car keeps flattening battery overnight. battery might possibly be on the way out but i don't think so. alternator is fine.
the current drain once the car has settled for a minute or so is around 90 milliamps i.e. 1/10 of an amp, which seems quite high.
if i pull the radio/interior light/etc fuse (number 21) the drain drops to about 8mA.
do i have a stuck light in the boot or something, or is it normal for the radio to be taking 80mA?
what's a normal battery drain rate with everything off?
Moderator: martauto
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boybimmerm3
- E30 Zone Regular
- Posts: 391
- Joined: Sun Jan 09, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Berkshire
90ma is too high really. should be around 60 max. try disconnecting all consumers one at a time which are on fuse 21 to see what is causing the drain, the glovebox light switch used to cause some problems.
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Brianmoooore
- E30 Zone Team Member
- Posts: 49359
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
Even a 5W lamp takes over 400mA, so it's not the boot lamp.
90mA is a bit on the high side, but I woulld just about consider it normal, depending on what equipment you have fitted.
Your battery should be able to cope with a drain of 90mA for weeks without going flat, so the first thing is to get the battery checked out.
90mA is a bit on the high side, but I woulld just about consider it normal, depending on what equipment you have fitted.
Your battery should be able to cope with a drain of 90mA for weeks without going flat, so the first thing is to get the battery checked out.
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Toby_Unna
- Boost Junkie
- Posts: 2183
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 11:00 pm
- Location: Sheffield
cool, thanks brian.
feeling a bit daft really, i'm supposed to be quite good with electrics! if i'd bothered to read the 55AH on the battery i might have worked out that 0.1A drain is going to take 500 odd hours to flatten it! Doh!
feeling a bit daft really, i'm supposed to be quite good with electrics! if i'd bothered to read the 55AH on the battery i might have worked out that 0.1A drain is going to take 500 odd hours to flatten it! Doh!
