Flat battery, draining overnight MK2

[jim-mapps]

Morning all

Got a Rev1 which seems to be draining the battery overnight. It's been fine for the week and a bit I've owned it. Then I went out to a flat battery yesterday morning. So I push started it and drove it 5 mins up the road. Battery meter was reading just below 18V. Then when I stopped I tried it again in the car park... fine. Off I go shopping for 3 and a bit hours and when I came back it was fine again. Drove home and parked up. Moved it at about 9 O'clock last night, just to make sure it was still charged and again it fired up with no problem at all. Yet this morning it's dead as a dodo. Not even a click, just a distant whirring sound going down in pitch a the battery runs out of life.

All I can think is that it's got a red flashing LED (Fake alarm) which I might have switched on by mistake and left on. but would this be enough to drain it overnight?

Are there any common faults I should be looking for???

Thanks all Had to ride to work this morning in this big car that keeps stopping every 500 yards to let people on and off. Think the regulars call them buses??? What's more it cost me a quid to go around 1 mile!!!!

[mattcambs]

Sounds like you have a drain on the battery somewhere. Could it be the way the stereo is connected - maybe the ignition live is wired to permanent live?

I had this problem on my last MR2, even after replacing the battery, something was still slowly draining it.

[Nails]

I'd say it was the battery on its way out, and its the drop in overnight temp thats finsihing it off, you can get a garage to do a drop test to check it, you could also check thats its properly topped up with distilled water aswell

[jim-mapps]

Well I spoke to my friendly neighbourhood mechanic today who also thought it would be the drop in overnight temp that's done it.

Strange though that it was parked up on the sea front overnight on Friday night where it was much colder and deeply iced over but started with no problem on Saturday morning.

Unless that was it's last gasp so to speak, as that was it's last start before it went flat. Now it's totally flat too, hasn't even got ignition lights which it had this morning.

So... I have a spare battery on my old motor. It's around the same size and Delivers 55 Amp hrs. The one in my 2 was 60 Amp hrs. Anyone know if it will work??? I'm not likely to blow something up am I?

The terminals are the same type, they're the wrong way round but I'm pretty sure if I put it in the front backwards it will connect up fine. Anyone see any problems with doing this??? As far as I can see as long as it's secure it should be fine??

Thanks very muchly

[SFLee]

Battery meter was reading just below 18V

18V

you check the amp drain when the car is off ?
and you sure it is 18V ?

[jim-mapps]

I thought it was 18V yeah??? Hard to tell now though as it's dead!

How do I check the amp drain??? I'm short on tools/meters here

[fearless]

i had same sort of problem i thought alternator was on its way out looked at getting new one fitted cost £150 for a new one, just thought i would check other bits my voltage on dash would start of ok then drop till nearly all fail lights would come on and then car would stop, checked battery terminals and thay were loose, i read on her to rub sides of post's flat then put clamps back as thay slip to which i done, 7 months down the line still ok and no problems on same battery just an idea matey

[jim-mapps]

Aye, not a bad thought... just swapped batteries though and the cells are ALL dry! So think I've found the problem.

Problem now is, when connect the new battery up it just blows it's horn constantly and seems to be immobilised??? AAAARRRGGHHHH!!!!

Edit: OK now I feel stupid. Didn't realise it's as simple as turning the key in the lock.

[SFLee]

get a mulitmeter, about £10 in maplin

switch the multi meter in dc and amp select the range

unplug the negative from battery
connect the multimeter in series and complete the circuit again

this should show how much amps you car is draining ( should be in milli amps range)

[excalibur1814]

My batt drain arrived from the electric window buttons.. I'd press auto up, the window would close but keep trying to close. Next day, dead battery.

New switch block, all solved. Madness

[fearless]

me and my big mouth i have problem again, might be my journey only being 1.75 miles eachway and battery might be suffering with the cold and not getting properly charged, ive bought one of those solar panel dash chargers today £9.99 hopefully it might help ive had heating and rear screen and radio on which i think has killed it also been sitting a few days fingers crossed dont want to cough up £150 for alternator charging dial works and increases as normal

[jim-mapps]

Well here's hoping for ya!!! let me know if it works as my morning trip is only a mile atthe most. Might need to soalrise my battery to make it cope.

[fearless]

i used the solar panel and car started ok, ive charged battery so its at full strengh so when im in work i put the solar panel on the dash and on days off, hopefully it will help me see how it goes otherwise might have to invest in a new battery

[jim-mapps]

Flat again yesterday!!!

It seems ok overnight, parking up at 5:15 ish and setting off again at 7:20 in the morning but if I leave it longer, in this case until 4 in the afternoon it dies! Push started it and drove it a fair bit last night, then it was fine this morning. Off to buy a multimeter methinks.

[mattcambs]

could your alternator belt be slipping?

Try taking your stereo out and seeing if it holds charge over night.

[toxo]

Push started it

it's not a turbo is it?

[jim-mapps]

No it's not a turbo, though I didn't know you shouldn't push start turbos!

Alternator belt seems fine, never hear it slipping and the charge meter is always up there near 18. No stereo in it either so I don't know what could be draining it apart from the alarm. Hate electrical fualts, I can never find them!

[jim-mapps]

get a mulitmeter, about £10 in maplin

switch the multi meter in dc and amp select the range

unplug the negative from battery
connect the multimeter in series and complete the circuit again

this should show how much amps you car is draining ( should be in milli amps range)

Off to use a multimeter tomorrow, (Dad's got one) when you say connect in series how do you mean? Connect between the battery and the earth lead?

[blaster]

i used the solar panel and car started ok, ive charged battery so its at full strengh so when im in work i put the solar panel on the dash and on days off, hopefully it will help me see how it goes otherwise might have to invest in a new battery

did you use cig lighter or go direct to battery as i dont think the cig lighter works with ing off

[jim-mapps]

Anyone think this could have anything to do with it??

http://www.imoc.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?t=109611