Battery drain solving - found but don't know how to resolve

[Atuca]

Hey guys been a while but I am back

After this summer I was on the path to finally upgrading fuel injectors and turning up the boost, and about a week after I started planning my car stopped holding charge (and therefore DSMlink changes). It needs jumps to start so I figured it was just time for a new battery. Figures when I want to spend money on upgrades...

After testing at Kragon, it came up ok, which is not ok, because it means there is a drain somewhere. I bought a voltigemeter, and started pulling fuses.

I have a .08 drain. I havn't messed with anything eletrical for months, last thing was my car alarm in January, which I installed myself.

When I pulled the ignition fuse, the drain drops to .04 so I assumed it meant my car alarm or my turbo timer. I put in the fuse in the fuse box, than unplugged turbo timer, nothing, stayed at .08. I unplugged the fuse to my car alarm, drain drops to .05/.04 (fluctuates).




I assume my car alarm needs power when the car is off to protect it, but having a car alarm drains it. I don't think I installed it wrong, it worked for almost a full year, and I am supposed to tap into a continuous +12v ignition power line, and all conections were made with insulated butt splices crimped or sodered and shrink wrapped. The wire that is pulling power for the alarm is fused, and when I pulled just the fuse, the drain goes away. I don't know how much car alarms usually need to power themselves, but I found my problem, but don't know how to fix it.

Does the alarm need these .04 mA to operate, or do you think my alarm is pulling power because somewhere else in my alarm set up is draining power? What is confusing it that my car has been just fine for months, and now this shows up. Give me ideas and I will test them tomorrow.

 

[Atuca]

BTW my alarm is a Clifford Matrix 50.5x

Clifford - Matrix 50.5X

Should be a good product I'd assume.

 

[ccb21]

The only Idea I mite have is how new is the Batt? maybe it mite be time for a new 1? just an idea... but a .08 shouldnt bother it to much over night intill you get into it next... humm

 

[Atuca]

The battery is 2 years old I'd guess, probably put in when the new engine went in, but that was a year before I bought the car. I tested it at kragon and all is well according to them, and it is a battery from them and I am sure if it was no good they would love to sell me another one.

It holds a charge for a few days, but when I don't drive it for a 4-5 days, it looses charge to the point DSMlink forgets all its settings, so, I can't have that problem if I want to upgrade.

Any other ideas? How bout this, is .04 mA normal for a car alarm to pull?

 

[ScreamSalvation]

My GF was having a very strange cranking issue in her VW. Everything would be fine until you'd leave an inside light on for 3 minutes with the car off and then it wouldn't crank. Everything worked fine but it wouldn't crank.

Took it to several places and had the battery tested, they all said the battery showed perfectly fine. Took it to the dealership and they looked at me and go "Yea, needs a new battery." I was already angry so I just said go ahead with it, got the car back and four weeks later the issue is fixed and hasn't had any problems.


Lesson of the story: Don't always trust battery testers, I had a battery that was in my old RoadRunner that would do the same thing. Wouldn't crank the car, take it in to test it and the test would come back that it was fine. Dropped a new battery in it and would let it sit for weeks without being run and it would be fine.

Can always try a new battery, if it works it works, if it doesn't... Well you don't have to worry about a new battery for a while eh?

 

[Colt4G63 also]

.04mA or .08mA, That's nothing! Are you sure you don't mean .04A? That would be something I would expect to drain your battery in a couple days, but not .08mA.

A friend of mine had similar problem with his Walmart battery. They kept sticking up for the goodness of their battery, but a new one made all the difference in the world.

BTW, the answer is yes, .04 milliamps is fine.

 

[Atuca]

I am not 100% savy with voltagmeter, but I just set it to 10amps on the dial, and when i poke it to stuff, it reads .08. I think I was told it means mA, but maybe it is .08A

Instructions are not great, paid just 30 bucks for it. Didn't feel like dropping 100 ucks on the other ones they had at the store.