JonMc

iTrader: (51)

Okay, it's a long post so I'll apologise now. I've done a search and not come up with the answers yet although I have tried few of things I have found...

My battery seems to lose its charge in just under a week, which is a pain because I only use the car at weekends.

Answers to the usual questions...

Its a UK WRX MY01 Bugeye
I have no tracker, only the subaru factory alarm
Electrical mods are PSI3, change of headunit (no amps, neons, flashing strobes etc) and a set of autogauges.
Battery has been load tested by the local garage and his prognosis is that the battery is good, also checked water levels and topped up.
According to the PSI I get 14.7v out of the alternator on start up settling down to between 13.8 and 14.2 volts depending upon what car electrics are running.

I've checked the current draw today and this is what I get.

Connect the ammeter and I get approx 350-370mA which settles to about 80-90mA after 20 or so seconds.

Arm the alarm and it settles to about 50-70mA.

These readings to me are negligible.

One by one I pull the fuses and the reading stays the same until I pull the cabin one. The interior light is off, boot light disconnected and the doors and boot closed. If I remove and replace the ammeter with the cabin fuse in place the alarm chirps, if I remove the fuse it doesn't so I assume that most of the current draw is the alarm.

I've disconnect the alternator and checked the current draw to eliminate a faulty rectifier pack.

I've disconnected the autogauges, the stereo, the PSI3 and all of the gubbins in the centre console and the only difference it makes is it doesn't draw the initial 350ish mA and the settled draw is about 10mA lower, which I assume is the permanent live that feeds the clock and preset memories in the stereo and PSI3.

I am now completely baffled.

My next step is off to halfords for one of their platinum batteries as most of the problems have occured since the onset of winter, so load test aside I think the cold may have killed it. It was in the car when I bought it and I don't know it's history.

I would be grateful for any further advice or experiences that may help me sort this without paying and autoelectrician to go through everything I have already done before he starts fault finding.

T5OLF

iTrader: (4)

My battery has been fine till the last cold spell and that seemed to killed it over night. It's parked up for the winter so I only run it once a week to warm it up.

So I bought this off ebay.
eBay.co.uk: CARAVAN CAMPER ATV BATTERY TRICKLE CHARGER (item 180083554991 end time 08-Feb-07 20:36:25 GMT)

You leave it on all the time and it keeps the battery topped up.

JonMc

iTrader: (51)

Cheers for that, I've also seen that people by solar powered battery conditioners that you leave on he windscreen and plug into your cigarette lighter.

I've got a battery charger that I could leave plugged in a for a few hours before I go out but I'd rather try and sort it. After I moved house the car was left standing for about 5 weeks and started first time, so this is just plain annoying.

johnnyroper

i would say 50-70ma is normal current drain from alarm,clock and keeping radio and ecu memory.
as you said it was ok before winter and charge rate is all ok a decent battery will probably sort the problem.
i have noticed my blobeye is slower to turn over since winter started,so gonna get a decent heavy duty one before it lets me down.

JonMc

iTrader: (51)

Priced up tha calcium one in halfords, 4-year warranty and it's down to £69.99 from £86.99 at the moment. Picking one up at the weekend.

Went like a dream last night after being stood for 3 days, given the amount I've ripped out and refitted on Sunday I guess I may have inadvertantly found whatever was causing the problem, if there was one!!

johnnyroper

nice one hope it sorts out your problem

will have to get one for mine if they are reduced at the moment

JonMc

iTrader: (51)

They have the standard 50Ah one £60 with a 3 year warranty, but the calcium one is 65Ah and an extra year warranty for a tenner, so it makes sense at the mo!!

If that doesn't work, I'll just get a battery conditioner and use that instead because I can't find anything wrong.