Big Battery Problems, Drawing Power With Key Off?

[O.I.C Napster]

Hi all

Woke up this mornin, jumped in the car for work and turned the key and... nothing. Only just did the gauge lights work.

Car hasnt been started for two days, got the thing to work and come home time turned the key and nothing again. Its only just done this in the last two days. Never had a problem before this.

All i d did was went into the boot to change my flat tyre.

Its a brand new battery 2 weeks ago... and i took it to the auto electrican dude and he said it could be a number of things. I did what he said like take out fuse untill the readings drop. But geezz i cant seem to find any power draw from anything.

I havent installed anything for ages that could be drawing power with the car turned off. so its getting it from somewhere...

Anyone else had this problem??? how did you overcome it???

Im going nuts here... I dont wanna call out RACQ 3 time in two days lol

Let me know

CHeers Matt

Edited June 12, 2007 by O.I.C Napster

[Fry_33]

Sounds like the auto elec's suggestion would be the same as mine.. just to be sure it's the same I'll describe the method I'd use.

DON'T START THE CAR WHEN DOING THIS..

Would help if you had 2 people..

Turn multimeter to the amp reading setting.

Undo the negative battery terminal and touch the positive wire from a multimeter to the battery post.

Connect the negative wire from the multimeter to the negative clamp. (This will complete the circuit, needed to measure current)

Get one person to watch the current draw. Normally it should be very small but in your case it would probably be a higher reading.

Get the other person to start taking out fuses one at a time, replacing as you go.

The person watching the multimeter amp reading will say when the reading drops. Whatever fuse is out when it drops is the circuit you have a problem with.

Someone will probably have a better idea but that's what I'd try.

Good Luck,

[blind_elk]

You can do all the current testing on the POSITIVE side. EVERYTHING needs to be off, doors closed. If you observe a significant current draw, reconnect the battery clamp, and then do the same with each fuse to determine which circuit is drawing the current.

But firstly, it could have been something simple like the boot light was on (don't ask why, but it can happen) after mucking around with the spare.

[TokyoTaxi]

If you have an alarm or immobiliser, it could be stuffed.

I had a 3 point immobiliser fitted to my 32. The battery would run flat within 3 days if the car wasn't driven. After a while the car just died. Got the auto elec to fix it and then it died again and then one more time. Got him to pull the 3 point out and install a different one and problem solved.

[Gazee]

my friend had the same problem after an alarm install, they thaught it was the alarm but alarms don't draw enough power to drain a battery unless you have more in depth problems, or a shit alarm...

but his problem was his battery terminals, they were pretty screwed so have a look at them and give them a clean but its just a suggestion..