS

WEAR APPROPRIATE

EYE

PROTECTION AND USE EXTREME CAUTION WHEN
WORKING WITH BATTERIES.

BATTERY TESTING

(1) If testing the battery OUT-OF-VEHICLE, clean

the battery terminals with a wire brush before test-
ing. If the battery is equipped with side post termi-
nals, install and tighten the supplied lead terminal
stud adapters. Do not use steel bolts. Failure to prop-
erly install the stud adapters, or using stud adapters
that are dirty or worn-out may result in false test
readings.

(2) If testing the battery IN-THE-VEHICLE, make

certain all of the vehicle accessory loads are OFF,
including the ignition. The preferred test position
is at the battery terminal. If the battery is not
accessible, you may test using both the positive and
negative jumper posts. Select TESTING AT JUMPER
POST when connecting to that location.

(3) Connect the tester (Fig. 5) to the battery or

jumper posts, the red clamp to positive (+) and the
black clamp to negative (–).

NOTE: Multiple batteries connected in parallel must
have the ground cable disconnected to perform a
battery test. Failure to disconnect may result in
false battery test readings.

(4) Using the ARROW key select in or out of vehi-

cle testing and press ENTER to make a selection.

(5) If not selected, choose the Cold Cranking Amp

(CCA) battery rating. Or select the appropriate bat-
tery rating for your area (see menu). The tester will
then run its self programmed test of the battery and
display the results. Refer to the test result table
noted below.

CAUTION: If REPLACE BATTERY is the result of the
test, this may mean a poor connection between the
vehicle’s cables and battery exists. After discon-
necting the vehicle’s battery cables from the bat-
tery, retest the battery using the OUT-OF-VEHICLE
test before replacing.

(6) While viewing the battery test result, press the

CODE button and the tester will prompt you for the
last 4 digits of the VIN. Use the UP/DOWN arrow
buttons to scroll to the correct character; then press
ENTER to select and move to the next digit. Then
press the ENTER button to view the SERVICE
CODE. Pressing the CODE button a second time will
return you to the test results.

BATTERY TEST RESULTS

GOOD BATTERY

Return to service

GOOD - RECHARGE

Fully charge battery and

return to service

CHARGE & RETEST

Fully charge battery and

retest battery

REPLACE BATTERY

Replace the battery and

retest complete system

BAD-CELL REPLACE

Replace the battery and

retest complete system

NOTE: The SERVICE CODE is required on every
warranty claim submitted for battery replacement.

Fig. 5 MICRO 420 BATTERY TESTER

ZB

BATTERY SYSTEM

8F - 11

BATTERY (Continued)

REMOVAL

(1) Make sure ignition switch is in OFF position

and all accessories are turned OFF.

(2) The battery is located in the trunk.
(3) Remove the screws attaching the battery cover

and remove the cover.

(4) Disconnect the battery cables from the battery

terminals. Remove the battery negative cable first

(5) Remove the battery hold down clamp (Fig. 6)

and remove the battery from the vehicle.

INSTALLATION

(1) Position the battery in the battery tray.
(2) Install the battery hold down clamp and bolt.

Torque the bolt to 9 N·m (80 in. lbs.).

(3) Connect the battery POSITIVE cable.
(4) Connect the battery NEGATIVE cable.
(5) Install the battery cover.

BATTERY HOLDDOWN

REMOVAL

(1) Remove the screws attaching the battery cover

and remove the cover.

(2) Disconnect and isolate the negative battery

cable.

(3) Remove the single battery hold down retaining

fastener.

(4) Remove the battery hold down from the vehi-

cle.

INSTALLATION

(1) Install the battery hold down in the vehicle.
(2) Install the single battery hold down retaining

fastener. Torque the bolt to 9 N·m (80 in. lbs.).

(3) Connect the negative battery cable.
(4) Install the battery cover.

BATTERY CABLES

DESCRIPTION

The battery cables are large gauge, stranded cop-

per wires sheathed within a heavy plastic or syn-
thetic rubber insulating jacket. The wire used in the
battery cables combines excellent flexibility and reli-
ability with high electrical current carrying capacity.
The battery cables feature a top post battery termi-
nal made of stamped sheet metal that is stamped
onto one end of the battery cable wire. Large eyelet
type terminals are crimped onto the opposite end of
the battery cable wire and then solder-dipped. The
battery positive cable wires have a red insulating
jacket to provide visual identification of the battery
positive terminal. The battery negative cable wires
have a black insulating jacket to provide visual iden-
tification of the battery negative terminal.

