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        General >> Problems >> huge power drain on battery! 
        
(Message started by: ro284 on Dec 25^th, 2012, 9:10am)

Title: huge power drain on battery!
Post by ro284 on Dec 25^th, 2012, 9:10am

Happy Christmas guys! i was hoping to see family today, but the fully charged battery i fitted yesterday is absolutely flat! nothing obvious i can think of, open to any ideas! i've got it on charge again, don't know if i can start it today !
Bob

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by Simmo on Dec 25^th, 2012, 9:19am

Bob. If you had had it off to charge presumably there was a problem in the first place?. If it was otherwise sound then you obviously have a large current drain. Interior lights, boot light, glove compartment light. Did you use the car yesterday? is the alternator charging correctly. If you didn't use or start the car yesterday are you sure the small black lead has been reconnected to the battery? It can sometimes slip out of site.

Have a read of This (http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/instreset.htm) re diagnostic test.
And This re non starting (http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/faultfinds.htm). :)
Then for good measure This (http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/electsystemtest.htm) :) Good luck.

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by adam on Dec 25^th, 2012, 9:31am

Check Relay 16 and Fuse 36. Also, glovebox/boot light switches.

Adam

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by ro284 on Dec 25^th, 2012, 9:39am

Thanks guys now that i,m thinking about it the old battery which i thought was faulty was changed to a bigger one yesterday, car drove ok, but something is draining it overnight! so the fault was already there! my lads on his way to jump it! wife not happy! will check the diagrams and keep you updated, thanks Bob

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by ro284 on Dec 25^th, 2012, 9:45am

quick update, the battery is on charge, needles flicking! but it sounds as though there is something going on behind the dash, best described as sounding like a light sabre!! ???

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by ro284 on Dec 25^th, 2012, 9:46am

sons arrived to jump it so hopefully will be leaving for rest of the day, thanks guys will let you know!Bob

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by Simmo on Dec 25^th, 2012, 9:46am

Check the cigarette lighter for shorting on the ash tray . This module (http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/manual/electrical/auxwarnsys/centraltimermod.pdf) may also be worth a look. ;)

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by Scorpio_Mike on Dec 25^th, 2012, 10:30am

Lot of rain recently, check the fuseboxes... :(

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by bernard_slade on Dec 25^th, 2012, 2:16pm

hen it happened to me it was the engine loom(arnitel wiring fitted until june 1996) had multiple shorts including 2 glowplug wires fused together that would have been repairable if the main loom insulation hadnt also turned to dust

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by ro284 on Dec 25^th, 2012, 10:06pm

Thanks guys, ive been delivering presents today, the car runs ok. but i have to disconnect the battery when i stop anywhere! also apparently on monday night, there was a terrific amount of rain, Also i am pretty sure the glove box is now wet on the inside! i heard a ticking noise from the glove box earlier! also the speedo has stopped working! along with the reset button! (not displaying anything! not had any time to do anything today, will check tomorow, Cheers Bob

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by Simmo on Dec 26^th, 2012, 8:23am

Bob, if there is water down behind the glove compartment it has come through the bulkhead grommet which carries the cables into the ECU etc. This is a large grommet with a big bunch of cables and if not seated correctly will allow water to enter the car. If it has got in to the car there is every likelihood that the fusebox is soaked. You need to get the whole thing dried out PDQ. Do you have a battery cover fitted? and are the bulkhead drainholes in front of the battery clear?. See Here (http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/battery.htm) and Here (http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/manual/electrical/intbasic/CentralContModule.pdf).

This is an 'exploded' view of the interior. There are a number of layers and you will see that each copper segment sits in a track or small depression. Water lying in any of these will cause problems. This is why it is essential to keep the box dry to prevent 'tracking' between the parts and also why boxes are difficult to dry out. The layers are stacked together tightly so separation is really the only way to ensure the box is totally dry. :)
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8504/8310250230_b9a9b17fb9_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/90140801@N05/8310250230/)
This shows the tracks a little better and you can also see the effects of water on them. :)

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by Snoopy on Dec 26^th, 2012, 8:29am

The biggest drain on a battery when the engine is not running is a faulty alternator.

Worth getting it checked out . I understand you can disconnect the lead to the back of the alternator and by doing that you can either confirm or eliminate from the cause of the battery drain.

