Battery Drain

[Etches]

Had this for a while now, cant seem to find it. I leave the car for about an hour and the batterys flat. Put an ammeter in series and its showing no drain. My battery when running is putting out 14 v but my lights are abit dim, they get brighter the more i rev it so i presume the alternators on its way out. Other than the alternator does anyone have any common drains they are aware of?

Cheers

etches

[GAF2]

i had a similar problem, if i left the car for 3 days and came back to it the battery would be flat.  I put it down to a prevously fitted alarm which someone then removed, i think they have left sumthing conneted? I couldnt find the culprit but solved the problem by fitting a battery isolating/kill switch, if i am not going near the car for a few days i just trip the switch.

Does not really help you find your fault but the switch could be the solution if you cannot find it, although draining the battery in an hour seems a bit drastic?

Hope this helps?

[Etches]

Hmm that could be a reason pal, because i had a alarm previusly but i lost the fob. ended up ragging it out  and chopping wires here and there. Will have to have a look for that since, i have no interior but 2 seats! Although i think it could be other things aswell. Whats involved with a battery isolation switch? I presume its putting a switch on the negative battery terminal strap?

Cheers etches

[GAF2]

yeah pretty much, i actually switched on the live, ran a cable from the battery positive to one side of the switch then put all my live's on a terminal post in the engine and ran a wire from there to the other side of the switch.

http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/Motorsport/Electrical_Components/Battery_Isolators_&_Master_Switches/LMA_Budget_Battery_Isolator_Switch/1594/0/14979

I have the one above.

[scotsjohn]

 I leave the car for about an hour and the batterys flat.

If that was draining at that rate you'd probably have a fire on your hands mate. That looks like one cell in the battery going belly up; pretty common. Try volts across the battery. Lights getting brighter when you rev up says the alternator's ok.

[hardchargin40]

Yeah, possibly a cell down in your battery, be sure to do a volts checks and with everything switched on, see if it maintains its voltage, i,e keeps maintaining the recharge at say 14.3volts or does it slowly keep dwindling down the volts.  If it down you've a duff battery.

Used to be able to top up your battery with de-ionised water, doubt you can do it anymore though.  I tend to get batteries from the dismantlers/scrappers as they pull them out and test them anyway, fraction of the cost!

If not, possibly you've a bad earth somewhere, would be good to check the resistance of the earths.  Usual culprits are the coil earth.  rear lights clusters sometimes, etc.  Always good to run a thicker wire as an earth from your coil direct to your battery.  Used to be a CLubpolo good tips guide on engine efficiency somewhere about running good earths etc.