Battery constanly going flat?

[Reggieroo]

My classic has been off the road for a few months having some work done & now that I've got it back the battery constantly goes flat over night.

Its had a new battery on it recently & I've even put another spare one on to see if its that. Its still going flat so I know its not the battery.

It must be a drain of some sort...........but whats causing it?

It had a drain before & that turned out to be the stereo wired up to the ignition permanent live but that was sorted out.

I'm thinking there maybe a common problem that I don't know about & hopefully you guys that know, can give me some advise on what it maybe.


Regards

Reg

[ben_haynes]

what work has it had done to it? as this may be the cause

and have you checked the interior lights are not staying on (switch in wrong position)

[ukmudmaster]

If you diconnect  the + on the battery and put a voltmeter across the leads, this will tell you if you have a drain, and again when you think you have found it,
Good luck!
Dave

[Reggieroo]

what work has it had done to it? as this may be the cause

and have you checked the interior lights are not staying on (switch in wrong position)

It was just wielding work that was done & nothing apart from some LPG earths were disconnected while the work was being done.

I did notice the interior lights stayed on for longer than normal (about 10 Min's or so) when I first started driving it but eventually went off which I thought was strange.
I even checked they weren't on when I parked it up for the night but the battery was still flat in the morning.

[Range Rover Blues]

Does you car have EAS? or did it have in the past.  Tne EAS is always monitoring the road wheel heights and trying to correct any sagging.

[Reggieroo]

Does you car have EAS? or did it have in the past.  Tne EAS is always monitoring the road wheel heights and trying to correct any sagging.

It doesn't have the EAS & hasn't had it in the past as far as I know. I wouldn't be 100% certain how to check though, I've never looked at one with EAS before.

[Range Rover Blues]

A dead giveaway is things like the front dampers being ahead of ths spring not inside it, or the brackets for the dampers still on the axle.  The brackets on the rear arms for the height sensors or the holes in the top of the front radius arms for the same.   Traces of the wiring loom under the driver's seat, the switches in the dash, the control box under the floor below your seat.

TBH if you don't have the ECU under your seat though I doubt it would be the cause of your battery drain.  It could be down to the weather, a few batteries seem to be coping badly this winter, mine included :-k

[Reggieroo]

Haven't seen any of those parts on the car so it hasn't had EAS, I've been under the seats a few time & no EAS ecu.

Thing is I wouldn't have thought it would be the battery as its been replaced recently & when it went flat the other day I put on a charged spare one & that also went flat over night.

[mike142sl]

Could be a faulty alarm / immobiliser. Some have their own batteries but if it has died then it might be draining power from the main battery.

[Reggieroo]

Could be a faulty alarm / immobiliser. Some have their own batteries but if it has died then it might be draining power from the main battery.

Could be right, I might try another charged battery & leave it open over night & see what happens in the morning.

[mike142sl]

Don't forget the immobiliser can automatically cut in after a few minutes anyway - if you can disconnect it somehow it will eliminate it completely

[Reggieroo]

Don't forget the immobiliser can automatically cut in after a few minutes anyway - if you can disconnect it somehow it will eliminate it completely

I didn't know that, I don't even know where the immobiliser is to disconnect it.

[mike142sl]

It's usually part of the alarm. On my old '91 RRC it was an aftermarket jobby that had a similar issue. Not sure how the factory fitted ones operate.

[BAZZ]

Reggieroo, have you checked the alternator, on the diesel RRC, Disco and Defenders of that age they suffered with this problem of flattening the battery. Check with a good multu/ volt meter, the voltage should be around 12.7Volts. If you leave the battery disconnected, it may be the alternator at fault. Bazz. :lol:

[Bowie]

I found that something was keeping the electric seats supplied with power, even though the drivers door was shut, and no ignition. I just removed a relay under the passenger seat on the RH side, from teh rear which sorted it out, now I have to open the drivers door to adjust it, but no flat batteries anymore :)

One way to track it down, is to put an ammeter between battery terminal and the lead and pull fuses till it stops, would narrow it down at least.

[Range Rover Blues]

I found that something was keeping the electric seats supplied with power, even though the drivers door was shut, and no ignition. I just removed a relay under the passenger seat on the RH side, from teh rear which sorted it out, now I have to open the drivers door to adjust it, but no flat batteries anymore :)

One way to track it down, is to put an ammeter between battery terminal and the lead and pull fuses till it stops, would narrow it down at least.

That sounds like a stuck relay then, unless you have memory seats.

[Bowie]

Yep, the low current feed was permanently live.... but according to the wiring diagram it went all teh way back to the fuse box with nothing switching it at all, I game up after tracing it manually etc and live with having to open the door to adjust it :)

[Range Rover Blues]

The memory seats have a keep-alive memory so need a constant feed, like a radio.  Even without it I'm surpised you need to open the driver's door to adjust the seats though, they should also work in neutral.

[Reggieroo]

Problem sorted now, it was the heater staying on when you turned off the ignition.

I  found a wet relay in the footwell, it was upside down & I must have a leak!