It's draining

[tisme]

Morning all I have a 1990 8v digi golf gti, my battery goes flat in about 5-6 day from fully charged I've replaced the alternater, battery and the main live from the battery to starter motor as mine was looking old and crusty, when it's started iput a multi meter across the battery it's putting out 13.5 volts with full lights on and everything else it's steady at 13.2 volts. I've done a search on here and thus disconnected my boot light, glove compartment light... The only suspect thing is when the front fogs are connected and turnt on it blows the fuse instantly so I've left them disconnected too.. Any ideas welcome

Thanks T 

[X4MGS]

I have the same issue but mine goes flat in a couple of days...

After doing lots of research on this and other forums the most common fault's are down to the following...

1, Old alarm's and the wiring of them...
2, Old Stereo head units...
3, Other dodgey wiring...

I have put on a new batterey and checked the alternator and it cahrges at 14.5V which is correct..

I am having the alarm ripped out next week and a new one fitted, the guy who is doing it is gonna check for other drains whils he fits it and then we should find out what it is... You can check the drain by using a voltmeter on the Ohms setting's and pull fuses to see if you can source the drain...

Read this thread from the S2 forum...

http://www.s2forum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=42491

I will report back after I have had the alarm changed...

HTH

[Ben Lessani]

http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=105631.0

[tisme]

Thanks guys, I can read the link to the s forum cos
it needs me to log in ... So can anybody explain how
I check for draining using a multi meter on
ohms setting please? ie what I should have it set on and what should be connected disconnected etc.
Thank you for your help so far...... I hate electrics

[mattkh]

Hi
I want one day to do this on my car. So far I realised that a multimeter is not the thing to use.
Apparetly use a spare 12v bulb and connect it between the negative terminal and earth, so all current going thru the battery will go through this bulb. So, if your battery is draining, the bulb will light up.
Then, take out one fuse at a time. The fuse that makes the bulb go off is the circuit draining the battery.

[tony_ack]

I've replaced the alternater, battery and the main live from the battery to starter motor as mine was looking old and crusty
 

When you did this, you cleaned up all the contacts on the starter motor, right?

[tisme]

I've replaced the alternater, battery and the main live from the battery to starter motor as mine was looking old and crusty
 

When you did this, you cleaned up all the contacts on the starter motor, right?

oh right interesting about the bulb I'll try that out tomorrow and report back.. Sounds simple enough just hope it shows something up.

And yeah I cleaned up all the connections on starter
thanks again
anyother ideas welcome
thanks

[Ben Lessani]

So can anybody explain how I check for draining using a multi meter

http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=105631.0

So far I realised that a multimeter is not the thing to use.

A little wrong, http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=105631.0

[tisme]

Thanks ben but your links are all the same, I used the search function before posting but it takes an age to go through them all and most are not applicable... I just need to
know what to set the multi meter at and should I
then start pulling fuses will the reading go
up or down? I'm getting all confused now

[X4MGS]

I got to the bottom of what was causing my battery to go flat...

It was my Stereo Head unit....

I had to take it back to Halfrauds as the front unit locking mech had bust.. the week the unit was away the car didn't turn a wheel and the battery didn't go flat....

So I decided to re-look at all the wiring for the unit and the only thing I could find that was wrong was the I had wired the head units two power wires together and connected them to the cars original power supply which is not switched and is on permanently... (The unit needed a switched & a permanent supply).

So I rewired it and connected the switched power to a switched supply from the heated rear window switch...

BINGO... Battery does not go flat overnight anymore...

After talking to a mechanic mate of mine he said that he had heard that sometimes head units can do funny things and drain the battery when you join both supplies together... Dunno why but its cured my problem and saved me having a new alarm fitted....