electricity drain

[zzzzed]

I have to take the battery leads off my z31 or the battery will be flat by morning. Is there a way i can test which circuit  the short is on? 

[Zedman240®]

Do you have an alarm fitted? Sometimes you can isolate circuits by removing fuses; pull each one out and when you re-install it, look for a small arc or sparks of electricity and that will show it is drawing current. Obviously some circuits are still active when the car is off but just check which fuse you remove.

[MaygZ]

You can achieve the same as above with a test lamp/circuit tester.

 

Have you fitted anything to the car recently?  radio? Amp? gps? something that should only run off ACC or ON but is instead running direct off battery.  Something flattening a battery overnight is quite a bit of draw unless ...

 

how old is the battery?  If more than 4-5 years old and the cold weather arriving could be enough to kill a battery, especially if it's not being used often.

[Zedsabbath]

Howdy zzzzzed

 

Firstly how old is your battery ? it might have seen better days...probably getting it load tested would be a good idea to see how well it will hold a charge

 

If your battery is in good nic then check your charge rate...it should be over 13 volts (just because the light on your dash doesn't come on while you're driving doesn't mean your charge rate is correct, it could be too low to keep the battery charged sufficiently)

 

If both the battery and charge rate are good...turn everything off and make sure the doors are closed then undo one of the battery cables from the battery, lift the cable up and then just tap it back on the battery terminal lightly...see if there is a small spark each time you tap it...this usually indicates current is being drawn from something in the car, it may be the clock, some accessory light always on...or a short circuit

 

You may have to disconnect the clock and anything else that's permanently on to locate a short circuit

 

If by this time there is no small spark at the battery terminal when you tap it with the cable, there will in all likelyhood be no short circuit

 

See how you go

 

Pete

 

 

 

 

[zzzzed]

ok for futuren referance this is what has been suggested from a motorcycle forum i am a member of

 

Do the following measurements - this will show which circuit has the problem:

 

1. Disconnect battery and measure voltage across terminals - note down voltage

2. Remove all fuses from your fuse panel

3. Reconnect your battery and measure again - note down voltage

4. Replace one fuse only at a time - note down voltage each time with reference to each fuse replaced, and then remove it for the next fuse ..

 

You likely have a short somewhere in your wiring...or your battery is screwed..

 

When there is a drop in voltage - you should note what fused circuit is doing it....like lights, heater, radio whatever

 

positive probe to positive terminal (red) black to negative terminal.

 

putting multimeter across a fuse will only measure if voltage is present - or not. - does not matter which way you connect here

 

just adding to what CX PHREAK has already said

 

Even better,

 

If your multimeter has an AMP or A setting, remove a battery terminal and connect the leads of the multimeter between the battery and the battery terminal you removed (connect the multimeter in series). This will measure the current (AMP's) being drawn from the battery.

 

You should always set your multimeter at the highest setting in the range you are measuring and once connected, then move down the ranges until you get a reading. This is especially true when measuring AMP's.

 

Now remove the fuses one at a time until the multimeter reading drops to zero and then you have found your problem circuit

 

Seagrass

[D.O.G]

This sounds similar to a problem my Nissan Nomad developed a while back.

The battery drained over a couple of idle days, when the ignition (ie: nearly everything) was turned off.

After isolating circuits while watching the ampmeter, I found it was the alternator itself causing the slow drain. A secondhand alternator fixed it cheaply.

My point is, don't only look at fused items.

[zzzzed]

yes i think i will jack the car up so i can do a inspection on all circuits tomorrow or monday

[zzzzed]

 

I did some testing today , I disconnected the alternate and the amps dropped back to .1 milliamp

also when i did a voltage check across the battery with the car running, it was reading 14.7 volts so it is overcharging. looks like the regulator is buggered and is draining power from the system .

I think ill be pulling the alternator out and getting it checked when i get some cash together, until then ill be pulling the battery lead off every night sounds like the regulatoris buggered and is draining power from the system

[pauly_adams]

13.8 to 14.7 is fine that will not be the problem i had the same issue turned out it was my battery it charged fine and metered fine but due too the cold weather at night the battery would go to crap.

[zzzzed]

it only goes flat with the leads on and this was a brand new battery about 12 months ago.

When i rang my auto electrician he seamed to think 14.7 was to much and would more than likely be a buggered diode in the alternator?

[chris240]

after a few months with the exact same problem, it was finally solved today , the culprit being a dodgey alternator 

Dimitri (Zedman) drove all the way to Canberra with his lovely wife & kids and spent an entire 30 seconds finding the problem  (I only know 2 settings on my multimeter  ) The alternator was draining approx 1/4 of an amp from the battery, which was enough to drain my battery over a week.

we disconnected the earth clamp and put a prong on the batteries earth (-) terminal and the other prong on the clamp to form a loop, then he  plugged the red prong into the 'other hole" in the multimeter, then he flicked the dial at which point I wasnt paying attention to the setting !! sorry mick 

 

whilst here Miika & myself showed him our 240's and then they continued their travels onto Sydney...have a safe trip guys, catch up again soon.

[zzzzed]

yeh mate i think i have the same problem