coachgeo

OK, according to the cheapy Autozone kinda place I have a good battery and alternator. (tested in the car with it running) The PO installed a Volt gauge and it does run 14ish volts when driving.

butt... after car sits.. my battery is draining.... after a day or two of sitting the battery willl be down to NILL.

OH.... its an 82 Maxima Sedan.. OK SOOOOO its a Diesel, but dont matter most of the electronics are all the same. Well cept that I need a DAMNNNNNNN good charge on the battery to cycle the glow plugs and to the whirl the starter to start it. Compression in a diesel can be up to like 20:1 so it takes a good charge and starter to spin them.

sooooo what's draining my battery? Are their any common live shorts for this era Max? All the electronics but the antena seem to work

I did have a door light not shutting off but I temporarly fixed that by adding a washer to the stopper on the door and to the rubber boot on the switch on the body. Now when the door shuts the light goes off.

This one was snookered in the driver rear, benind the door and on the quater panel. Basically it looks like the offending vehicle's right front corner of their bumper drove into this car at about a 10 degree angel into the rear quater panal and aimed right at the back edge of the rear tire. (Hence the bent A arm) I just ran a thread on the fix of the Bent A arm from that accident. The auto antena mechanisim is squeezed in the cavity where it resides. Wires look fine though but it does not work. Could be the culpret??? What else in that vacinity may be the culpret? The rear lights were not touched in the accident. They are all fully intact.

maximase86

iTrader: (24)

Well, to sound of it, you have an open circuit somewhere. The antenna can be a possiblility, but I really doubt it because basically it will shut it self off after a small amount even when stuck. The first thing I would look into is the glow plug system. From what I've heard from Mercedes Diesels, sometimes the timer for the glow plugs goes bad, and they sometimes get stuck on. Other than that, you might want to start searching for open circuits for items that don't route through the ignition circuit.

S

John L

If you can't find an open circut, try a new battery. I had the same problem all last year with my '82 (gas burner). The battery went completely dead after winter storage. Have had no problems with the new battery. For a diesel I'd recommend the most CCAs you can get.
Good luck.

coachgeo

I'll check my manual but I would assume their is not timer in the glow plug circuit on this one. I have a MB diesel also. The one's with a timer are ones with glow plugs that stay on for a short while after start up and then a timer turns them off. Don't think mine is new enough for that feature but, like I said I'll look.

Quote:

Other than that, you might want to start searching for open circuits for items that don't route through the ignition circuit.

S

What are things that typically don't route thru the ignition? Their is no aftermarket stuff on this car. No audio amps, it has stock radio, no additional running lights.... notta thing.

maximase86

iTrader: (24)

Hmm, hazard flashers, brake lights, head light switch, voice warning system (I believe 1st gens had them too...can't remember), courtesy light switchs (on the doors), security system (if there is even one on it), that's all I can think of now.

Well, I believe its true for all diesels that have glow plugs that they should have timers on them. Its what gives you the little light that shuts off to let you know when to start the motor, and the plugs remain on for a little bit after the engine starts up regardless of what motor because you still need them for a little bit while the motor is warming up to keep heat or the motor won't run very well, if not at all cold. I know the w123 body mercedes have them, and they had that body from 77-86.
Either way good luck in finding out the drain.

S

pkfinn

One method for checking for a slow drain I've used with some success is to connect a 12 volt test light in SERIES with your battery, and then if the light is on, there is current flow somewhere. If you can get or make a test light with alligator clips on both leads, you can disconnect your negative cable at the battery and then connect one clip of the test light to the negative battery post and the other to the cable you removed. You must make sure you don't have an underhood light on, or it will give you a "false" indication. You can either take the bulb out, or disconnect the wiring to it. If the test light is on with everything turned off and all the doors and trunk closed, you have something draining your battery. To find the offending circuit, begin removing fuses and/or relays one at a time, closing the doors again and rechecking the light. When you remove the fuse for the circuit that is causing the drain, the test light will go out. Then you will have to find the exact cause from there. But at least that will narrow it down quite a bit.

I've also heard of a really dirty battery causing a slow discharge. The current flows between the posts of the battery through the residual acid that may be on the top of the case. Clean it real good if you suspect that may be possible after looking at your battery.

One other thing, you should be looking for a SHORT, not an open. No current will flow in an open circuit - it's like turning a switch off. There isn't a complete path to allow current to flow if there's an open in the circuit.

coachgeo

thanks.... good simple diagnostic tool.

John L

Shouldn't a diesel have two batteries?

maximase86

iTrader: (24)

Not neccessarily. Usually smaller diesel motors work fine off a single battery. Remember this is only a 2.8 I-6 Diesel, doesn't take much to start it. Now if you have a 5.9 I-6, or 7.3 v-8 diesel, it needs more juice to get the glow plugs going and the starter has more wait to turn.

S

MaxWgn

iTrader: (1)

Note, newer diesel engines do not use glow plugs.

John L

So, the extra battery is compensate for the drain from the glow plugs and still mave enough power to turn the motor over. That makes sense.

MaxWgn

iTrader: (1)

That, and a lot of deisels static compression is just so high that it takes a high output starter, and lots of juice to turn them over...

max95q

iTrader: (10)

Well one time my friend had a drain in his Saab. He couldnt find out wher eit was coming from. Turns out his trunk light was staying on after the car was off and draining the battery after sitting.

blackmaxima88

try this....at night when done driving, pop the hood and disconnect the battery overnight. in the morning, re-connect the cables and try starting the vehicle. if you can get it to start, it's most likely a slow drain somewhere in the vehicle. if you still can't get it to start, then you probably need a new battery. pop the caps off, and check the fluid level, if possible. it should be over the lead plates and up to the split-ring tube. if it's low, add distilled water (only) in each cell until it's high enough. then slow-charge the battery (1 or 2 amp rate) overnight. a battery tester that reveals its charge with either 4 floating ***** or a floating scale (hydrometer) can be purchased for only a few dollars and can reveal many battery problems.

however, since you had your battery load-tested, it sounds like there is a slow drain somewhere. there is no easy way to detect the leak, the most practical solution is already mentioned in this thread, with a test light in series with the battery cable. if pulling out fuses, relays or fusible links doesn't cause the light to go out, the only thing I can think of is a bad solenoid or alternator winding. I can't be positive though -- but I hope this helps at least a little bit.