help needed, me got a problem

[muppetsport]

had my golf booked in today for an mot and went to start it and the bloody thing wont start.

basically in the space of 2 days it has drained the battery. changed it for another one of the trusty old beige battle bus golf and it drained that within 4 tunrs of the key.

anybody got a clue why? its a b reg manual fuel injection model, not the digifant one, 1800 8v.

it used to start ok when i bought the car, have changed geabox and starter motor recently and it started fine on tuesday after a jump off a mates van then started on its own all night long.

ive just put a fivers worth of petrol in it aswell so it cant be that as its only gone down my street and back since fi put the petrol in.

im gutted as i wanted to drive it tonight and now cant get it mot'd till next wednesday. booooooo.

all help appreciated, will return favour in lager if you ever end up in a pub im in (ill be the one that looks like meatloaf in the corner drinking boddingtons)

[Blue MK2]

Alternator charging the battery?
Easy way to check this is to get it started, park up to a wall, turn the lights on full, then rev the car and see if the lights get brighter.

Or just get a multimeter on the batery once its started.

[Blue MK2]

My battery was flat like that till i added more battery water into the battery. If you do get a new battery get a halfords one (cheaper and made by Lucas). You also get 2 years garrantee or sumthing

[muppetsport]

the one ive put on to it now has been fine for the last 2 years on another car, and when i put it back on it started that car again. b reg beige 1300cl golf.

ive got a spare battery off the nova turbo thats about 6 months old, will try charging that up.

there was smoke coming off the wire that goes to the starter motor, and it almost fired once, but wouldnt actually do it.

also, electric windows have been fitted to it and they are on permanment live, i dont think that this will dfrain it all that much though as its only the light inside that switch that is activated.

damn thing, ive fixed everything on the mot fail sheet i got with the car and no it just wont start. arse. there isnt any wires loose at all inside the engine bay either.

[mpgscott]

The gtis drain on a battery is an awful lot more than the standard golf due to the higher compresion.

Mine was doing the same and got a new battery 063. get as high a capacity as poss.  Mine cost ?25 and is spot on.  I thought halfords were hellish expensive ie ?50.

So if the charging system is working (check with multimetre) then you have a duff battery, and one out a 1.3 will not do.

[muppetsport]

a mate who works as a vw mechanic is coming to look at it tonight.

ive got to say its the worst power drain ive ever known on a car if it flatterns the battery that quick.

it had a new battery on it when i bought the car and started fine, it was only after we changed the gearbox that the problems began

[mk28vpb91]

there was smoke coming off the wire that goes to the starter motor, and it almost fired once, but wouldnt actually do it.

If there is smoke coming off this wire I would be checking to make sure that the starter motor is OK.

When you try to start the engine can you hear a clicking noise coming from the starter? It would be worth cleaning up the connection between the starter motor and the power lead.

[richandhazel]

Hmmmm, problem started after changing the gearbox.........There is a big earth strap that would have had to have come off to take the gearbox off.........is that back on securely?

a mate who works as a vw mechanic is coming to look at it tonight.

ive got to say its the worst power drain ive ever known on a car if it flatterns the battery that quick.

it had a new battery on it when i bought the car and started fine, it was only after we changed the gearbox that the problems began

[Blue MK2]

yeah if you start the car with the earth strap off/missing, i was told it puts strain on something. Hence my starter motor blowing up.

Does the car have a slow but strong start?

[Hammy]

Hmmmm, problem started after changing the gearbox.........There is a big earth strap that would have had to have come off to take the gearbox off.........is that back on securely?

Top diagnosis... Yes the engine is basically mounted on rubber bushes and therefore isolated from the engines chassis.  There needs to be a solid connection from the engine to the chassis by a substantial earth link else it is going to try which ever means it can to obtain an earth (ie.. Starter motor negative lead) ..

Defintely worth checking out to see if a) its there and b) its in good condition.  I have seen some web style version that are holding on by a wing and a prayer and not worth having!

Hope you solve it soon

Paul..