My battery drains overnight, every night & my local garage has given up. I can see this is a problem other people have experienced - has anyone got a solution?

I have an automatic punto (dunno if that matters) and so far I have had a new battery fitted. The garage has checked everything they can think of and cannot locate the source of the drain. The radio is the original and the boot light does not stay on when it is closed.

Any ideas?

Hey,
im no mechanic but i suggest maybee checking to make sure that there is no loose wires
and that the earth calbles are all conencted and that so that you arent just using the batterie up over night, also check youre boot and make sure that the light in there isnt on all the time as ive seen this happen before and it can drain the batterie.

Perhaps the battery has an internal short and is self-discharging (not so much that you notice in the day, but enough at night). Get it tested to see that this is not the case.

It is a brand new battery and I had the same problem before it was replaced so I am pretty sure it's not the battery.

The boot light does not stay on when the boot is closed.

How do I check if there is a loose wire or a wire connected where it shouldn't be?

tough one to work out... i've had battery issues in the past and probably still have them! just brought myself a charger from halfords and then when i notice it is starting up slower put it on charge that night.

Sorry i can't help much!

Edit: Just had a thought! Have you had your alternator checked?

Get an ammeter, connect between the earth post of the battery and the earth strap. Take a look at the amount of amps being drawn.

Then start removing and replacing fuses in an orderly manner noting which, if any, have an effect on the draw.

Cheers

SPD

I had the same problem with mine.

I phoned up a garage a friend uses and they suggested it was the after market stereo draining the battery and to take out the fuse/unplug stereo at night to see. That was the problem, my stereo has been wired in slightly incorrectly and drains the battery.

Problem is now solved and until I can afford to get my stereo re-wired I just unplug it every night.

ive got the same problem on mine.. it works some days then the next it dies.. and i cant find any faults with wiring or anything

Tony123 said:

ive got the same problem on mine.. it works some days then the next it dies.. and i cant find any faults with wiring or anything

Click to expand...

What have you tried?

Cheers

SPD

The garage has checked the altenator - it's fine.

I've even had an auto electrical engineer look at it & he couldn't find the drain either.

I think I'm gonna have to bite the bullet & take it to a Fiat dealer to be sorted.

Finally found the source of the problem - a corroded ISU in the automatic gearbox - highly reccommend "The Punto Man" in Rugeley Staffs 01889 578014. He is a speciallist, and collects cars from all over the country. Cost me just £210 to sort and Fiat wanted £94 per hour just to look!

Spikyleaf said:

Finally found the source of the problem - a corroded ISU in the automatic gearbox - highly reccommend "The Punto Man" in Rugeley Staffs 01889 578014. He is a speciallist, and collects cars from all over the country. Cost me just £210 to sort and Fiat wanted £94 per hour just to look!

Click to expand...

So if you'd done the tests above/below, the draw would have gone away when you pulled the gearbox fuse.

Cheers

SPD

rallycinq said:

So if you'd done the tests above/below, the draw would have gone away when you pulled the gearbox fuse.

Cheers

SPD

Click to expand...

Pays to listen to people dont it lol
Yeahh what you should of done is taken out the fuses ... each at a time to see which one made the car work the next morning by taking it out ?

But the OP's posted the name of a good outfit near me so I'm not complaining.

The point is these things are easy enough to diagnose...
Pull off the battery earth and clip an ammeter across.
Pull fuse 1 if ammeter shows no change put it back
Repeat with every other fuse until you find the circuit that's doing the trouble.
Check everything on that circuit
Job done

WhiteSei said:

But the OP's posted the name of a good outfit near me so I'm not complaining.

The point is these things are easy enough to diagnose...
Pull off the battery earth and clip an ammeter across.
Pull fuse 1 if ammeter shows no change put it back
Repeat with every other fuse until you find the circuit that's doing the trouble.
Check everything on that circuit
Job done

Click to expand...

Yeah, whateva. lol.

Cheers

SPD