R32 Battery Going Flat

[dark.sky]

Hey guys, as the title says, my battery is going dead flat within as little as 1 day. The battery is 4 weeks old. Using a multimeter between the -nve on the battery and the battery lead, its showing 0.42A. I removed every fuse inside 1 by 1 as my step dad watched the screen, it didnt change. When I got to the fuses in the engine bay, when I remove IGN SWITCH it drops down to 0.03A. So its safe to say its something that runs off of there, the question is, what does run off of there? I noticed removing the fuse and placing it back in, that one of the relays behind the ECU is clicking when doing so. I should note that this car has a RB25DET conversion, so wiring is far from untouched...

Any help would be greatly appreciated...

-Dion.

EDIT: Key was OFF while this was tested.

[typevu]

Fitted any new electronics lately? Alarm? GPS tracker? Neons? LEDs?

[Tommy Kaira RL]

If your near parafield airport I can have a look for you. Has this happened before since the conversion. Or has it only just started. You must have something wired up continuous instead of being on the acc or ign citcuit. Im on holidays so im free most days if your coming past.

[blind_elk]

You might be measuring the amps incorrectly. The ammeter needs to be in series, so you disconnect the +ve terminal and connect the ammeter between the +ve of the battery and the +ve terminal/cable. 0.42A shouldn't be enough drain on the battery to flatten it in a day.

Also, when the engine is running, how many volts at the battery? How many volts at 2k rpm?

[dark.sky]

Fitted any new electronics lately? Alarm? GPS tracker? Neons? LEDs?

None of the above, but I am treating the alarm as a suspect, because it, well, sounds a bit sick on battery backup.

If your near parafield airport I can have a look for you. Has this happened before since the conversion. Or has it only just started. You must have something wired up continuous instead of being on the acc or ign citcuit. Im on holidays so im free most days if your coming past.

Cheers for the offer mate, I'll do a bit more scrounging tomorrow and see what I come up with and yeah I'll flick you a PM, I live out of Gawler. Its been happening since the engine conversion, it seems like its getting worse, but it might be my imagination as uni has finished so Im looking at the car alot more.

You might be measuring the amps incorrectly. The ammeter needs to be in series, so you disconnect the +ve terminal and connect the ammeter between the +ve of the battery and the +ve terminal/cable. 0.42A shouldn't be enough drain on the battery to flatten it in a day.

Also, when the engine is running, how many volts at the battery? How many volts at 2k rpm?

I'll try that tomorrow and let you know what it says. pretty sure it was reading 13.6-8 volts on idle at the terminals, and it would drop about 0.3V when you put the lights on. I will confirm tomorrow and also check what its doing at 2000rpm.

Thanks guys!

Just reflecting, the car sat for months and months with no engine, if the battery backup for the alarm kicked the bucket from being dead flat for so long, could that zap voltage?

[mad082]

alarms are often the culprit for battery drain.

[dark.sky]

Havent got out there again yet, was too hot yesterday. Somebody suggested the fuel pump relay might be faulty as that is located behind the ECU where that click is coming from, so I guess I'll check that out too. I wish I could disconnect my alarm to see if that stops it, but I dont know how, lol.

[SargeRX8]

Every morning my car feels low on juice. I hate these dogshit alarms that most skylines come imported with. With my old skyline, soooo many times at night you hear a faint siren and you can just hear the alarm going off ever so quietly under the bonnet.

When measuring current draw, what setting do you put the multimeter on?

Edited December 15, 2010 by SargeRX8

[t_revz]

unlikely but try unplugging the alternator when testing current draw

[dark.sky]

Every morning my car feels low on juice. I hate these dogshit alarms that most skylines come imported with. With my old skyline, soooo many times at night you hear a faint siren and you can just hear the alarm going off ever so quietly under the bonnet.

When measuring current draw, what setting do you put the multimeter on?

Its on 10A. Know all too well the faint siren thing haha. When I got home from work just before I turned off the siren with the key and pulled out the IGN SW fuse so I could get a good nights sleep My car is in a locked garage behind a perimeter fence with dogs roaming, should be safe.

unlikely but try unplugging the alternator when testing current draw

Good idea. Will try this tomorrow.

[dark.sky]

Okay, done some more playing around, so I have some new info. With the IGN SW fuse missing, the car sat for 3 days, with the alarm active, and when I went out there to start it (after the fuse was back in of course) it started without any hesitation at all. So that backs up what the multimeter was telling me. I have some pictures, since they tell 1000 words.

Everything switched off, all fuses in.

Everything switched off, IGN SW fuse removed.