The battery cables cannot be repaired and, if dam-

aged or faulty they must be replaced. Both the bat-
tery positive and negative cables are available for
service replacement only as a unit with the battery
wire harness, which may include portions of the wir-
ing circuits for the generator and other components
on some models. Refer to the appropriate wiring
information in this service manual for the location of
the proper battery cable wire harness diagrams. The
wiring information also includes proper wire and con-
nector repair procedures, further details on wire har-
ness routing and retention, as well as pin-out and
location views for the various wire harness connec-
tors, splices and grounds.

OPERATION

The battery cables connect the battery terminals to

the vehicle electrical system. These cables also pro-
vide a path back to the battery for electrical current
generated by the charging system for restoring the
voltage potential of the battery. The battery termi-
nals on the ends of the battery cable wires provide a
strong and reliable connection of the battery cable to
the battery terminals. The eyelet terminals secured
to the opposite ends of the battery cable wires pro-
vide secure and reliable connection of the battery
cables to the vehicle electrical system.

Fig. 6 BATTERY LOCATION

1 - BATTERY COVER
2 - BATTERY
3 - HOLDDOWN BRACKET

8F - 12

BATTERY SYSTEM

ZB

BATTERY (Continued)

The battery positive cable terminal is stamped onto

the ends of two wires. One wire has an eyelet termi-
nal that connects the battery positive cable to the
B(+) terminal stud of the Power Distribution Center
(PDC), and the other wire has an eyelet terminal
that connects the battery positive cable to the B(+)
terminal stud of the engine starter motor solenoid.
The battery negative cable terminal is stamped onto
the end of one wire. The wire has an eyelet terminal
that connects the battery negative cable to the vehi-
cle frame assembly, near the battery.

DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING - BATTERY CABLES

A voltage drop test will determine if there is exces-

sive resistance in the battery cable terminal connec-
tions or the battery cable. If excessive resistance is
found in the battery cable connections, the connec-
tion point should be disassembled, cleaned of all cor-
rosion

or

foreign

material,

then

reassembled.

Following reassembly, check the voltage drop for the
battery cable connection and the battery cable again
to confirm repair.

When performing the voltage drop test, it is impor-

tant to remember that the voltage drop is giving an
indication of the resistance between the two points at
which the voltmeter probes are attached. EXAM-
PLE: When testing the resistance of the battery pos-
itive cable, touch the voltmeter leads to the battery
positive cable terminal clamp and to the battery pos-
itive cable eyelet terminal at the starter solenoid
B(+) terminal stud. If you probe the battery positive
terminal post and the battery positive cable eyelet
terminal at the starter solenoid B(+) terminal stud,
you are reading the combined voltage drop in the
battery positive cable terminal clamp-to-terminal
post connection and the battery positive cable.

VOLTAGE DROP TEST

The following operation will require a voltmeter

accurate to 1/10 (0.10) volt. Before performing this
test, be certain that the following procedures are
accomplished:

• The battery is fully-charged and load tested.

Refer to Standard Procedures for the proper battery
charging and load test procedures.

• Fully engage the parking brake.

• If the vehicle is equipped with an automatic

transmission, place the gearshift selector lever in the
Park position. If the vehicle is equipped with a man-
ual transmission, place the gearshift selector lever in
the Neutral position and block the clutch pedal in the
fully depressed position.

• Verify that all lamps and accessories are turned

off.

• To prevent the engine from starting, remove the

Automatic Shut Down (ASD) relay. The ASD relay is
located in the Power Distribution Center (PDC), in
the engine compartment. See the fuse and relay lay-
out label affixed to the underside of the PDC cover
for ASD relay identification and location.

(1) Connect the positive lead of the voltmeter to

the battery negative terminal post. Connect the neg-
ative lead of the voltmeter to the battery negative
cable terminal clamp (Fig. 7). Rotate and hold the
ignition switch in the Start position. Observe the
voltmeter. If voltage is detected, correct the poor con-
nection between the battery negative cable terminal
clamp and the battery negative terminal post.

Fig. 7 TEST BATTERY NEGATIVE CONNECTION

RESISTANCE - TYPICAL

1 - VOLTMETER
2 - BATTERY

ZB

BATTERY SYSTEM

8F - 13

BATTERY CABLES (Continued)