Battery going flat

[winchman]

Inlaws have a disability converted Fiat Multipla.
Wouldn't start one morning tested battery and it had had it
Fitted a new one but two days of not using the car it was flat?
I have checked all the obvious lights / radio left on but found nothing?
If I remove the earth connector on the battery and connect a multi meter between the battery and earth connector it's showing 0,001A drain.
Is this acceptable?
We have tried pulling fuses but no change but got rained off so having another go today.
Any ideas?

 

[Cato]

Inlaws have a disability converted Fiat Multipla.
Wouldn't start one morning tested battery and it had had it
Fitted a new one but two days of not using the car it was flat?
I have checked all the obvious lights / radio left on but found nothing?
If I remove the earth connector on the battery and connect a multi meter between the battery and earth connector it's showing 0,001A drain.
Is this acceptable?
We have tried pulling fuses but no change but got rained off so having another go today.
Any ideas?

That drain's well within acceptable limits. So you'll need to look for something that drains but isn't constant, dodgy door switch, an old alarm that has the sounder removed but still 'goes off', RF interference at night causing it to lock and unlock, if it has a wheel chair ramp/lift is the limit switch properly adjusted, is anything on the vehicle set to come on as temp drops etc.

Faults like that can be a nightmare to find, ideally you want a current draw data logger but that's a bit spendy for a one off. Does your multimeter have a 'max' setting? If so you can hook it up as you have, leave it on and then have a look a day later and see if there was a spike in the draw.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Disconnect the alternator.
Any alarm and anything plugged into cigarette lighter socket.

 

[Pete.]

Dodgy door switch would be my first port of call. Not allowing the CANBUS to go to sleep properly perhaps. My Son in law is having similar issues with his Mk2 focus he has had to un-plug the central locking to stop the battery going flat.

 

[The_Yellow_Ardvark]

Dodgy door switch would be my first port of call. Not allowing the CANBUS to go to sleep properly perhaps. My Son in law is having similar issues with his Mk2 focus he has had to un-plug the central locking to stop the battery going flat.

Was there not a ford recall on that?
We had the same issue at a past company.

 

[cocker]

Our wav has a lift at the back , if you don't switch it to the off position , next morning , flat battery !

 

[winchman]

Our wav has a lift at the back , if you don't switch it to the off position , next morning , flat battery !

It’s a manual ramp just had another look still can’t find anything?

 

[cocker]

Has it got a winch ?

 

[winchman]

Disconnect the alternator.
Any alarm and anything plugged into cigarette lighter socket.

Tried it no different? We are leaving it parked today to see if it drains again
My head hurts

 

[winchman]

Has it got a winch ?

Just a tensioner that tightens the front securing straps

 

[Tim.S]

I had a Saab 900 that sometimes had the same problem, I finally took it to an auto electrician and it ended up being a faulty relay to the heated rear screen that would occasionally stick in the on position.

 

[Pete.]

Was there not a ford recall on that?
We had the same issue at a past company.

I dunno I'll have him check

 

[Greeves246]

Does it have keyless ignition? If the key is anywhere near the vehicle it can talk to the car and keep turning it on . Friend had a bike that flattened the battery as when he went out of the garage he put the key down just the other side of the wall from the bike and it kept activating it, would go off after a few minutes then get reactivated a few minutes later.

 

[winchman]

Does it have keyless ignition? If the key is anywhere near the vehicle it can talk to the car and keep turning it on . Friend had a bike that flattened the battery as when he went out of the garage he put the key down just the other side of the wall from the bike and it kept activating it, would go off after a few minutes then get reactivated a few minutes later.

Just a normal key

 

[bricol]

I had a Saab 900 that sometimes had the same problem, I finally took it to an auto electrician and it ended up being a faulty relay to the heated rear screen that would occasionally stick in the on position.

Had exactly that on a headlamp relay on one car - found it as the relay was warm when it shouldn't have been. Wasn't taking enough juice to actually switch the contacts, so the lights weren't on.

 

[tom2207]

if you know anyone with a thermal camera it can cut down the search time dramatically troubleshooting this sort of issue

 

[knighty]

could be worth testing the new battery on it's own too just in case it's arrived duff

old battery killed off by the cold weather, then new battery duff?


assume it's pretty rare... but it happened to my brother

 

[m_c]

I wonder if they'd do a set orientated towards diagnosing flat batteries?
Would be as much use as most of the suggestions in this thread

 

[CompoSimmonite]

One one of our cars it was the glove box light not turning off when lid closed that flattened battery !

 

[zzr1200]

View attachment 523674

I wonder if they'd do a set orientated towards diagnosing flat batteries?
Would be as much use as most of the suggestions in this thread

That's the firing mechanism for a parts canon, first tool issued to a new apprentice by main dealers these days...