lewic
Ex. Club Member
Something seems to be draining the battery, and I'm wondering how to check what is doing it? When I got the car less than a year ago the battery was knackered so I bought a new one and everything seemed OK for months.
However I'm now doing more short runs in the dark with the lights and heating on, and the battery is often dead if I leave the car for more than one night. Last weekend I drove 30 miles in the daylight without heating or stereo, then I didnt drive it for a week and it was as dead as a doornail yesterday. Have bought a jump-start box which has saved me being blacklisted by the AA, but would like to find what is causing the problem.
There are a couple of small lights on all the time - one flashing on the stereo, and another under the dashboard above the pedals, and I'm wondering if its one of these which is draining the battery. There used to be an alarm on the car (its still there but doesnt work), and there is an after market immobiliser which works but I dont use. Under the dash there is a tangle of cables taped together, and a black box with Autojack written on it which I think is the immobiliser (and is next to the light which stays on).
I dont want to take it to the garage just yet (they charged £29 just to fit the stereo, and I'm skint!) so is there anything I could do to make sure everything is off when I turn the engine off? Or any simple checks I could do to find out where the power is going?
It looks like spaghetti junction under the dash to me, so I dont want to start pulling out cables either! See pics......
However I'm now doing more short runs in the dark with the lights and heating on, and the battery is often dead if I leave the car for more than one night. Last weekend I drove 30 miles in the daylight without heating or stereo, then I didnt drive it for a week and it was as dead as a doornail yesterday. Have bought a jump-start box which has saved me being blacklisted by the AA, but would like to find what is causing the problem.
There are a couple of small lights on all the time - one flashing on the stereo, and another under the dashboard above the pedals, and I'm wondering if its one of these which is draining the battery. There used to be an alarm on the car (its still there but doesnt work), and there is an after market immobiliser which works but I dont use. Under the dash there is a tangle of cables taped together, and a black box with Autojack written on it which I think is the immobiliser (and is next to the light which stays on).
I dont want to take it to the garage just yet (they charged £29 just to fit the stereo, and I'm skint!) so is there anything I could do to make sure everything is off when I turn the engine off? Or any simple checks I could do to find out where the power is going?
It looks like spaghetti junction under the dash to me, so I dont want to start pulling out cables either! See pics......
