Battery getting fully drained. Need help!

[cxcxcxvcvcvc]

could it be possible for the ignition coil pack to be staying on somehow even after the key is turned off?? i.e faulty ignition switch? also the ecu could be faulty and drawing to much current, as the computer constantly draws power? i would check the simple stuff first as posted like boot/glove compartment lights ect!

 

[sganro]

kopper and VrWagz.

When i tested for current draw, i tested it with a multimeter set on amps as you have mentioned. With the multimeter connected, i opened doors/boot and turned on stereo to check current draw. With each accessory on, the current draw went up and then when the accessories were off, the current draw went back to zero, as it should. Its only once the car has been sitting for a while that something draws the current. The thing is, im generally asleep during the hours that the battery gets drained so i haven't been able to measure the current draw while its actually happening. If i can catch it in the act, then its just a matter of pulling fuses as Wagz said and finding which circuits doing it.

With regards to the battery tester, i used one of the proper testers from a holden dealership. Its test showed battery is in good condition. But as i have mentioned, i put a brand new battery in and it went flat too so its not the battery thats the problem.

Also no lights (boot/gloveboz/interior) are staying on, that has all been checked and checked again.

Diodes in alternator are all ok too, but i got the regulator changed which an auto lecky said may cause problems.

 

[DannyboyDS]

are you turning your headlights off at the switch? or are you just letting them "auto off" when you open the drivers door, a few people have mentioned a bad earth in the door switch will cause the lights to come back on and off on there own if the main switch is left on, I know my car does this.

 

[sganro]

^^^ Nah headlights are off at the switch

 

[DannyboyDS]

your alternator is providing charge? next time you start the car if you have a level 3 cluster hold set and mode on the trip computer control and it will put you in diagnostic mode, hit mode untill the volts show up, should be 14.3 - 14.4 to be perfect.

failing that start the car and connect the multi meter to the battery with the car running.

you may have allready done this, I just didn't see you mentioning it above, I may have missed it though.

 

[VrWagz1]

K, thats going to be a pain to diagnose if its intermittant. You may have to wait till you have more time to work on it. All i can suggest for the moment is to stick a wing nut on you positive terminal bolt so you can easily disconnect and reconnect the battery overnight. My money was on the alternator but you've sorta ruled that out. Like you say, your gonna have to catch it in the act. Its hard to diagnose a fault that only exists somtimes. Post up what it was though when you find it.

 

[sganro]

Dannyboy, yeah checked that the alternator is charging.

Well its gone 2 nights now without going flat. So it may have been a problem with the regulator, its hard to say at this point. I will leave the car sit all of today and overnight again and see what happens tomorrow. Fingers crossed it starts in the morning.

 

[kopper69]

Well youre checking the right things. When you did check the current draw, you used your multimeter? and you had it on the A (for amps) setting? Did you have 0.00 or do you only have one decimal place, as in 0.0?

What Im trying to ask is what is the resolution of your mulitmeter? Is it a digital multimeter?

Maybe you will just have to set your multimeter up and check it every hour for a couple of hours, or if you are happy to spend the $, grab a multimeter with a computer connection to log the measurements - or for about $120 you can get a dedicated voltage logger LASCAR | EL-USB-3 | Data Aquisition | Test Equipment | Farnell AU measuring the voltage drop over a series resistor. This would check the voltage all night and the next day you could check the results and find out how much current was being drawn and when. Or you could remove, say, 4 fuses each night and see if shes flat the next day. Just keep narrowing it down until you find the fuse that is draining the battery and look into that circuit.

I would still be a bit sus about the regulator on the alternator.

 

[sganro]

^^^, measured with a 0.00 digital multimeter.

Its gone 3 days now without showing any signs of going flat. Im not sure what this means, as nothing really has changed except the regulator on the alternator. So either that was the problem or it has just decided to stop doing it.

I suppose only time will tell...

 

[DannyboyDS]

glad to hear your issue seems to be resolved.