Battery Power Drain
Discussion
I seem to have a fairly rapid electrical power drain from the battery on my 450. I have removed the battery & checked and all ok and charging on Accumate fine when completely disconnected. When connected the power drains completely over about 2 days, I had recently changed the fuel pump relay believing it to be faulty (for a different reason) but having read stories about cheap relays draining power (and it was a cheap one) I swapped back to the original Bosch relay (new ones on the way just in case).
However I still have the problem, to the degree that when the battery was discharged and connected up I plugged in the Accumate and the battery wouldn't take any charge at all (Accumate 12v/6v light red light on).
I have changed up to the larger Bosch AFM as part of my SC package and consequently made alteration to AFM & ECU wiring as per Mark Adams (which I've tripled checked).
I have though had a mishap with an alternator terminal (the middle one) and now have the relevant cable fixed with only a tightening nut rather than the backing nut which the cable terminal should tighten on to - if that makes sense (I over tightened the nut when re-fitting the cable originally and sheared the studding which resulted in not having enough stud length for both nuts). Not sure if this is relevant but I'm running out of ideas now to solve the problem
I hate electrics !!!!
As ever any suggestions much appreciated.
However I still have the problem, to the degree that when the battery was discharged and connected up I plugged in the Accumate and the battery wouldn't take any charge at all (Accumate 12v/6v light red light on).
I have changed up to the larger Bosch AFM as part of my SC package and consequently made alteration to AFM & ECU wiring as per Mark Adams (which I've tripled checked).
I have though had a mishap with an alternator terminal (the middle one) and now have the relevant cable fixed with only a tightening nut rather than the backing nut which the cable terminal should tighten on to - if that makes sense (I over tightened the nut when re-fitting the cable originally and sheared the studding which resulted in not having enough stud length for both nuts). Not sure if this is relevant but I'm running out of ideas now to solve the problem
I hate electrics !!!!As ever any suggestions much appreciated.
If your battery has been "discharged" to the extent that sometimes the charger appears not to charge, then I'm afraid you need a new one?
Modern batteries just won't tolerate being discharged below 10/11 volts - you might get away with it once but after that, they're pretty scrap/recycle materiel?
Sorry 8-((
Modern batteries just won't tolerate being discharged below 10/11 volts - you might get away with it once but after that, they're pretty scrap/recycle materiel?
Sorry 8-((
Richard, have you actually measured across the battery with a meter to see what the draw is. Do this first and see if the draw is excessive.
It could be that your battery has had it. Just because the charger is showing fully charged the battery well may have had it and although charging to its full capacity may well be holding very little.
Mine was just like this; showing fully charged on the charger and yet unable to start the car after a couple of days. New battery and all is well.
It could be that your battery has had it. Just because the charger is showing fully charged the battery well may have had it and although charging to its full capacity may well be holding very little.
Mine was just like this; showing fully charged on the charger and yet unable to start the car after a couple of days. New battery and all is well.
The ECU Bosch relays are very specific- they switch the two output pins together, unlike the generic ones with the same layout that switch between pins- from memory if you use one of these it puts 12 volts on the lambda heaters all the time. That would kill the battery pretty quickly.
Had very similar with mine very recently.
Although kept on trickle charger I was noticing that it was not always showing the green light on the charger after 24-30 hrs of charge. Sometimes still showing red other times yellow and occasionally green.
Although the car would start it just did't sound right.. It was a suggestion to try jump starting off another car and see if you notice a better more lively turnover,which I did and it started like it used to with much more turnover power.
The battery was then tested and it would read 12-13v but after a minute or two it was falling to 8v. Conclusion of Powers was the battery was on it's way out.
New battery fitted and back to full turnover power,have even just left the car as a test for 5 days not on the trickle charger and fires full of power.
Although kept on trickle charger I was noticing that it was not always showing the green light on the charger after 24-30 hrs of charge. Sometimes still showing red other times yellow and occasionally green.
Although the car would start it just did't sound right.. It was a suggestion to try jump starting off another car and see if you notice a better more lively turnover,which I did and it started like it used to with much more turnover power.
The battery was then tested and it would read 12-13v but after a minute or two it was falling to 8v. Conclusion of Powers was the battery was on it's way out.
New battery fitted and back to full turnover power,have even just left the car as a test for 5 days not on the trickle charger and fires full of power.
Many thanks yet again for all the advice, this forum has helped me learn & get me out of the s**t more times than I ever imagined it would.
Yesterday lunchtime I removed the battery completely from the footwell and put it on charge, at 10.30 this morning and whilst still on charge it showed 12.75 volts, disconnected charger and immediately fell to 12.46 volts and then dropped very slowly over the next hour or so but only to 12 volts.
Took the battery to Halfords where it was bought from 3 years ago (with a 4 year warranty) and they confirmed it needed replacing, which they did with no quibbles - faultless service, however their policy (printed on the original receipt which fortunately I still had from the previous owner) is that the warranty on the new battery still expires on the date of the original ! although a bit strange I still get 1 year warranty on a battery that should last at least 3 years - not so bad.
On refitting I've since found a weird fault on the alarm / immobiliser that I can neither explain or understand (but reckon might well have been the source of the drain) but by a random series of dis arming & rearming (including the small slot / separate fob thingy near the ignition switch) it now seems like normal service has been resumed.
Thanks Again Chaps.
Yesterday lunchtime I removed the battery completely from the footwell and put it on charge, at 10.30 this morning and whilst still on charge it showed 12.75 volts, disconnected charger and immediately fell to 12.46 volts and then dropped very slowly over the next hour or so but only to 12 volts.
Took the battery to Halfords where it was bought from 3 years ago (with a 4 year warranty) and they confirmed it needed replacing, which they did with no quibbles - faultless service, however their policy (printed on the original receipt which fortunately I still had from the previous owner) is that the warranty on the new battery still expires on the date of the original ! although a bit strange I still get 1 year warranty on a battery that should last at least 3 years - not so bad.
On refitting I've since found a weird fault on the alarm / immobiliser that I can neither explain or understand (but reckon might well have been the source of the drain) but by a random series of dis arming & rearming (including the small slot / separate fob thingy near the ignition switch) it now seems like normal service has been resumed.
Thanks Again Chaps.
Gassing Station | Chimaera | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff