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"Battery Saver Active" - how to solve?

37K views 13 replies 4 participants last post by  erickeese0  
#1 ·
I replaced the battery in my 2007 SS recently. My (semi-mechanic) friend swapped out the battery terminals for me, while we were at it. Ever since, I get "Battery Saver Active" coming on, which kills my AC, among other things. I could live with the rest, but considering it's already hitting 93 here in FL, that's a huge pain.

Stopping by the local auto parts store, who sold the battery, they tested the battery and alternator as supposedly good. Since the car starts fine and seems to always be charged, I can agree with this. Yet the error persists.

I found a youtube where they suggested it might be the current sensor, and that the positive leads - BOTH of them - must go through the sensor. I checked, and only ONE of the leads (the big one) goes through the sensor. It's possible this happened during the terminal swap. Yet I cannot find any corroboration of the two red leads needing to go through the sensor.

Can anyone here shed any light on how the sensor is supposed to be wired? Could it be simply the sensor is bad? Where best to buy another sensor, just in case?

Also - in the meantime, is there a way to override this stupid error and get my AC to work, when it comes on? Right now, I have to shut the car off, at lights, and re-start, just to get my AC back. So it's doing exactly the opposite of what a battery saver is supposed to do.
 
#2 ·
 
#3 ·
Yes, I've read the official diagnosis.

Thing is, I've checked the alternator, and the battery, and they both tested fine. The battery has been getting charged flawlessly, the voltages are reading as they should.

Which leaves it to be either in the current sensor (such as a bad sensor), the way the sensor is installed (for instance, the possible problem of it only being through one wire), or something else wonky in the computer or electrical system. But I'm guessing it's related to the sensor, since it's the simplest explanation for it reading the system incorrectly, like that.
 
#4 ·
First rule of troubleshooting.
What did you monkey with and did you miss something.
I'd check to be sure your mechanic buddy installed the battery terminal connections properly. I've seen folks leave out body ground leads.

If it works. Don't fix it. You can easily fix things til they're broke.
 
#5 ·
First rule of troubleshooting.
What did you monkey with and did you miss something.
I'd check to be sure your mechanic buddy installed the battery terminal connections properly. I've seen folks leave out body ground leads.

If it works. Don't fix it. You can easily fix things til they're broke.
Agreed - it's very possible my friend got something wrong. In particular, I found one reference to the notion that the current sensor must be around both positive wires, not just one. It's only around one, and my friend may not have realized the lead came out. The problem is, despite several google and youtube searches, I can't corroborate the correct configuration. I don't want to try correcting it until I confirm how it's supposed to be. Odd that that info seems so elusive.
 
#9 · (Edited)
OEM parts. Aftermarket is asking for trouble. Delphi is the OEM supplier.
Delphi XS10560 plug wires
AC Delco 41162 Iridium plugs

The LS engines could have square or round coils. Get the same as the original. The LS coils last forever. I don't change these ignition coils til they actually fail and I only change the failed coil.
Delphi GN10639 Square coil
Delphi GN10165 Round coil
 
#11 ·
hmnnn🤔, I just got that light too, after sitting with phone charger on for a few hours, with new battery & terminal. the current sensor goes through 1 of the cables, not both. side is differant on differant year impalas, & I’m told it’s directionally sensative, like the round thing is the head & the tail shaped thing the tail, this is, as you said, a ‘current’ sensor - & I beleive current goes from + towards -, which ever side of loop they’re posted on(while electrons thE opposite).. but btw., mines hookd up properly, & I’m getting that with new battery.. don’t quite get what voltage’s got to dU with it - many a time Iv drivn with very low batery - & after jump start, while car & alternator is charging them, no such light. In other words, it’s been a year, did you find problem?
 
#13 ·
gr8 summary of what that batery saver wat-cha-ma-cal-it msg means, yatsie- 1 thing to keep in mind, is that when batteries get low for watever reason, the charging voltage gets lower, & amps higher until things charge up(& as they do, amps go down while volts go up).. EVEN IF, BATERY, ALTERN8R, Yrs, connections, etc., are ALL FINE😳!! IO, computers😒
 
#14 ·
mine started doing this after having phone charger plugd in for a several hours.. when it started this, & message appeared, idle was higher(pres. as part of battery saving, meaning higher charging rate, program), but here’s the thing - it only started doing this with a new battery, a beter one - & Iv read in this thread that it started for other people with new, therefore presumably orobly better, batteries - or new fatter wiring improvements? maybe-probley, - etc. - THIS IS TO SAY, that these changes might make program THINK battery’s dead. like an imbalance or something of electric current fluidity or something like that… this started for me 1c I let go of, but luckily still have, my loOZ(but apparently not) 600 cca econo-watever it’s calld batery & switchd to a ‘beter’, BUT IS IT🤨? 800cca 3 year battery.. I’m guesscing 1st try a full ECU reset, incase ECU is comparing old battery strengths with new battery & that causing this imbalance(wats that mEn, IdOnO), & if that don’t wrk, switch back to the crapr bat. cooooommpUtrs👋😑.