Battery running flat.

[Johnnynz]

Having an issue with the battery running flat on my 1998 WRX if I leave it to sit for in excess of 6 hours the battery drains so low it cant start again.

I think I have eliminated the obvious,

All lights off,

Alternator is working (battery charges as I travel)

Not the Headunit as I turned it off manualy and it still drained.

Disconnected Sub, Still drained

Disconnected battery all together = No drain.

I had considered maybe my Turbo timer was shutting the engine down but leaving some form of electrics on has it has been playing up a bit lately. Is this possible?

Any other things I should be checking before I call an auto sparkie?

[NotAWhiteGTB]

Your battery probabily has dead cells in it. Go past any old shop that sells batteries and they can test it for you 9 times out of 10.

Bottom line, your battery most likely needs replacing because it wont hold charge.

[gazzy2000]

you need to check for a 'draw off'..

http://www.wikihow.com/Find-a-Parasitic-Battery-Drain

or

http://www.aa1car.com/library/battery_runs_down.htm

a simple way to check if there is a draw off is to disconnect the positve cable, then lightly touch it on the positve batt terminal, if there is a sizeable arc/spark, that is an indication there is a draw (obviously everything should be off for this test or you WILL get a spark) the arc in normal conditions (no draw) should be rather small and un-obvious. this is a very basic 'at home' test.

while you have a multimeter.. check that the alternater is charging 14volts + or -

[albaru]

As a general rule of thumb - if the battery is 5yo+, suspect that the battery storage capacity has died.

[DRFVDR]

+1 on the battery being stuffed,

Turbo timer could be doing it as this is what was the issue in my RX, unplug it and see if the drain stops (do the + battery terminal spark test)

also could be the alarm

[Guest]

If your battery has caps you can remove you can get a rejuvenator for it

all depends if its a maintenance free battery or not though as if is maintenance free you will only have a charge sight on top

Green means charged

Black means recharge

Let us know how you get on as I know of a car that is having the same problem every so often and it would be good to it fixed as well

[Johnnynz]

Cheers guys appreciate the advice.

If it is the battery not holding charge will removing the terminal at night stop it losing charge?

[NotAWhiteGTB]

 Johnnynz said:

Cheers guys appreciate the advice.

If it is the battery not holding charge will removing the terminal at night stop it losing charge?

Sorry dude, if its not holding charge it will do it even if its sitting with nothing hooked up to it. The only thing that may help it is checking the water in it, and remember you only top it up with DISTILLED WATER only and you may have luck. Some batteries also have see through ports on them that have a colour indicator in them that you can use to assess the condition of your battery.

[gazzy2000]

 Johnnynz said:

Cheers guys appreciate the advice.

If it is the battery not holding charge will removing the terminal at night stop it losing charge?

Maybe for a start just take it to an auto sparky and ask to have the battery tested, they prolly will test the charging as well.. wont cost feck all for that (if anything) then you can make a decision on what to do after that i.e. new batt, draw off test etc

[Johnnynz]

Took the terminal off last night and it held charge all night (in excess of 13 hours) where as when I left it hooked up for an hour yesterday it dropped about 1.5 volts (according to in car Lamcos)

I will get it Battery tested to Eliminate that for sure then go forward.

There is a very small spark when I do a check for a parasitic drain, so maybe onto a winner there.

But as I say I will get the battery checked Monday and keep the thread updated.

Cheers guys

[gazzy2000]

good man..

as stated on another thread.. from factory EJ20 engines require 530cca (Cold Cranking Amps)

So check your current batt is close to that, and if you end up getting a new one make sure it is 530cca and maybe pay a little extra for maintenance free one if you can. PLUS its a good time to clean up your battery terminals with a file. ;D

CCA are rated at/for Zero degrees

CCA info here - http://www.autobatteries.com/basics/selecting.asp

FYI - i am running a 330cca battery ATM and plan on getting the right one before winter.

[Guest Freak Boy]

 gazzy2000 said:

good man..

as stated on another thread.. from factory EJ20 engines require 530cca (Cold Cranking Amps)

So check your current batt is close to that, and if you end up getting a new one make sure it is 530cca and maybe pay a little extra for maintenance free one if you can. PLUS its a good time to clean up your battery terminals with a file. ;D

CCA are rated at/for Zero degrees

CCA info here - http://www.autobatteries.com/basics/selecting.asp

FYI - i am running a 330cca battery ATM and plan on getting the right one before winter.

would have thought 440cca would be ok unless you running amps and subs then would go for something heavy duty

[Guest]

 gazzy2000 said:

good man..

as stated on another thread.. from factory EJ20 engines require 530cca (Cold Cranking Amps)

So check your current batt is close to that, and if you end up getting a new one make sure it is 530cca and maybe pay a little extra for maintenance free one if you can. PLUS its a good time to clean up your battery terminals with a file. ;D

CCA are rated at/for Zero degrees

CCA info here - http://www.autobatteries.com/basics/selecting.asp

FYI - i am running a 330cca battery ATM and plan on getting the right one before winter.

for a turbo subaru- its only a 2 litre 4 cyl obviously and low compression it shouldnt need much.

[gazzy2000]

CS thread here: http://www.clubsub.org.nz/forum/index.php/topic,18289.0.html

Century batts say 530cca for imported legacy's

Excide says 460cca - for imported legacy's

[Guest]

Sorry to thread jack

I have a BC5 at my place that is doing the same thing

I had the battery tested and its fine

I checked it is charging in the car which it is

I have checked all other possible things I can think of so far

Any one else got a idea on what it could be?

[DRFVDR]

did u do the spark test ???

how did u check the battery ?

does the car have a turbo timer

does it have an alarm

[Guest]

 DRFVDR said:

did u do the spark test ???

how did u check the battery ?

does the car have a turbo timer

does it have an alarm

It has a alarm (disconnected it)

Its has a turbo timer (disconnected it)

The battery was load tested at a battery place in Christchurch

Its charging at 14.2 volts

I stuck another battery in over night and now its starting fine

I will hook every thing back up and see if it drains

[ODB]

Is there anything connected directly to the battery? Stereo?

[DRFVDR]

A real easy battery check is to put a volt metre across it and crank the starter (heavy draw) if it drops below 10 volts then battery stuffed

[Johnnynz]

Alrighty resolution for mine was I took the turbo timer out and replaced it with a spare I had sitting in my room.

Battery now seems fine... Seems my turbo timer was having a cry in some way shape or form so I binned it.

I also replaced my battery today as the old one was pretty old and I think maybe getting a bit tired. I will chuck the old WRX Battery into the Mrs. little runabout, should be fine there for a while to come.

[Dv8er - FSTWRX]

What brand was the Turbo Timer? My mother had the same issue in her wagon and I tracked it down to the turbo timer as well. Was the tiny one's supercheap use to sell a few years ago, a knock off of these http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Motors/Car-parts-accessories/Performance/Turbos/auction-353473514.htm

[Johnnynz]

Nah wasn't that one, was a very old looking one, no brand on it.

My guess is it wasnt shutting off the electrics fully in some way. Its my best answer to it.

[Joker]

hmm may have to look into this for mine...

[Dv8er - FSTWRX]

Yea that's what my problem was. Caught it flicking on and off. Only appeared to be the dash lights coming on but ran it flat in about 3 hours on a near new battery in a 3.2ltr TD Terrano, be lucky if the headlights would run it that flat as quickly.

[DRFVDR]

yup i have had this issue with multiple vehicles and multiple Turbotimers,seems that after a time the internal relays stick closed causing a draw on batteries the only turbo timer that i have not had an issue with is one made my Anything Electronic who are based in Nelson