Battery drain problem - TriStateTuners.com :: Home of Tristate Auto Enthusiast

XAlliedYouthX · 06-06-2009, 06:07 PM

So I picked up a 240 from a guy on here and it looks like it has a parasitic draw on the battery. I drove the car home and it was fine for a few days until the first battery died. I figured it was just an old battery so I replaced it with a red top and then a few days later that battery was dead aswell.

Today I went out to the 240 with my red top nice and charged to start yanking fuses to find out what was leeching off the battery, no luck though. I pulled every single fuse and relay in all 3 fuse panels but the test light still stayed on. I did noticed that 80% of the fuses were of higher value then they were supposed to be but that's another problem.

I read that pulling the fuses should do the trick so I can track down the problem but that lead me nowhere. Is there anything else that I check to find out what the problem is?

pinacup7 · 06-06-2009, 06:32 PM

You have to get a DVOM (digital voltmeter) and hook it up in series with the battery and do an amperage draw test. Then start pulling fuses. All a test light is doing is telling you, you have power and ground

bl@ckvr4 · 06-06-2009, 07:50 PM

Did you test the alternator yet?

XAlliedYouthX · 06-06-2009, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bl@ckvr4

Did you test the alternator yet?

Not yet. I wanted to check the fuses before having to start yanking stuff out.

turbo4g63 · 06-07-2009, 03:41 PM

Probably the alternator....mine did the same thing and died on my way to work wed night

champ_6 · 07-30-2009, 05:42 AM

Did you find the problem?

99SL2_Modder · 07-30-2009, 05:59 AM

glovebox, trunk, or hood light stuck on?

ScoobyNubieToo! · 07-30-2009, 06:54 AM

Any aftermarket stereo equipment installed? A rookie mistake is to hook up an amplifier's remote wire to a source of constant power as opposed to properly connecting it to an ignition on power source. If someone did that then the amplifier will be powered all of the time, even when car is off causing battery drain.

XAlliedYouthX · 07-30-2009, 08:30 AM

I ended up fixing the problem a bit ago. When I was checking things I checked everything except for the radio. Guess what the problem ended up being? There were wires everywhere, it was a mess. I'm pretty sure there was what appeared to be some sort of grounding just wrapped around one of the screw holes in the radio cage, who knows. Not sure if that what it was but it sure looked that way.

Right now the car is in the middle of getting a motor put in so when I get it back I'm going to remove all the individual wire connectors and just redo it myself.

jpalamar · 07-30-2009, 08:38 AM

Could be the battery. If the lead plates on the bottom of it dissolved from being discharged too low, the battery could have a dead cell and not fully or charge at all.

OMGz Turbo · 07-30-2009, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpalamar

Could be the battery. If the lead plates on the bottom of it dissolved from being discharged too low, the battery could have a dead cell and not fully or charge at all.

Did you not read fully?

jpalamar · 07-30-2009, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OMGz Turbo

Did you not read fully?

I read it fully. Just because you bought a new battery, doesn't mean it wasn't killed from the origional issue that is yet to be figured out. You can just have a new battery that is bad now plus whatever the problem was that is draining it.

Honduh · 07-30-2009, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pinacup7

You have to get a DVOM (digital voltmeter) and hook it up in series with the battery and do an amperage draw test. Then start pulling fuses. All a test light is doing is telling you, you have power and ground

The amperage draw test works too, but I usually do that after I do the test light trick. If you disconnect the negative battery terminal and connect a test light between the cable and the negative terminal on the battery you shouldn't have much more than a very slight glow from the test light. If the light is fully powered up I wouldn't hook my meter up to it, since you'll be testing for millivolts, or it will pop the fuse.

OMGz Turbo · 07-31-2009, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Honduh

The amperage draw test works too, but I usually do that after I do the test light trick. If you disconnect the negative battery terminal and connect a test light between the cable and the negative terminal on the battery you shouldn't have much more than a very slight glow from the test light. If the light is fully powered up I wouldn't hook my meter up to it, since you'll be testing for millivolts, or it will pop the fuse.

