my battery goes flat if i leave it too long

[Simon Atkinson]

whenever i leave my car longer than a day my battery is always flat ive had 2 auto electricians look at it and they cant find it ive changed my battery and my altenator to no success.johnnybravoturbo suggested it was a loose wire behind my cd player so me and furry had a look and found a loose wire but it hasnt solved the problem can anyone help me find this annoying problem.

 

[andy]

check the battery with a multi-meter when everything is off and see if there is a drain on it. Could be that the boot light or some other small light-glovebox-is not switching off. If there is a drain you will get a reading of less than 12v on the multi-meter. Trust me i know it sounds silly but my mate had this same prob with his astra was the boot light staying on.

Andy

 

[andy]

You could also try this method also if you dont have a mulitmeter. Found on another site but seems as though it sounds reasonably good way.


Remove the negative side battery cable from the negative battery terminal.
Attach a 12-volt test light between the negative cable and the negative battery post. wait a few seconds to several minutes for the car to go into sleep mode. i.e. when you make the contact with the test light the cars computer systems "wake up" after a bit of time they will go to "sleep".
If the test light is burning brightly, something is using too much battery power.
Go to the fuse panel(s) and remove fuses, one at a time. Pull the main fuses (higher amp ratings)last.
Watch for the 12V test light to go out. The fuse that shuts off the light is the draw. Consult the owners' manual or service manual to find what circuits are on that fuse.
Check each device (circuit) on that fuse. Stop each lamp, heater, etc. to find the drain.
Repeat steps 1&2 to test your repair. The test lamp should be dark or very dim when battery draw is acceptable.




Andy

 

[infermus]

I have had this a couple of times with the boot not being shut properly, boot light on all night, flat battery next morning. Could be your battery is on its way out. Try disconnecting the earth lead and see if it still runs down overnight

 

[Anonymous]

thanks for your suggestions guys but tried all them

 

[RR]

Once a battery goes flat it's usually seen its' best days; irrespective as to wether or not it's recharged - the new charge is not fully retained. Cold weather also knocks them to pieces, as you are no doubt aware.

So, there's still one of two issues.

1. The battery is goosed.

2. There is a definitive discharge somewhere along the line.

It needs circuit testing to rule out a drain. Once that's ruled out, buy a new battery. They're not expensive.

 

[Simon Atkinson]

the battery is brand new from an italian car specialist i know they is drain somewhere but just cant find where

 

[simon]

DO YOU HAVE A SUB AND AMP, IF SO YOU MAY NOT HAVE THE REMOTE WIRE CONNECTED PROPERLY, THUS THE AMP RUNNING 24/7

 

[Anonymous]

i have no sub or amp the battery is new and its been tested on tuesday and its fine plz help

 

[Andy]

do u have a boot light?

if so, close the car up, and pull the rear seats down, make sure it isnt on 24/7

also the same if u have a glove box light

Andy_sx

 

[Andy]

ah just read the post properly, sorry uve tried these already

when ur driving do you ever have the battery light on?

Andy_sx

 

[Anonymous]

no the battery light never comes on. could it have anything to do with my wiring under the plastic cover at the bottom of the windscreen cos ive just heard a ticking noise coming from there but it was only when my car was idling

 

[infermus]

Sounds like it could be a relay cutting in,

 

[Simon Atkinson]

if the relay is cutting could this be the cause of my loss of power?

 

[Anonymous]

Well the relay is a switch and it only works when switching stuff on. furthermore you only need a relay for heavy drain equipment, Try and isolate the relay, You should be able to feel it cut in, Unplug it and see how the battery behaves then, You probably have a short that is switching on the relay