battery draw

75coug · Post by **75coug** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 3:21 pm

On my car, something draws on the battery, whether the car is running or not. As a result, if I let the car sit for even as few as three days without detaching a battery cable, the battery (which is only six months old) will be dead when I next try to start it.

Do any of the rest of you have this problem?

svo413 · Post by **svo413** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 3:42 pm

Try unplugging the hood light and any trunck light if present,

75coug · Post by **75coug** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 3:45 pm

Thanks. I'll give it a shot.

dahberg · Post by **dahberg** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 5:24 pm

Hi Robert,

I have this same problem with battery drain, but it is due to an after market alarm system (poor installation or just a bad unit) installed in my McLaren. Had a guy who installs stereo's run it down and isolate the problem for me. He then cut a wire and put in a kill switch so that when the car is parked in my garage for a long period of time I can flip this switch to kill the alarm system. As it turned out it works great! Killing the alarm does not stop the battery or accesoreies from working, but it does kill the ignition and prevents the car from being started. I only use the alarm system when out away from the house to begin with and have other security measures installed while the car is in the garage, but that is another story.

This same type of drain could be coming from your stereo or a bad switch on the power door locks, power windows, trunk release or toneau cover release. These are all a PITA to track down...

75coug · Post by **75coug** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 8:37 pm

dahberg wrote:This same type of drain could be coming from your stereo or a bad switch on the power door locks, power windows, trunk release or toneau cover release. These are all a PITA to track down...

PITA, indeed. I might just be better off disconnecting one of the battery cables every time that the car is going to be sitting for more than a couple of days.

In an unrelated matter, I want to say that I never really desired a convertible before I bought this car, but I am now addicted. I would never own one for a daily driver (I would not get to use it enough, as I would never have top down during the day; overly pale people fear skin cancer), but as a weekend runabout, it's tough to beat.

dahberg · Post by **dahberg** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 9:28 pm

PITA, indeed. I might just be better off disconnecting one of the battery cables every time that the car is going to be sitting for more than a couple of days.

I did this for awhile, but this can create other problems that are a PITA. Loss of preset radio stations and control monitor date/time are always incorrect. You can pick up a quick disconnect switch for the battery at Pep Boys or your favorite discount auto store for a couple of bucks. I rarely listen to my radio (hearing the engine rumble is music to my ears

) . So the quick disconnect is not too bad, but then it would set my car alarm off each time I reconnected unless I had all the doors shut, the trunk shut and held down the hood alarm switch and imediately pressed the diabale button on my alarm remote once having connected the battery...

Good luck

75coug · Post by **75coug** » Thu Aug 04, 2005 11:10 pm

You are certainly correct about the loss of radio station presets, but I have learned to live with it. If I drove the car more often, it would make me crazy, but with its limited use, I tolerate it. My car does not have an alarm, so at least that part isn't a problem.