Battery being drained

The guy before me, relocated the battery to the boot and installed a hidden cut out switch (which is a great idea - annoying on the radio presets though) I generally flip the switch over night etc but not if I'm popping to the shops.

If I don't when I come back the battery sounds like it's going flat so something is draining it - quickest way to trace it back to the source?

If I use the cut out switch it's starts on the button

I would look from the cut out switch forwards. For example if the cut out is on the ignition rather than the main battery live in will narrow down the potential option. If on a main feed then i would look for where power exists on the fuse board even when tue key is removed and switch is on, then look on the fuse board when key is removed and switch is off this will help narrow the search is some fuse board lives disappear. After that i would sit in the corner and gently rock back and forth…..


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Usual suspects are improperly installed Radio, or after market alarm.

The radios are depending on the year on a unswitched line, which means when you turn the car off the radio is still on.  

Quick way to find the circuit.
DVOM (digital Volt Ohm Meter).

You will check the fuses with the car off for 12V on both sides of the fuse.  

The one with 12V on both sides may be the problem area.  Should be only about 2 fuses with power on both sides, the Radio,  the courtesy/parking lamp.

If you have a slow drain, then here is a Video that tells you how to check for parasitic drain.

How To Perform a Parasitic Draw Test - EricTheCarGuy - YouTube

Once you know the Circuit that is causing the drain, then you break that down to individual parts till you find the cause.

Caution.  Remove the Courtesy Lamp Bulb or Turn off the Courtesy Lamp.  Why?  Because when you open the door you will light your light, and it can blow a meter.

hahaha Backinblack that made me chuckle, i shall me the one rocking back and forth definitely!

Briano1234 perfect, thanks for the heads up!

NeilR said

hahaha Backinblack that made me chuckle, i shall me the one rocking back and forth definitely!

Briano1234 perfect, thanks for the heads up!

Come join me, it's quiet over here!

Just don't let the voices know that I'm awake or I'll start screaming again  

Ian

Wait the noises stop? borednow

So A. Here's a pic where the powers connecting? Any obvious thoughts?

B. I think it might be the starter? Last few days I've used the cut out switch even when popping out the car and it's still doing it? 

Seems like it's struggling to start / fire when hot? Now I have no d**m idea?

Forgot the pics - doh 

Nothing immediate.

The thing with moving the battery is that you need some damn good earths from the engine to the body. assuming the battery is not earthed to the body in the boot somewhere.

Do you have 14v with the alternator charging? How do the earth straps on the engine look? Nice and new and shiny or a bit corroded?

Might be worth just undoing the nut on the starter and checking the contacts there too.

Or so the voices suggest

 Ian  

Will check the earths and clean the connections as a first point of call. I think they're fine - good shout.

Been reading a bit on it and looks like a fairly common fault with heat soak on the starters and people putting in a relay mod?
Also few people have mentioned fuel pump return valve so will have a clamber to check that as well. 

The Starters on manuals don't get the heat soak issue that your see on Automatics.  Because the starters are in different locations, the Automatics are under the Exhaust manifold.

I see they made the Starter the main connecting point for all the wires normally that are connected to the battery.

What you have is that the Starter is actually getting the bitter ends of the battery.

"Normally" you have the Starter Solenoid wire goes from the battery to the ignition switch then back to the starter.  About 3 meters worth of wire.  The Starter itself has a meter long main wire that is either separate to the starter from the battery….

With the battery removed from the tray, to the boot, you have now the issue that the main power cable is probably 3 meters or more in length, and that you have the standard "Pick" of the ignition to the Solenoid.

Earthing/Grounds become a problem, and it is more imperative that you have good ones.  Bolting the Battery to the rear Bumper bolts will tie it to a good frame point that is heavy duty, so the frame to engine/transmission has to be good as well.  Cleaning the Frame connection at the frame horn, and the engine/tranny mounting is more critical now.

The Heat Soak Relay was used to combat the issues of the starter not engaging when hot.  It did two things.
1. Reduced the length of wire that ran from the battery to the ignition switch to the starter solenoid.
2. Put full Battery on the starter solenoid when you started the car.

With the battery in the normal position, you would then have  a meter of wire between the Starter Solenoid and the battery, and you would JUMP that starter to attention when it is hot.

I had a Rover 3500S that had the battery in the boot by design.  They did the tie it to frame at the back, and then  run the Positive to the starter/alternator…. It did seem that the car chewed through batteries on me.  It was really funny running to the battery shop and tell them I need a new battery, and they would "POP" the bonnet and look all over for the battery…..

I had a better luck with the batteries by replacing the Grounds, and then cleaning the earthing points on the Engine/Transmission, and replacing that cable as well.

The heat soak relay isn't going to hurt, but I don't think that will solve your battery drain issue.  The fact that the battery is in the boot, makes Earthing all the more critical…. a resistive battery cable can cause a battery drain very easily.

You guys are awesome! Thanks for all this. Wouldn't have even thought bad earthing could be the cause for hot starting issues.

If the rain holds off going to check the ones I can see, take them apart and give them a clean. It's recently had a front end respray so thinking they haven't used star washers so not cutting through the new paint properly.

I can see the main earth from the gearbox, google suggests the other main one is off the rocker cover?

That's a strange place to put the coil, why is it on top of the gearbox? It's a little exposed to the elements.

Your clutch cable is also on a bit of an angle, try and get it straight as you may find it rubs on the casing of the gearbox and making your pedal feel heavy.  

mark1gls I thought that re strap. (All done by previous owner) not sure where else to relocate it to though? Same with clutch cable, but can't see a way of straighten it as quite slack so just 'droops' over 

The coil should be mounted on the firewall pointing down, being on the tranny is a issue with vibration, moisture and dirt…. The strap being rusty is also a issue, as I usually have a clean strap and I rub the paint on the strap area of the coil to metal so I have a case ground..

Your clutch cable is Adjusted to the MAX, which to me indicates that the Clutch is about ready for a exchange, and or the cable is stretched, and maybe a new cable is warranted.  I remember replacing my cable on my 81, about at the 13 years of ownership…. I couldn't believe how much easier it was to shift, and a short shift kit, and weighted rod made it feel so buttery…..

my 2 cents.

Briano1234 that strap could well be the problem for my hot start issue then. Excuse my ignorance, but firewall to where the block? The strap looks new ish but going to have a clean of the terminals. The clutch biting point is really high so tend to agree on the soon replacement. I've got to get the linkage bushes done so will just change the clutch at the same time I think. Thanks for the pointers! That's why this groups awesome 

The Coil is usually bolted to the firewall behind the engine and to the right side of hte head.

Can't link a pick as pbuck is being the jackass.

Oh I am downloading those…

Mk 2 Golfs had a metal bracket/rod which held the clutch cable up right so you may find one of those on the web.
Are you missing a brake master cylinder above the gearbox to strap the clutch cable to?

mark1gls he's upgraded the brakes so maybe the bracket would work.

Could only find 4 earths under the bonnet yesterday, so cleaned them off. The rocker cover one is going to the carb not the firewall? And one of them is slid under a washer of the starter bolt as the holes not big enough. 

There is quite a few in the boot, they all look clean including the area it bolts or the chassis