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Never all the way off Posted by Ari [Email]  (#2847) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Ari) on Mon, 14 May 2007 09:35:50
In Reply to: Slow Electrical Leak, tom, Sun, 13 May 2007 08:59:09 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Even when the key is in the off position, and out of the car and in your pocket, there is a small residual current. This drives both the radio memory and the clock, along with the alarm (if installed), any remote locking/unlocking, and a few other things. A typical quiescent current draw with everything off and quiet is about 35 milliamps. You need to wait at least a minute to see the quiescent current. There are things that turn off after a while, like dome lights, etc.
So 35 milliamps is about right. You're talking 1/8 amp, which is 125 milliamps, or four times the normal.
However - is this the same battery since you bought it? If so, the problem is the battery. A good battery can go many weeks at even 125 ma draw. But as you've said, this battery has gone flat a few times. Car batteries aren't designed to be completely discharged. Every time you completely discharge (or even almost completely) a car battery, it loses life - namely, it gives up charge faster. Actually, it just doesn't take as much charge - it's like going from a D cell to a AA - you still get voltage, but don't ask for tons of current.
So every time you've completely discharged the battery, the faster it will lose charge, even if it seem fully charged. I'll bet you could charge the battery, disconnect it, and walk away for three days, and it would be unable to start the car.
Step 1 - start and run the car, and stick a voltmeter on the battery. Rev the engine to about 2K rpm - you should see a voltage in the solid mid-13 volt range. That shows the alternator is working. If not, the alternator fix wasn't so good.
Step 2 - Replace the battery. It's been abused. Abused batteries aren't good to rely on. If you want to be totally sure, drive the car to a shop and have the load test it. I'll bet it fails.
posted by 192.249....
, Mon, 14 May 2007 09:35:50 <-- Viewing This Message
, Sun, 13 May 2007 12:50:39, Sun, 13 May 2007 21:42:57, Sun, 13 May 2007 10:32:24
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