help battery going flat

sleeper Wolfsburg Wizard

478 posts · joined May 2003 · 18 Jan 2004, 11:42 pm

#130743

ok...
am having some trouble with my battery going flat in the oval....
12v conversion....
have a stereo....
battery has gone flat a few times and charged it a few times...about 9 month old....
haven't used the stereo since last charge so wouldn't make it go flat....have driven to the sunny coast twice last week (800 k) so i thought the battery would be charged quite well as i haven't used any electricals apart from headlights at night coming from work (15 min trip every nights)
but today had to push start it 🙁 after coming back from sunny coast.
i drove it tonight and the lights are deeming at idle and when reving up the get brighter, have tested the battery and readins is over 12v....anyone got an idea????????????
help !!!! it's driving me nuts...???!!!!!!

count Casual Dubber

48 posts · joined Jan 2004 · 19 Jan 2004, 6:19 am

#130761

sleeper wrote:ok...
am having some trouble with my battery going flat in the oval....
12v conversion....
have a stereo....

help !!!! it's driving me nuts...???!!!!!!

What was the conversion?
Do you have a Multimeter available?
One with 20Amp facility............:thumb

Are you getting 13.8-14.2 [or 14.4] Volts when the motor is running?
If it's only 12.? Volts the Battery is NOT charging,
let alone when you have load.
Now if the Votlage output is ok;
it might be continual current leakage.
Pull ALL the fusas and check if there is any current leak.
You'll have to lift one of the terminals off of the Battery.
Place the Test leads into the correct receptical on the MultiMeter
and have it on the correct Current setting.
Make sure ALL the fuses are pulled and the lead to the Starter Motor;
else you'll blow the MultiMeter Fuse or worse, you'll fry it🙁
You should now have NO current.
If you have current, you have an unfused
feed somewhere.
If you have NO current with the fuses pulled;
Replace one fuse at a time and check the current.
Maybe something is on when the Ignition is off.

Try this for starters.

Ivan in Oz
1976 Beetle 1600
Mitsubishi Delicious 2.8TDi 4X4
MotoGuzzi
You're only Young once,
You can be immature forever.

vw54 Administrator Always Waiting 4 Friday

16,723 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 19 Jan 2004, 7:13 am

#130769

I think you need to find a good Auto Electrician. Yes it should be well n truly charged with the drives to Qld

I read it on FACEBOOK so it must be true

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=91278&page=1#pid848630

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=63561&page=1#pid624099

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=4832&page=1#pid452603

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=60650&page=1#pid574409

Sky Officially Full-On Dubber

251 posts · joined Sep 2003 · 19 Jan 2004, 8:43 am

#130785

I dunno if this is the case but

My battery was going flat every 9 days, Turned out to be a continual drain from the horn wire.

graham Commited Dubber

74 posts · joined Apr 2003 · 19 Jan 2004, 11:18 pm

#131102

sleeper,
sky had the same trouble with his beetle. If you want to give me a ring (07)3287 5642 I'll talk you through it or bring the car over and I'll tell you what the problem is. Sky had a constant drain through the horn wire and was making his battery go flat. Your better finding the problem first before you go to a auto elec as this cuts your cost dramatically as they don't have to search for it.
graham

extreme dubber

sleeper Wolfsburg Wizard

478 posts · joined May 2003 · 20 Jan 2004, 9:51 am

#131185

hi graham,
i will give you a ring and come up your way....(re: motors)
cheers.
D: )

sleeper Wolfsburg Wizard

478 posts · joined May 2003 · 20 Jan 2004, 6:14 pm

#131400

have been scratching my head all day....
reading on the battery is 12.86v....have letf the multimeter on the battery all day (in the car, as is...) and hasn't changed...12.86....
meaning that nothing is drawing curent out ....i think it would be the battery not holding the charge : (
i'll look into it more deeply.....🙁

VolksFolks Son of Jim - Creator of Good

2,869 posts · joined Dec 2003 · 20 Jan 2004, 6:20 pm

#131403

Why Not Try Another Battery To Eliminate The Problem, I Have A 1999 Passat And The Battery Was Flat, I Recharged It, Fine For Ten Mins, Then Flat Again, Tried Another Batter Of A Type 3,Worked Great And It Is Still On The Car Still Working Fine, Incidently The Old Battery Still Holds 12 Volt, Its Not The Voltage Its The Amps That Count.

