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So I’ve been having this parasitic battery drain for some time now. I’m geting tired (and broke) of replacing batteries all the time. When ever I install a brand new and fully charged battery, it will be flat after 5-6 days at most.
So I bought a “prioritystart battery protector” which goes between the battery and the positive cable. Whenever the battery goes bellow 11,7 volts for more than 1 minutte it will disconnect power totally, thus ensuring that there is always enough power to start the car.
This actually works. However, My batteries still keep dying! My battery which was brand new 2 months ago now won’t hold a charge. It will start the car, but a few hours after parking the car it will read only 11,87 volts.
So the question is:
1: Will a battery die from geting drained down to 11,7 volts? I know they will die from geting flat. But 11,7 is far from flat?..
I know that in order to search for the problem you are supposed to set up the multimeter between the negative terminal on the battery and the negative cable, measuring amps. Then you remove the fuses one by one. I’ve don this. The only problem is that in my case it seems like EVERY darn thing is phulling amps to some degree! Even hours after parking the car.
I will typically phull one fuse, and it will decrease the load by a few miliamps.. Then I phull another one and it goes down by a few more miliamps. Seems like I have to phull nearly every darn fuse to get it to go down to aceptable levels. So as you can imagine, problemsolving this isn’t easy :unsure: Nor can I just replace the entire wiring. And I can’t drive around with no fuses, as nothing would work!
Any Ideas? I was hoping the prioritystart would get me around the problem. Could it just be a bad battery from the dealer? Or are they simply not designed to widhstand beeing drained down to 11,7 volts, then started and charged up to 12,6 again.. ?
I need some advice! This is eating at me.. ::(
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Since everything on the diagram has been unplugged that maybe narrows it down to wiring or connector cross leakage or circuit modification. It could even be in the fuse box itself. Is there a way to do this by brute force meaning physically removing the wires right at the fuse box and determine which path the gremlins are traveling? This migh tat least narrow thing down as they are two paths listed on yr diagram.
Since everything on the diagram has been unplugged that maybe narrows it down to wiring or connector cross leakage or circuit modification. It could even be in the fuse box itself. Is there a way to do this by brute force meaning physically removing the wires right at the fuse box and determine which path the gremlins are traveling? This migh tat least narrow thing down as they are two paths listed on yr diagram.
Does the RKE (Remote Keyless Entry) still work? It needs power all the time in order to unlock the doors and disable the ALM System. It is also associated with interior lights etc.
Does the RKE (Remote Keyless Entry) still work? It needs power all the time in order to unlock the doors and disable the ALM System. It is also associated with interior lights etc.
ok, ill check after work today. the keyless entry works. but it has been dissconnected so i know its not the source. it drained almost nothing. well within lomits. less than 10 mililamps or 0.01 amps.
ok, ill check after work today. the keyless entry works. but it has been dissconnected so i know its not the source. it drained almost nothing. well within lomits. less than 10 mililamps or 0.01 amps.
I noticed a lot of ‘non stock’ wires in your picture, do you think it’s possible that someone tied something into one of those circuits that’s causing the draw? I think it’s worth looking into.
I noticed a lot of ‘non stock’ wires in your picture, do you think it’s possible that someone tied something into one of those circuits that’s causing the draw? I think it’s worth looking into.
[quote=”EricTheCarGuy” post=33124]I noticed a lot of ‘non stock’ wires in your picture, do you think it’s possible that someone tied something into one of those circuits that’s causing the draw? I think it’s worth looking into.[/quote]
#1;)
[quote=”EricTheCarGuy” post=33124]I noticed a lot of ‘non stock’ wires in your picture, do you think it’s possible that someone tied something into one of those circuits that’s causing the draw? I think it’s worth looking into.[/quote]
#1;)
The drain seems to be connected to a stock blue positive cable going back. I’ve disconnected all aftermarked stuff and the drain continued still. There’s nothing hooked aftermarked hooked up to that circuit.
Right now I’m attempting to figure out why the oil pressure indicator (the oil lamp symbol) in the combinationmeter has stoped working…. Tested several bulbs and even another combinationmeter but nothing. Must be someting I’ve done now since it worked before I started. Typical that when trying to fix one thing you manage to destroy several others in the process.. :p
I know I have oil pressure because I have a secondary gauge showing the pressure digitaly in PSI and the senders are at the same place, so clarely I’ve managed to do something to a wire or two..This whole thing is turning into a can of worms.:sick:
The drain seems to be connected to a stock blue positive cable going back. I’ve disconnected all aftermarked stuff and the drain continued still. There’s nothing hooked aftermarked hooked up to that circuit.
Right now I’m attempting to figure out why the oil pressure indicator (the oil lamp symbol) in the combinationmeter has stoped working…. Tested several bulbs and even another combinationmeter but nothing. Must be someting I’ve done now since it worked before I started. Typical that when trying to fix one thing you manage to destroy several others in the process.. :p
I know I have oil pressure because I have a secondary gauge showing the pressure digitaly in PSI and the senders are at the same place, so clarely I’ve managed to do something to a wire or two..This whole thing is turning into a can of worms.:sick:
Indeed that seems to be the case. Just from my experience however aftermarket additions to the electrical system often go hand in had with problems like this. Often times I find it’s either not been connected correctly OR it’s cheap faulty parts that re the cause. Either way I still stand by looking into one of the aftermarket components being the issue. I’m not saying that’s what the problem is it’s just the #1 suspect in my book.
Indeed that seems to be the case. Just from my experience however aftermarket additions to the electrical system often go hand in had with problems like this. Often times I find it’s either not been connected correctly OR it’s cheap faulty parts that re the cause. Either way I still stand by looking into one of the aftermarket components being the issue. I’m not saying that’s what the problem is it’s just the #1 suspect in my book.
I still haven’t been able to pinpoint the source.
I feel I’ve spent way to much time on this allready and I guess I could search for days or even weeks and still not figure it out. At least I got the drain down from 160 miliamps to about 80 miliamps.
I’m just going to rewire the circuit so that it get ignition power instead of continuous power, using a relay and install a bypass switch just in case I need the hazzard lights with ignition off.Good thing though, I figured out the oil pressure lamp problem. The combinationmeter / gauge cluster had a faulty leed on the circuitboard, causing switched +12v not geting to several bulbs. Fixed that, so now at least that works. 🙂
And I took advantage of the oportunity to better sound-insulate the interiour of the car since I had all the carpets and such out anyways. Should be a more plesant ride from now on. 🙂
So at least something good came of all this. 🙂
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