Battery keeps going flat

[jimbo4861]

Hi everyone

my battery lasts approx nine days then its flat , i have replaced the battery and it its charging ok any ideas what might be draining it??

Jimbo

 

[Analog]

dynamo or i'm guessing alternator?

it might not be getting enough charge?

 

[KateLovesPurple]

Could be any number of things, alarm, lights, stereo. Do you have a leisure battery as well? If so, how is it connected? I had a towsure auto sensing split charge thing that went faulty which when the leisure battery went flat (it was a bad battery and wouldn't hold a charge) it allowed the main battery to drain through the towsure device and go flat too!

 

[sparkywig]

Mine used to go flat until I put a switch in the stereo feed. Modern head units are still "on" with the fascia removed.

 

[montypsx]

dont laugh at this its true ............ wiper motor, yes a worn wiper motor, i know an old chap who comes to the place i work and he worked on all the vw range from early 60's to the early eightys and said that if you get a battery that keeps discharging 9 out 10 times its the wiper motor. disconnect the live feed and see what happens. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[Rhodes4130]

Just a thought is your generator light on when first start up?
As when I first brought my van it never lit up I knew no different tho
But after a week it wouldnt start charge n checked Batery and all was fine
Then I found a cable through tinwear which was disconnected :?
I connected it up the geny light came on at start up and battery never went flat again

 

[six]

have you put a multimeter inline with the ignition off to see if there is a draw is? also when charging do you get the 14+ volts out ofthe dynamo?

 

[Tim S]

Leisure battery + knackered split charge relay will do it too.

 

[jonboylaw]

have you put a multimeter inline with the ignition off to see if there is a draw is? also when charging do you get the 14+ volts out ofthe dynamo?

Just to be explicit, disconnect the +ve lead from the battery terminal, connect the +ve of the multimeter (in ammeter mode) to the battery and the -ve to the cable and see if there is any current flowing with the ignition off. If it is drawing current then take out one fuse at a time until you have no flow. Note which fuse it was and check all loads on that circuit. If there is still current flowing with all the fuses out then you need to check the wiring from the battery through to the ignition and fuse box.
My money is on a Stereo/alarm or internal light (dash light) being the culprit.

 

[jimbo4861]

cheers guys

gonna get a ammeter and check asap, my dash light does light up, and drain was befor i fitted new stereo too i let you all know when i find the problem

Jimbo

 

[Jimbly]

It won't solve your draw issues but I fitted a couple of these, one on main and one on aux battery to isolate the lot when it's parked up. It's also a useful anti-theft tool...

i did away with the small lead, as the idea was total electrical isolation.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Discarnect-immobiliser-battery-master-switch/dp/B0019ULCPW" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[jimbo4861]

the plot thickens

after my first post my red light never came on whilst the engine was running, then last week end coming back from the coast, the red light came on while doing 60mph on the A12, panic i thought my fan belt had snapped, but it had not, so when i returned got out the trusty Haynes manual and checked voltage at regulator........ f**k all, checked the dynamo f**k all there either, so i had to remove the dynamo and replace it!! thought it be a 30min job... NO more like a engine strip :x

hopefully this was the problem with my battery going flat? i keep you posted

see pics of my handy strip down job