HEELLLP!!!! Battery keeps flattening!

[cupra!]

I have now bought 2 batterys for my car and they keep going totatly flat and not sure why? All the lights were turned off and the alternator has been checked by the AA and was sending charge to the battery, but i went to France for 3 days come back and the thing wont even light up the dash or interior light.

I did fit some HID bulbs and not sure if this would affect the battery or why the battery is always being draind if left for a few days. Can anyone help as i need to get the car moved of the main road by tonight.

 

[Fl@pper]

3 causes

dodgy battery - tried 2 though so really bad luck if it is

not charging - tested

drainage - test car for current usage and see if it's draining it that way

must be something fairly hefty if its flat over 3 days

 

[cupra!]

Cheers Fl@pper.

You also answerd a question in my HId convertion. Do you think the 2 could be linked? as i havent disconected the yellow wire to the resistore. could that drain the battery?

Thanks again dude!

 

[Fl@pper]

theoretically it shouldnt drain it as it is only supplied with power when the headlamps + ignition is on but first do a check over the obvious permanent live stuff - boot lamp - door pin switches - stereo - hazards

ideally you want a multimeter that will test amps inline with the battery and the positive lead and with everything off and closed of course check the current draw. Couldn't rememeber what standard current draw is for the ibiza but googled it quick for an average on most cars.

0-14mA.....normal
15-29mA.....above normal. this will more than likely cause the battery to fail prematurely
30 or more.....this battery will be dead in 24-48hours if left untreated.

if you need what an ibiza is let me know as mine's stored with battery disconnected so i can test it easy enough

 

[cupra!]

Thanks for this mate, thinking about it, my Sub is not working which has a built in amp. The live wire is still conected to the battery but the sub dosent work. Would a blown fuse in the sub/amp be contender to drain the battery? sorry if this sounds stupid.

 

[M1KEH]

Sounds alot like your amp wiring could have rubbed through and be shorting. Disconnect in from the battery.

 

[abhardwaj1990]

Our Polo battery kept dying, replaced the battery and works fine now,

you may just be unlucky with the replacement batteries....

 

[Cupra Kid]

Sounds alot like your amp wiring could have rubbed through and be shorting. Disconnect in from the battery.

Very possible all the current could be going into the shell of the car somewhere

 

[Tangerine_Dream]

If the amp wiring had rubbed through and was shorting, then the inline fuse would blow, thats what it is there for, to protect the wire running through the car.

 

[critch4]

I had a problem with the electrics on my 1litre aaages ago (flat battery and not charging), i changed the battery/alternator etc which did nothing, so i took it to an auto electrician, i cant remember exactly what it was but it was something to do with the wiring from the alternator to the battery, he said its quite a common fault on mk2's??? it was fine after he sorted it, so it could be something like this...

 

[richypanic]

Could it simply be a dud alternator? If its not working then the battery will simply run out...

 

[surcalation]

Did you ever sort this

Seems like I have a similar problem.

Ever since the back end of last year I have been jump starting my car to get it to go anywhere and then it's been fine as long as I use it once every 10-14 hrs. However if I left it longer it would need a jump. So a couple of weeks ago I finally decided to replace the battery to see if that would fix it as the battery has been on it for years and years now. Fitted new battery and all was fine and dandy. Then didnt drive it for 3 days over half term and next thing you know it's even deader then it had been before. I jumped it the other night thinking it was just due to short journeys. So I went to the curry house placed an order thought best start the car just in case and it had died! So had to be jumped in order to get my curry home.

So I have just left it on the drive ever since.

This follows on me thinking my head gasket was on it's way out but it just turns out it needed a new thermostat. Why is it one problem just seems to knock on to another