Dead Battery, differing views as to why... Please help!

[Steffy]

I have a VS series II Berlina (1996),stock standard.

Last night I discovered my Battery was completely drained. About the only thing it had any power left for was the alarm to go off, since central locking didn't work and opening the door manually with the key sets the alarm off , and that was bearly auditable. Anyway my point is the battery is well, for lack of a more appropriate word... stuffed.

The parkers were on, but the lights turn off automatically when you open the door, My Husband said this was why the battery was drained. I hadn't been driven at all yesterday, not since Saturday afternoon. The last time my Battery was drained he said it was because of the lights being left in the on position. It was actually all because my alternator was stuffed. That has since been replaced. Can leaving the headlight switch on, even though the lights turn off automatically when the car is off (after the door is opened) drain the battery? I am aprehensive as I have been accused of this before and it wasn't the case.

Thanks

[accentstencil]

If the lights are off and the switch is on it should not drain your battery. Check that the boot light and the glove box light are turning off, the switch for one of these lights might be failing and leaving the light on and this will drain the battery. Another thing that could be wrong is your battery is getting old and needs replacing. How old is the battery?

[Steffy]

I got the car a year ago and it the same on that came with it. Thanks hey, My hubby cracked it at me and I argued that they turn off automatically, that was my only defense lol. My son has an obsession with the interior lights, but they were in the off position this morning, also there's a possibility my daughter didn't shut the door properly on staurday... other than that, I had no idea... I will check those lights... thanks

[accentstencil]

The battery might be the problem, take the car to an auto electrician and ask them to test the battery, it only takes a few minutes and often they won't even charge you.

[BlackVXGTS]

The other thing that can cause a current drain is if the battery in your alarm system has failed.

[moff_man]

i allways keep my lights in the on position and have not had a battery drain.

[RainArcher]

The same is happening to me now (I have a VS SS Series II). And I got accused of leaving the lights on... had a good laugh when the battery man had to eat his own words!

My alternator got stuffed due to the main fusible link blowing (well this is the theory as to why it got stuffed), now one new fusible link, one new battery and one new alternator later, I'm still getting the same problem.

I had the NRMA have a look and while the alternator is holding charge, it doesn't half of the time and the only way to get it to charge is to rev it... so you can see while on my way to work this morning I must have looked like the biggest wank having to rev the car when it was idle.

I'm lucky enough to be able to take it to an auto electrician tonight after work and he's going to diagnose it and hopefully fix it... I'm thinking when the fuse blew (and blew again before it was replaced) it fried some of the wiring but I'll find out tonight.

[fonzo]

For some reason many times ive been at work. had people come in tell me my lights are on...they go off when i open the door lock it go inside...still off...thye come in few hours later...ur lights are on..? wtf lol

[Andrew426]

I'm lucky enough to be able to take it to an auto electrician tonight after work and he's going to diagnose it and hopefully fix it... I'm thinking when the fuse blew (and blew again before it was replaced) it fried some of the wiring but I'll find out tonight.

Think about it the other way, fuses are only there to protect your wiring (and prevent the resulting fires) in case of a short, or drawing too much load. IE a fuse blowing will not fry wires, but frying/fried wires will cause a fuse to blow.

[RainArcher]

When I took it there they said that VS all the way to 2003 models have a rather sticky relay when it comes to the lights turning off automatically option. So if its stil happening then stop using that option and use them manually. Looks like everything in mine is fine but it could be the control module that is faulty and needs replacing, so while my problem was like yours to start its evolved into some epic adventure, haha.

You should get an auto electrician have a look and see whats draining the battery while the car is off.

Think about it the other way, fuses are only there to protect your wiring (and prevent the resulting fires) in case of a short, or drawing too much load. IE a fuse blowing will not fry wires, but frying/fried wires will cause a fuse to blow.

To true, should have thought about that.

[RK5TAR]

My battery did this yesterday! I hadnt driven it for a day and my lights go off when the ignition is off. Turns out it was my glovebox light was on and had totally drained the recently new racv battery. My glove box hasnt been sitting in position right to push the button in to turn it off.
My mate though has a vs and her lights were on in the driveway the other night when they normally turn off when the ca is turned off like mine does. Have passed your post onto her RainArcher. Thanks.

[Kurtp]

When I took it there they said that VS all the way to 2003 models have a rather sticky relay when it comes to the lights turning off automatically option. So if its stil happening then stop using that option and use them manually. Looks like everything in mine is fine but it could be the control module that is faulty and needs replacing, so while my problem was like yours to start its evolved into some epic adventure, haha.

You should get an auto electrician have a look and see whats draining the battery while the car is off.




To true, should have thought about that.

Mate i know that the wire from the rear of the alternator to the battery corrodes pretty badly in some commodores in age, you should check that wire, it might have had the life corroded out of it and not letting electricity through well, anyway it's just a theory.