battery drain in 4 days - how to trace?

[Birchall]

Check for the alarm being triggered. Sometimes you find that the alarm sounder has been disabled and do you don't always know that it has been going off overnight.

The most common culprit if everything is thing is working as it should is the CCCU but this normally comes with other faults such as window problems or locking problems.
Steve B

 

[Clackers]

Hi Folks,
Just trying to sort this one myself, got home off a fortnights holiday about a month ago and the battery was as flat as a pancake...nothing, not even a click. Jump started it from our other car and ran it around for half an hour, started fine for about three days, then started draining over night....some mornings ok, other mornings nothing...I don't really want to run out and buy a new battery if it isn't this, but colleagues in work have suggested that seeing as the battery is 16years old it may be time for a new one.......and at £69+vat I'm wary about just buying one on a whim. Does it sound feasible that it is a knackered battery? Once I've got it running it will start and go all day long with frequent stops, it just seems like it is the overnight problem that is a pain!

 

[Birchall]

Hi

Some things to check

Is the alarm going off (you might hot hear it overnight especially if someone has "silenced" the alarm beeper.) This can happen if your service flap in the bonnet is not closing properly.

Have you got an aftermarket stereo? Often these can cause a drain.

You could try pulling the fuse of certain options just to see if that prevents the loss.

Try leaving the positive lead off the battery next time you leave the car for a couple of days (check that the emergency pull is working on the tailgate first so you can get in the rear without power)

while disconnecting the positive lead try tapping it on the positive post of the battery you should get a very small spark anything larger indicates something draining it.

Halfords etc will do a free battery test )and alternator test I believe) before you spend any money.

Steve B

 

[Clackers]

Cheers for this Steve...
1, alarm is working fine, and not silenced
2, Not an aftermarket stereo
3, You may have hit on something here as I have recently been messing in the engine bay....so it may be a problem with the front flap?
I may try taking it to Halfrauds just for them to check it out, no doubt they'll tell me I need a new battery and alternator though!!
Will have a go at the battery lead off when we go away for a weekend....just to see what's what....I'm not a tight wad, but feel throwing money at a car is not always the best option......
Cheers for the quick reply Steve ;-)

 

[scimmyowner]

Hi - I had the same issue when I fitted a secondhand ccu a few months ago - all central locking and windows working fine but battery flat after a few days

Cheers Dave

 

[spike]

Hi Folks,
Just trying to sort this one myself, got home off a fortnights holiday about a month ago and the battery was as flat as a pancake...nothing, not even a click. Jump started it from our other car and ran it around for half an hour, started fine for about three days, then started draining over night....some mornings ok, other mornings nothing...I don't really want to run out and buy a new battery if it isn't this, but colleagues in work have suggested that seeing as the battery is 16years old it may be time for a new one.......and at £69+vat I'm wary about just buying one on a whim. Does it sound feasible that it is a knackered battery? Once I've got it running it will start and go all day long with frequent stops, it just seems like it is the overnight problem that is a pain!

Worth checking if the boot light is permanently on as failure of the microswitch within the lock mechanism often causes problems.
Quick fix is to remove the bulb and the permanent one is to replace the lock

Cheers Spike

 

[Clackers]

For the record, have just taken it to a local auto electrician/supplier and enquired about the cost of a new battery....he came out and ran a check on it, in fairness he could have sold me a new battery and lined his pocket, but it turns out it is just an under charged battery due to short journeys constantly and no long time charging options....put it on trickle charge over night and so far so good.Will see how it goes over the weekend.