battery drain .... i found it!!!!

Post Mon Apr 18, 2005 2:55 pm

have been having "battery drain" probs with my 325i e30 and have read some stuff about others having same problem so sorry if havent looked properly but here goes

car been draining sometimes then is ok other times and sun at 02.30 went go work and nothing wor lass was not impressed at having tyo take me

gets home it was p***in down so thought stuff it rac please
they came out and the guy was a whizz

has shown me how to actually USE me multi meter ( did read a post on ere about it but couldnt understand

has also narrowed down my 1.07 amp drain to the hazard light fuse
(no 24 he said) at the minute the radio also runs from ere but we totally disconnected radio and still there so although i can re-wire radio and dont really need hazards was wondering if anyone had any advice on how to rectify it? i.e where is the relay for it and how to test it and what else i can test /dissasemble?
any advice will be greatly appreciated as had almost made me mind up to sell it and get a normal car ( vectra or something similar) but i aint quitting that easily as apart from that and bushes/ball joints and suspension

all easily fixable its a great fun car to drive

cheers
Mick

Post Mon Apr 18, 2005 8:24 pm

I don't really know what the right advice would be about fixing it, but try to replace the fuse 15Amp, no. 24 in the fusebox, and try to change the relay itself (don't know which one it is).

However, bear in mind that without hazard switch in there and working, you will not have any indicators either ! Without making it too complicated, the circuit for indicators works through the hazard switch.

Post Mon Apr 18, 2005 9:02 pm

cheers i found that out about the hazard switch

.... much to my annoyance as have just re wired radio and bloomin indicators wouldnt work and it took AGES to discover hazard switch had come off

i am a dosey

but i could really do with findin out which relay it is and if i can test it ? all i have done in the mean time is remove the fuse to stop the drain

Post Mon Apr 18, 2005 11:51 pm

The only "relay" involved is the direction indicator flasher unit, which lives in the steering column shroud.
Fuse 24 feeds a red/white wire which should just go to the hazard light switch pin 3 and nowhere else. Pin 3 just goes to a normally open switch contact, so, I think a current drain fault on this fuse caused by the hazard lights is most unlikely.
I reckon you have another circuit connected on here as well, that you haven't found. Seperate amp for radio? Aftermarket alarm?

Post Tue Apr 19, 2005 12:25 am

Do the bulb's in the hazard light switch work?

Post Tue Apr 19, 2005 2:29 pm

thanx for the reply's, yes the bulbs in the switch work, but what i discovered last night and forgot to post is on the back of the hazard light switch are a few wires that have been soldered/crimped so i assume they have been added afterwards for some reason and one of them is a red wire that is moulded ( best way to describe it) into the ariel lead there is a grey ariel cable with a black and red wire attached to the outer sleeving ( these appear to be attached from new) and the red has been attached to the hazard light switch

so i am wondering if this should be there and if not maybe it is causing a drain although i have disconnected the ariel partly think i may disconnect this wire completely also it may be that trhe other wires are where the alarm feeds the indicators from??/ does this all sound feasable?
i think i will disconnect the alarm(somehow) as the bloody chubb key is suprise suprise .... missing and test for it again
i bloody hate bodge job car owners cause although THEY know what the wires do no bugger else does

oh and sorry for the spelling but this works pc has keys the size of travel scrabble tiles!!
cheers
mick

Post Tue Apr 19, 2005 4:14 pm

The aerial cable with the black and red wires integrated sounds like an electric aerial cable - Have you got a leccy aerial?

Post Tue Apr 19, 2005 6:49 pm

yeah i do have a leccy ariel am i right in thinking they work like an amp i.e there is a permanent live and earth and a remote live for when power is to the radio? as i already disconnected one live for the ariel?
cheers
Mick

Post Tue Apr 19, 2005 6:59 pm

The live feed to the hazard switch is the red/white one to pin 3. There should be no other connections to this wire.
There is a dedicated socket for accessories at the back of the glovebox.
It's possible the alarm wires for the indicators are connected at the hazard switch as well. E30 loom colours are blue/black from pin 6, (right) and blue/red from pin 2 (left).

Post Wed Apr 20, 2005 6:09 pm

great brian cheers for that will have a look when i get a chance probably tomorrow now but at least with fuse out battery staying up!
hopefully it will be fine if i disconnect the ariel live andf these dodgy wires that prpobably are alarm ones
thanks all for the advice

and will let you know what happens
mick