Flat Battery

[berrysgreen]

my ravs Battery seems to be discharging at a great rate overnight. this is ok when i do long runs but with short runs and winter weather iwonder whether there are any shorts that commonly cause this or is it that the immobiliser system is very juicy ? any thoughts

[Offroadster]

Its probably a weak Battery, how old? If the Battery is weak, the alarm/immobiliser will have greater affect draining it especially in cold weather. I had a similar problem and had mine replaced 2 weeks ago. Take it to a local dealer and they will check it out,usually free of charge.

[berrysgreen]

hi thanks for that but have recently purchased new Battery and still running flat

[bothwell_buyer]

A new Battery shouldn't go flat... unless you are doing very short journeys at night with all the lights, heaters etc full on.

It could be that there is a drain happening somewhere on the electrics that shouldn't be happening; it couuld be the starter knackered and drawing too much juice from the battery; .... easiest would maybe be to get an auto-electrician to give it a quick check?

[GS John]

I'd try disconnecting the Battery and using an ammeter, see how much current is being drawn with the engine / lights etc off. Or the same using a 12v low wattage bulb as the connection between the earth strap and the Battery. Filament might get hot, and might need to adjust the filaments wattage depending on current draw.

Even easier, tried disconnecting the Battery at night to see if there's any improvement?

[berrysgreen]

I'd try disconnecting the battery and using an ammeter, see how much current is being drawn with the engine / lights etc off. Or the same using a 12v low wattage bulb as the connection between the earth strap and the battery. Filament might get hot, and might need to adjust the filaments wattage depending on current draw.

Even easier, tried disconnecting the battery at night to see if there's any improvement?

thanks for that ill give it a go