Andy

They laugh because You are different, You laugh because They are all the same.

check out www.lowlight.com.au for low lights only..

sand kombi Officially Full-On Dubber

345 posts · joined Feb 2003 · 20 Jan 2004, 8:43 pm

#131479

does your stereo back light stay on when you turn off the ignition, if so you are still using power, I had the same problem with the stereo I put in the kombi a few years ago. Took it to a auto elect. and they tested it and found the back light was using the around the same amount of power as if you left the ignition on. I wired it up to a toggle switch so teh radio can be used without the keys being in the ignition

MIKE.
VW'S DON'T LEAK OIL, THEY JUST LEAVE THEIR MARK !!!

sleeper Wolfsburg Wizard

478 posts · joined May 2003 · 20 Jan 2004, 9:35 pm

#131514

volksfolks,
do you know what the normal amps should be? might be written on the battery,i will have a look.
sand combi,
have tested the stereo...nothing is draining the battery.....
looks like a dead battery🙁

VolksFolks Son of Jim - Creator of Good

2,869 posts · joined Dec 2003 · 20 Jan 2004, 9:52 pm

#131530

My Old Battery Is A 340amp, Quite Large As It Needs To Run A Lot Of Extra Electrics, Windows Etc, It Is Only Kicking Out 50 Amps Now Indicating That It Has A Cracked Cell Internally, Your Bug Should Be Fine On A 120amp Battery As All It Has To Run Is Minimal Things, Look At This Link And Have A Read For Yourself,

http://uuhome.de/william.darden/carfaq5.htm#ok

Andy

They laugh because You are different, You laugh because They are all the same.

check out www.lowlight.com.au for low lights only..

count Casual Dubber

48 posts · joined Jan 2004 · 21 Jan 2004, 2:28 pm

#131763

sleeper wrote:have been scratching my head all day....
reading on the battery is 12.86v....

i'll look into it more deeply.....🙁

Try Checking the Battrey Voltage when the car is running,
Then when it is running
AND
a LOAD, eg High Beam, Spotties AND the Horn; etc.

Watch the Voltage reading:alien

Ivan in Oz
1976 Beetle 1600
Mitsubishi Delicious 2.8TDi 4X4
MotoGuzzi
You're only Young once,
You can be immature forever.

Grey 57 Old Grey Cruiser

2,937 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 21 Jan 2004, 4:07 pm

#131795

Check your regulator. I had the same problem with the battery going flat after a few hours with lights on. Turned out to be the brand new brazilian regulator I had fitted when I replaced the generator. The dash light was off or glowed ever so slightly sometimes. You should be getting 14volts at the regulator terminals with motor running.
Replaced mine with a solid state type. Fixed it up perfect.

sleeper Wolfsburg Wizard

478 posts · joined May 2003 · 22 Jan 2004, 11:21 pm

#132298

well....
so far the battery hasnt dried up ...yet, and i have been driving a lot to the sunny coast, spent the last two days driving around and everything
grey57 i will check that
i think that i may found the source of the problem, one of my indicators wasn't grounded proply, so i fixed that
and one of my semaphores, the black wire was touching the body...so fixed that as well.
i will get the voltmeter out tomorro.....
again😉

vw54 Administrator Always Waiting 4 Friday

16,723 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 23 Jan 2004, 6:50 am

#132328

If the batteries only 9 months old from brand new ... you may have gotten a Dud...

Have you checked all your terminal connections and lubricated them with some Vasso, check the main connections on the genny and ignition switch n regulator.

Other than that get the battery out with a load cell at the Auto Elect or Battery place

I read it on FACEBOOK so it must be true

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=91278&page=1#pid848630

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=63561&page=1#pid624099

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=4832&page=1#pid452603

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=60650&page=1#pid574409