Battery Going Flat

[Guest SeanT]

My battery keeps getting drained overnight, I have searched the forum, checked the boot light, purchased a new battery...before getting in an electrical expert is there anything else I can try with my imited knowledge of electrics???

 

Thanks

[jackherer 543]

does the battery light come on when you turn the ignition on and go out when the engine is started?

 

if thats ok then you need to disconnect things one at a time to try and track down the culprit, the easiest way is to take fuses out. I'd try the stereo and alarm first if it has either.

[Guest SeanT]

Thanks Jack, OK the light did come on when I turned on the ignition, I went through the handbook and according to that fuses 2 and 7 had a link to the stero, I removed 2, the stereo played on!!, everything else seemed ok although the battery light came on on the dash and the cars tickover dropped right off, so plugged that back in and battery light went out, removed 7 and the stereo still played on but all the associated interior ights went out....so plugged that back in, looked under the bonnet and there is a fused wire running direct from the battery into the car, pulled that and off went the stereo!! at last!! so ive left that one off....just to say this car has quite alot of stereo equipment in it, crossovers, tweeters, amp in the boot and 6 x9's in the shelf and also a hole that looks like it could house a space satellite!!, i can only think it was once filled with a big boom boom speaker!!..

 

Anyways I couldnt see any fuses listed for the alarm, there is another quite thick live coming off the battery and into the car, not fused as far as i can see, maybe thats powering that amp, Ill disconnect that one next maybe......

 

Thanks again for the advice.....

 

Sean

 

does the battery light come on when you turn the ignition on and go out when the engine is started?

 

if thats ok then you need to disconnect things one at a time to try and track down the culprit, the easiest way is to take fuses out. I'd try the stereo and alarm first if it has either.

[jackherer 543]

if there are extra power feeds for the stereo coming straight off the battery they're the most likely cause IMO. Make sure you take off one thing at a time then leave it for a while so you know what causes it.

[adam_young 0]

It sounds like your stereo was constantly draining power from the battery.

Shouldn't the power run from the battery to the amp and not to the headunit?

[Guest SeanT]

Well i think there maybe seperate feeds, when i pulled the fused wire the stereo went off, like i say there is another unfused wire going into the car for the battery so ill have to check that one to but i suspect it may be a seperate feed to the amp.....

 

Sean

 

It sounds like your stereo was constantly draining power from the battery.

Shouldn't the power run from the battery to the amp and not to the headunit?

[richard 0]

you should have a remote switch lead from the headunit. (normally blue or blue/white)

 

this should be attached to both devices or the amp will remain on sucking current from your battery.

 

If you have a multi amped system, you can split this lead to those amps.

 

Remember though that ideally this switch lead should be fused. If you have a multimeter, take a reading off of the amp side of connections with the ignition and stereo off. that should prove it.

[Guest SeanT]

Thanks Richard, havent got a multi meter, but if this carries on I will be buying one.......so are you saying there should be a lead between the stereo and amp, is this to power the amp? so if mine has a direct power feed are you saying this would drain the battery?....excuse my lack of knowedge but this is a big learning curve for me.....

 

Thanks

 

 

you should have a remote switch lead from the headunit. (normally blue or blue/white)

 

this should be attached to both devices or the amp will remain on sucking current from your battery.

 

If you have a multi amped system, you can split this lead to those amps.

 

Remember though that ideally this switch lead should be fused. If you have a multimeter, take a reading off of the amp side of connections with the ignition and stereo off. that should prove it.

[richard 0]

you should have a remote switch coming from the head unit going to the amp. This cable doesnt power the amp (would burn out very quickly) all it does is provide a remote signal to the amp that the head unit is in use. With it disconnected the amp would remain powered. With it connected the amp should go into standby until the HU is turned on, thereby switching the amp on.

 

Have a look at the amp closely and you should see a blue blue/white cable attached to it. If you do not have this (assuming it hasnt been replaced with another colour) then the amps will be stuck permanently on...there goes your power.

 

Assuming your amps are fused (they should be at the battery end) remove the fuse. No power should be going to the amps now. Leave the car without this fuse in and see if you get any more time out of the battery.

If you dont, then the constant draining, charging etc especially may have made it expire quicker (although this is new so shouldnt be dead just yet!).

 

 

Any probs, get back to me.

[Guest SeanT]

Thanks Richard, Ive unfused the live coming from the battery, it has stopped the stereo working so i presume it was power for that....the car has no injectors at the mo so as soon as they come back from cleaning Ill have another look, or if it still has power while the injectors are out then that must be the drain, then its a matter of figuring out why the stereo is doing it....

 

Ta

 

 

you should have a remote switch coming from the head unit going to the amp. This cable doesnt power the amp (would burn out very quickly) all it does is provide a remote signal to the amp that the head unit is in use. With it disconnected the amp would remain powered. With it connected the amp should go into standby until the HU is turned on, thereby switching the amp on.

 

Have a look at the amp closely and you should see a blue blue/white cable attached to it. If you do not have this (assuming it hasnt been replaced with another colour) then the amps will be stuck permanently on...there goes your power.