Everything switched off, IGN SW fuse back in, but the blue relay in the picture below disconnected.

I understand that relay to be for the EFI, but the car seems perfectly fine without it connected (I road tested it also).

Voltage at the terminals, 850rpm, everything off.

Voltage at the terminals, 850rpm, headlights on.

Voltage at the terminals, 2000rpm, everything off.

So I guess the question is, do I simply leave the blue relay unplugged? Nothing seems to have changed with it unplugged (all accessories work, and drives fine) except for the fact the current draw is now at an acceptable level.

Thoughts anyone?

[Tommy Kaira RL]

It sounds like your fuel pump is connected all the time can you check to see if there is 12v at the pump when car is off. The relay should turn the pump on and off with the ignition. Also check to see if the 12v goes at the pump when you pull the fuse just for me to think about it

[dark.sky]

When the car is off voltage at the pump is 0. When the ignition is either on, or the car idling, Ive gotten all sorts of voltages out of it (5V-12V - 13V if I use the chassis as earth instead of the earth wire and car is running), but one thing remains consistant, key off - no voltage, key on - voltage. Removing the IGN SW fuse cuts the pump, but removing the blue relay does nothing to the voltage at all.

EDIT: If I remove the other blue relay as well, car will not start. Fuel pump still goes but there is no ignition - so that one is obviously for the ECU.

[Tommy Kaira RL]

I looked at a few schematics and there is an ignition relay on that circuit for the coilpacks. That blue relay could be for that. Saying that I would be taking the multimeter and checking most of your sensors. Start with a coilpack and see if there is a 12v supply on pins 2 & 3. Last 2 left to right looking at the plug dissconected. Also check AFM and oxy sensor, CAS, TPS all of these sensors are off the ignition circuit. They all shouldnt have 12v supply until the ign is on.

[dark.sky]

Ok. The following sequence of photos is related only to the removal and replacement of the relay pictured below, no other fuses or relays were touched.

Tested 4 things, Coilpacks, CAS, TPS, OXY SENSOR. - Relay was IN

Coilpacks and TPS function correctly - voltage when IGN ON, no voltage when IGN OFF.

CAS and OXY SENSOR did return voltage when off, details below.

CAS:

IGN OFF, Relay IN

IGN OFF, Relay OUT

IGN ON, Relay IN

IGN ON, Relay OUT

OXY SENSOR: - This was done on 1 of the 3 wires, but they all read the same +/-0.01V

IGN OFF, Relay IN

IGN OFF, Relay OUT

IGN ON, Relay IN

IGN ON, Relay OUT

Weird Much?

[Tommy Kaira RL]

The first picture with the relay removed shows a lot of tape above it has the relay been choped and wired in. It sounds like the ign and relay are in parallel. Which means there are 2 circuits feeding the CAS. The 5.0V should only be there when ign is on. Does the relay click when you plug it in or out. It starting to sound like that relay is wired wrong. Also looking at the r32 rb20det schematic it dosent show any relays for the CAS and oxy sensor where the R33 rb25det shows a relay that turns these on and off through the ign switch. Id take it back to where it was wired. You wouldnt of noticed the battery going flat until now because if it was healthy it would of drained down slowly. PM me if you still cant get it Im home tommorrow(Tuesday).

[dark.sky]

The first picture with the relay removed shows a lot of tape above it has the relay been choped and wired in. It sounds like the ign and relay are in parallel. Which means there are 2 circuits feeding the CAS. The 5.0V should only be there when ign is on. Does the relay click when you plug it in or out. It starting to sound like that relay is wired wrong. Also looking at the r32 rb20det schematic it dosent show any relays for the CAS and oxy sensor where the R33 rb25det shows a relay that turns these on and off through the ign switch. Id take it back to where it was wired. You wouldnt of noticed the battery going flat until now because if it was healthy it would of drained down slowly. PM me if you still cant get it Im home tommorrow(Tuesday).

Yeah it does click when you plug/unplug it. Regardless of IGN position. I'll flick you a PM aswell.

[tm_r33]

i had identicle problem in r33 gtst

it was the alternator. is shit a diode so there was a small current draw all the time.

same thing happened to a mates 32gtr and it was same problem there.

unplug all the leads on alternator and leave car for a few days,

[pipster11]

quick check

hop in the boot and get someone to shut it (and let you out obviously)

the light will probably stay on

pull the globe out

(p.s. i didn't read your whole thread so i'm not sure what you have tried or not)

[battery]

i had the exact same problem when i did my rb25 conversion..

I traced it to the one of the plugs near the power steering fluid bottle and then solved it by adding another relay into the mess....