luckily my meter reads up to 500 millivolts. hah

06-06-2009, 06:07 PM	#1
XAlliedYouthX Tri-State Addict Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Horsham, Pa Member #3585 My Ride: '010 GTI / '91 240sx Hatch iTrader: (1)	Battery drain problem So I picked up a 240 from a guy on here and it looks like it has a parasitic draw on the battery. I drove the car home and it was fine for a few days until the first battery died. I figured it was just an old battery so I replaced it with a red top and then a few days later that battery was dead aswell. Today I went out to the 240 with my red top nice and charged to start yanking fuses to find out what was leeching off the battery, no luck though. I pulled every single fuse and relay in all 3 fuse panels but the test light still stayed on. I did noticed that 80% of the fuses were of higher value then they were supposed to be but that's another problem. I read that pulling the fuses should do the trick so I can track down the problem but that lead me nowhere. Is there anything else that I check to find out what the problem is? __________________ Xbox 360 Gamertag: XAlliedYouthX

06-06-2009, 07:50 PM	#3
bl@ckvr4 Tri-State Post Whore Join Date: Apr 2007 Member #4236 My Ride: 1992 mitsubishi VR4 iTrader: (1)	Did you test the alternator yet? __________________ 1992 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 =:The ecstasy lasts as long as the gasoline:= 1993 Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 =:Yes. Another one.:= 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse RS =:Danger to manifold!:= 1991 Mitsubishi Galant VR-4 =:No, it's not for sale.:=

06-07-2009, 03:41 PM	#5
turbo4g63 Tri-State Post Whore Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: near west chester Member #1057 My Ride: 98' 4runner iTrader: (0)	Probably the alternator....mine did the same thing and died on my way to work wed night __________________ Bill If you guys see a possum...try to kill it, it's not a pet!

07-30-2009, 05:42 AM	#6
champ_6 Tri-State Addict Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Wind Gap, Pa Member #5551 My Ride: 2015 Subaru WRX/ Nisasan S13 Coupe iTrader: (2)	Did you find the problem? __________________ To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 signatures. \| To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 signatures. \| To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 signatures. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 signatures. <<< Get Your Performance Parts Here

07-30-2009, 06:54 AM	#8
ScoobyNubieToo! Tri-State Post Whore Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Williamstown Member #862 My Ride: WRB 2004 WRX Wagon with 07 STI Trans and Longblock inside! iTrader: (7)	Any aftermarket stereo equipment installed? A rookie mistake is to hook up an amplifier's remote wire to a source of constant power as opposed to properly connecting it to an ignition on power source. If someone did that then the amplifier will be powered all of the time, even when car is off causing battery drain. __________________ 2004 WRX WRB Wagon with 07 STI Trans and Longblock inside! See my member's journal here: To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 signatures.

06-06-2009, 06:32 PM	#2
pinacup7 Tri-State Addict Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Under a hood Member #1764 My Ride: Baaaaahd GTO iTrader: (0)	You have to get a DVOM (digital voltmeter) and hook it up in series with the battery and do an amperage draw test. Then start pulling fuses. All a test light is doing is telling you, you have power and ground

07-30-2009, 08:30 AM	#9
XAlliedYouthX Tri-State Addict Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Horsham, Pa Member #3585 My Ride: '010 GTI / '91 240sx Hatch iTrader: (1)	I ended up fixing the problem a bit ago. When I was checking things I checked everything except for the radio. Guess what the problem ended up being? There were wires everywhere, it was a mess. I'm pretty sure there was what appeared to be some sort of grounding just wrapped around one of the screw holes in the radio cage, who knows. Not sure if that what it was but it sure looked that way. Right now the car is in the middle of getting a motor put in so when I get it back I'm going to remove all the individual wire connectors and just redo it myself. __________________ Xbox 360 Gamertag: XAlliedYouthX

07-30-2009, 08:38 AM	#10
jpalamar TST Ruined My Life! Join Date: May 2009 Location: Collegeville, PA Member #13773 My Ride: 03 Corvette Z06 iTrader: (3)	Could be the battery. If the lead plates on the bottom of it dissolved from being discharged too low, the battery could have a dead cell and not fully or charge at all.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
drain plug washer....	TunedIS300	General Car Related Chat	8	03-02-2010 09:54 PM
So I Just Opened Up My T-case Drain Bolt... Oh My...	PAFirefighter11	General Car Related Chat	5	11-30-2009 07:21 PM
Might need an Oil Drain Hardline made...	TROLL	(Past Vendors)	2	02-28-2009 12:29 AM
Parasitic Drain HELPPP	240_fun	Nissan / Infiniti Talk	11	07-14-2008 06:39 PM
oil drain plug stripped need help asap	Sberk06	General Car Related Chat	15	03-09-2007 03:11 AM