 

Assuming your amps are fused (they should be at the battery end) remove the fuse. No power should be going to the amps now. Leave the car without this fuse in and see if you get any more time out of the battery.

If you dont, then the constant draining, charging etc especially may have made it expire quicker (although this is new so shouldnt be dead just yet!).

Any probs, get back to me.

[Guest SeanT]

Still no joy, its no the stereo or the amp that are running the battery down, its driving me mad....Im starting to go through the fuses.....any other ideas??...ive checked the boot light is off and it is....

 

Sean

 

 

Thanks Richard, Ive unfused the live coming from the battery, it has stopped the stereo working so i presume it was power for that....the car has no injectors at the mo so as soon as they come back from cleaning Ill have another look, or if it still has power while the injectors are out then that must be the drain, then its a matter of figuring out why the stereo is doing it....

 

Ta

[richard 0]

im a little stumped then.

 

i know if the alternator (or rectifier on the alternator) goes faulty this can leak current, but you'd normally have a dashlight on...or certainly i did when mine packed up.

 

whatever it is to run a battery down to flat in one day must be drawing quite a current (ie not an alarm) And it i was a short somewhere i suspect there would have been some sort of fire or damage done to the wiring loom.

Anything like pumps etc you should be able to hear it.

 

Anyone else got any ideas as to what this could be?

[Redtop 14 2 Cars]

Have you got an uprated battery for all that sound? Know a guy that had to change his battery to a diesl heavy duty one and get a higher chargeing alternator to cope with it. Do a simple task like this. Start vehicle up and keep everything off and then let it idle and switch the lights on. See if they are dimming slightly on and off as the car idles, and if they do your alternator is on it's way out. Also check if you get a mulitmeter what the battery is chargeing at should be between 13.5- 14 odd volts. Hope that helps you.

Richard

[Guest SeanT]

i now have 2 batteries and one is a new heavy duty one, i have to say though when i was driving home last night i noticed the head lights did seem to noticibly flicker. i would say also the battery seems to hold out for 2 -3 days max before being flat.....ill get the alternator checked next week.....thanks for the help so far

 

 

 

Have you got an uprated battery for all that sound? Know a guy that had to change his battery to a diesl heavy duty one and get a higher chargeing alternator to cope with it. Do a simple task like this. Start vehicle up and keep everything off and then let it idle and switch the lights on. See if they are dimming slightly on and off as the car idles, and if they do your alternator is on it's way out. Also check if you get a mulitmeter what the battery is chargeing at should be between 13.5- 14 odd volts. Hope that helps you.

Richard

[Guest SeanT]

Hmmmm ok the plot thickens.....I have just been out to try and move my AFM to try and sort out my erratic idling and when I removed it I found this underneath,

 

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f154/kaz...04/P3310065.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f154/kaz...04/P3310068.jpg

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f154/kaz...04/P3310064.jpg

 

There is a live coming straight from the battery to this box, which has 2 x 25amp fuses and as you can see one is very burnt out....what are these for?????

 

Thanks guys

 

 

 

 

 

i now have 2 batteries and one is a new heavy duty one, i have to say though when i was driving home last night i noticed the head lights did seem to noticibly flicker. i would say also the battery seems to hold out for 2 -3 days max before being flat.....ill get the alternator checked next week.....thanks for the help so far

[Redtop 14 2 Cars]

Hmm. Im not too sure but check that there is no corossion in around that box, and replace the fuse and check with a mulitmeter to see what current is running through it. See how long the vehicle goes without blowing a new fuse of the same ampage, and if this still blows take it to a prof mechanic and let them look at it. It could be because you are running too much sound and with older electrics it might not be coping too well with it. Make sure all you earth points are clean and free from corrosion as it could be something simple like this.

[Guest SeanT]

Cheers Redtop, but do you know what the function of these fuses are....the box looks like its part of the car......

 

Hmm. Im not too sure but check that there is no corossion in around that box, and replace the fuse and check with a mulitmeter to see what current is running through it. See how long the vehicle goes without blowing a new fuse of the same ampage, and if this still blows take it to a prof mechanic and let them look at it. It could be because you are running too much sound and with older electrics it might not be coping too well with it. Make sure all you earth points are clean and free from corrosion as it could be something simple like this.

[Redtop 14 2 Cars]

I'll look my 1.9gti tomorrow and see what i think.

Edited March 19, 2006 by Redtop

[pug_ham 242 3 Cars]

It might be the boot mercury switch has failed & your boot compartment light is always on & draining the battery constantly which you wouldn't notice at all.

 

Remove the bulb & see if that cures it.

 

Graham.

[Guest SeanT]

I checked the boot light by taking down the seats and checking in the boot....no luck....thanks for the idea though...........

 

 

It might be the boot mercury switch has failed & your boot compartment light is always on & draining the battery constantly which you wouldn't notice at all.

 

Remove the bulb & see if that cures it.

 

Graham.