Battery draining while stationary (v2)

[ktz]

Im blown away everyone, thanks so much for all the amazing suggestions. Feels like there is hope!

I will try and see how many of these I can try over the weekend. Did anyone have any ideas on that yellow cable that didn't have a home? Any chance if could be this that may be the culprit? Some more (better) photos below of that.


@grumpydad – will message you, thank you!

@Geoff - by belts, which belts do you mean? I checked the service logs and it appears that the alternator was replaced very recently (and since it seems to charge quite well when I drive, I had put that towards the bottom of my list), but it sounds like I maybe shouldn't rule is out just yet?

@Bob - I read another thread on here (that I think you were on as well) where the issue seemed to point towards wet weather / the door lock. I will check that as a first port of call as removing and installing the fuse for the door seemed to be a little glitchy.

@Bugjam1999 - I believe it was Fuse 5 (Dim/Dip lamps / Day running lamps 8A) that was missing. Thanks for the wiki article - i would have asked that next. I do have a multimeter, so will have a go at that this weekend. Im based in Bow (East, just off the A12).

@clifford - thanks for the note. I will have a look when I take that panel off to check the door.

@IainG - this sounds brilliant (and I get it). I have a soldering gun, but no 12v festoons kicking about. I will see if I can get to halfords and grab one this weekend to try. How long would you say it takes for the car to go into sleep mode and how would long would you say I would need to charge the battery before I tried this? (It's going to be totally flat by now).

@DW42 - I don't think I had 13.5V when I tested the battery at idle before it was replaced (which I one of the reason I replaced it), but perhaps once I charge it and drive it around a while I can get back to trying to check that. It does have a trailer hitch, I didn't even think of checking that but will do.

[whitedavidp]

Originally Posted by geoffo

Hi check your glovebox light, the boot interior light and the bonnet light (if fitted) just to make sure they are not on all the time - had this occur with an xr3 took us ages to suss.....

I second the idea of carefully checking the glove box. On my wife's 1980 244 I found that the door, even when closed and latched, was not depressing the switch far enough to turn off the lamp. I could not see it since the door was closed and I wasn't really watching. But that was the problem I "solved" it by removing the bulb.

[Bugjam1999]

Originally Posted by ktz

@Bugjam1999 - I believe it was Fuse 5 (Dim/Dip lamps / Day running lamps 8A) that was missing. Thanks for the wiki article - i would have asked that next. I do have a multimeter, so will have a go at that this weekend. Im based in Bow (East, just off the A12).

@IainG - this sounds brilliant (and I get it). I have a soldering gun, but no 12v festoons kicking about. I will see if I can get to halfords and grab one this weekend to try. How long would you say it takes for the car to go into sleep mode and how would long would you say I would need to charge the battery before I tried this? (It's going to be totally flat by now).

If you have a multimeter, you won’t need a 12v bulb - Iain’s suggestion is the same as mine but using a bulb in the absence of a multimeter.

You’ll need to charge the battery overnight on a charger ideally. I presume you have one- take the battery out of the car and bring it into the house if you don’t have a garage.

Your car has a mechanical fuel injection system called kjet, as a result it doesn’t have any onboard computers to go to sleep, so no need to wait.

Note- make sure whilst you’re conducting your tests that the overhead light that will be switched on by opening the door is switched off using the switch on the side of it. Otherwise it’ll draw power and confuse things.

Cheers

[geoffo]

Originally Posted by whitedavidp

I second the idea of carefully checking the glove box. On my wife's 1980 244 I found that the door, even when closed and latched, was not depressing the switch far enough to turn off the lamp. I could not see it since the door was closed and I wasn't really watching. But that was the problem I "solved" it by removing the bulb.

Haha that’s what I do as standard on all my classics

[geoffo]

I guess best to find the ‘leak’ first- I just replace serviceable items anyway when I’m restoring a 240 starting with the electrical system (plugs points rotor arm leads etc) then fuel system (filter injector seals etc) then drive belts (plenty of posts on here about matched belts etc). Then after all that work I just park it up and never go anywhere

[ktz]

A quick update, the saga continues!

I charged my battery for about 6 hours on slow, it's giving a healthy reading now so I installed it and (attempted to finish the circuit through the negative battery terminal as suggested so I could start testing the fuses. The off thing was that there didn't seem to be an amps pulling (at all).

I'm baffled really...there must be something going on here, so perhaps it's my multimeter or more likely, the way I have connected it.

I've taken a photo below – does anyone see where I may have gone wrong?

I attached the red cable to the AMP plug and the black to COM, the put the meter on the AMP section starting with 10ams and then gradually trying all, but all read 0.00.

I'm hoping it's my multimeter! any ideas?

[IainG]

Hi
Sometimes the meter has a fuse on the Amps part of the meter.,yours says it does. Very easy to blow without realising it.
I think you have the meter switched to mA so the red probe has to connect in the other red connection on the meter. I think the connection you are using is for the 10A scale only.

Probably better starting with the 10A scale just in case(Think it says it is fused on the meter front). You can test the fuse/10 Amp scale just put a bulb in series with the meter and the battery. When the reading is confirmed low enough switch the probe and drop down the scale.

I like using a bulb because if there is a high current nothing blows. On a meter if you suddenly get a high currant it can blow the meter or the fuse if it has one.

Iain

[SwissXC90]

Always use the multimeter on the 10A scale first so the you don’t damage the meter

Why? If you have a 5A draw on a 10A scale, you won’t damage anything
But 5A on a 0.2A scale could blow the meter fuse or damage it

[grumpydad]

Hi
you must have a draw milly amps
the ecu and the clock they will draw even with the ignition switch off
so it can only be one of two things
the meter is hooked up wrong or its broken
so switch to volts 20 dc put on battery 12 volts all good not meter
that will prove its you not the meter
sorry if that sounds harsh