Battery drain issue
Discussion
Hi all, have a frustrating issue with my Chimaera that’s come on only in the last couple of months.
In March, I couldn’t get into the car as the battery had gone low to the point of not being able to open the doors. I subsequently had a new battery fitted after the AA pronounced that one dead.
A few months later and after only a week of being on holiday (and with regular use before) I returned to find the car completely dead again. AA came out and managed to boost it up but clearly there is a drain issue.
This could be complete coincidence but the timings make me wonder - shortly before the first flat battery in March, it had been to a specialist who fitted a relay to the immobiliser, to address an occasional “hot starting issue”.
Bear in mind I’ve owned the car since October and had no issues with the battery until then. Pretty much since and oddly with the car getting much more use , it’s ran two batteries completely flat. I could be way off here but could it be related to the extra relay fitted?
The AA have managed to boost it up and now it’s sat on trickle charge to hopefully hold. When opening the doors, randomly the hazard lights have come on.
Think next step I think will be to have an auto electrician out, any places you would suggest to start looking?
Thanks, Alex
In March, I couldn’t get into the car as the battery had gone low to the point of not being able to open the doors. I subsequently had a new battery fitted after the AA pronounced that one dead.
A few months later and after only a week of being on holiday (and with regular use before) I returned to find the car completely dead again. AA came out and managed to boost it up but clearly there is a drain issue.
This could be complete coincidence but the timings make me wonder - shortly before the first flat battery in March, it had been to a specialist who fitted a relay to the immobiliser, to address an occasional “hot starting issue”.
Bear in mind I’ve owned the car since October and had no issues with the battery until then. Pretty much since and oddly with the car getting much more use , it’s ran two batteries completely flat. I could be way off here but could it be related to the extra relay fitted?
The AA have managed to boost it up and now it’s sat on trickle charge to hopefully hold. When opening the doors, randomly the hazard lights have come on.
Think next step I think will be to have an auto electrician out, any places you would suggest to start looking?
Thanks, Alex
Have you tried grabbing hold of the relays down by battery without the key in the into see if any of them are warm?
The commonest problem is one of the 2 fuel/ ECU relays being replaced with the wrong type. The AA replaced one on my '95 Chimaera back in 2002, and it flattened the battery. The wrong type (single or double pole, you'd need to check which, I'm not sure) provide a current path through to the O2 sensor heaters when re-energised.
The commonest problem is one of the 2 fuel/ ECU relays being replaced with the wrong type. The AA replaced one on my '95 Chimaera back in 2002, and it flattened the battery. The wrong type (single or double pole, you'd need to check which, I'm not sure) provide a current path through to the O2 sensor heaters when re-energised.
Definitely worth feeling for a warm relay - I had one that was a hot start kit that had been wired incorrectly by the previous owner. It was constantly energised, and meant I had a 10 day window of battery power.
I eventually rewired the starter circuits, and changed that relay out for a bigger better one, and wired it correctly, and now I can leave my car without being on charge at all. I tend to drive it once a week, but not always.
The other known culprit is the interior light delay relay on the fuseboard, it fails and drains the battery. If you still have this fitted, you could try the short on that circuit:
https://www.bertram-hill.com/courtesy-light.html
I eventually rewired the starter circuits, and changed that relay out for a bigger better one, and wired it correctly, and now I can leave my car without being on charge at all. I tend to drive it once a week, but not always.
The other known culprit is the interior light delay relay on the fuseboard, it fails and drains the battery. If you still have this fitted, you could try the short on that circuit:
https://www.bertram-hill.com/courtesy-light.html
Guys, thanks so much for the helpful responses, as always.
I’ve looked in the footwell area as suggested, straight away picking up on this item which feels hot.
It looks relatively new compared to the other wiring down there so perhaps this is the relay the specialist fitted?
Forgive my lack of electrical knowledge - if I want to stop this causing a problem, what do I do with it?
Remove it, if you hear it click its energised when it should not be. See if the car starts with it removed to narrow down what it does.
It may be the world famous hot start mod but wired incorrectly, some specialist they were!
I would leave it out until corrected, if you do need to use the car just plug it back in.
It may be the world famous hot start mod but wired incorrectly, some specialist they were!
I would leave it out until corrected, if you do need to use the car just plug it back in.
Seeing the wires into the back of the socket, it looks a lot like the hot start kit - with exactly the same issue I had.
The thicker black wires look like the ones taken from the loopback connector.
You can rewire this to get it right, you just need to work out which way the current is flowing with a multimeter - testing it when turning the key to crank position to see whether 12V comes into one of the socket holes.
This is the diagram that was given to me on here - in your case I suspect the two thicker black wires will be the one from crank switch, and the one to starter solenoid:
The thicker black wires look like the ones taken from the loopback connector.
You can rewire this to get it right, you just need to work out which way the current is flowing with a multimeter - testing it when turning the key to crank position to see whether 12V comes into one of the socket holes.
This is the diagram that was given to me on here - in your case I suspect the two thicker black wires will be the one from crank switch, and the one to starter solenoid:
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