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by ro284 on Dec 26^th, 2012, 9:29am

Thanks for replies guys, having had a look in daylight it does not look like water, its a lot of sticky desolved sweets! Thanks Simmo, i have done a rebuild on a fuse box, also i have a couple of spare boxes, so looks like the next thing to check is the alternator so will do that next. the fuse box supply arcs quite badly when i re-connect it!
will update later!Bob

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by ro284 on Dec 27^th, 2012, 1:05pm

Well i found the drain on the battery, it is the flipping ABS module, with that out i get a reading of around 30, when i put fuse 46 in it creeps up to 1-75 amps! so i guess it is possible that the loom is shorting somewhere else (other than the 2 sensors i had to rewire!) but i cant feel my fingers now, too cold to continue, bob

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by Tompion on Dec 27^th, 2012, 6:59pm

Bob, ABS fuse 46 is permanently live & at 30 amps there’s likely to be serious damage if the problem is in the loom.
ABS fuse 47 is also 30 amp & permanently live so best remove that as well until you find what’s going on.

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by ro284 on Dec 27^th, 2012, 9:05pm

Thanks Tompion, i have taken the battery off, till tomorrow, then i'll have a look! there is something wierd going on! the speedo packed up!but the trip button is working, don't know if that is related! another thing is that the remote activates interior lights, but not the locks! i think it's paying me back for storing her too long! i would like to delve or cut into the loom under the brake servo, but it's too difficult to get at! if it were possible i could rewire the entire loom and run it at a higher level, i guess its possible the abs module is damaged now! ???Bob

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by Tompion on Dec 28^th, 2012, 10:40am

People manage to get the module off by lifting the ABS assembly with it still plumbed in, so I’d of thought you ought to be able to lift it high enough to get at the loom.

Apart from the problem with the motor pins the modules seem to be quite robust so hopefully it’s OK.

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by bernard_slade on Dec 28^th, 2012, 5:13pm

am i right in thinking the spedometer is fed from the rear nearside abs sensor so rectification of the abs problem will probably restore the speedo i also think the odometer reset will still work as it will have a separate power feed 12v as opposed to the pulse messages sent from the rear wheel sensor which is probably of the 5 volt variety.if i got an abs light after driving in the rain and the speedo was working i never bothered checking that sensor it was usually a front anyway

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by Tompion on Dec 28^th, 2012, 5:39pm

No, it's from the Vehicle Speed Sensor VSS on the gearbox.

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by ro284 on Dec 28^th, 2012, 6:12pm

Thanks bernard, Tompion, felt rough today so little progress, but some good points, the battery has remained fully charged, at 12-99 volts and the alternator is pumping at 13.8 volts, hopefully i can get on it tomorow, with a another wiring check, although removing the abs module fuse, stopped the drain, it could still be a short on the wires from the module,
Bob

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by ro284 on Dec 29^th, 2012, 4:08pm

Not much progress today, except that i have confirmed that the supply from the 3 fuses to abs controller, all seem to give a short to the chassis somewhere, at least a continuity reading! but fuses do not blow! if i felt a bit more well, i might get somewhere! :-[

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by ro284 on Jan 5^th, 2013, 3:40pm

Well bit of an update, i had to re-wire the arnitel loom! so i done all that, the result is that the speedo now works. as does the led on the dash, not seen that for a long time! the remote does not un-lock the car, but turns the interior foot lights on! the ABS light comes on with ignition, then goes off after 3 seconds, that bit is ok, the only problem is if i push the brake pedal the light comes on again, then off again after another 3 seconds, i have checked and re checked, all wiring is as should be, the only thing i have doubts about is that the module was possibly damaged, when the loom was heating up! which was the cause of the power drain! so i may need a module to check, Bob

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by Tompion on Jan 6^th, 2013, 2:15pm

Still sounds like something not quite right with the wiring. The interior lights are supposed to come on with the remote so for some reason the power is going to them as it should but not to the locks.

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by ro284 on Jan 6^th, 2013, 3:28pm

Yes thankyou Tompion, what does not help is that the remote will lock all doors, but not open them, i am about to fit new locks all round, so that i can at least get in!On a seperate matter, is it possible you may know the part number of an abs module for a 95--12v no TCS, i cant get mine out till i get one to replace! Bob

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by Simmo on Jan 6^th, 2013, 4:11pm

Bob, The controller on mine was 95GB-2C013-AB. :)

Do the locks work with the key?. It could be something as simple surely as the 'button' on the key fob not working?. I have a re-furbished fob you can try if you think that might be it. :) Mike

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by ro284 on Jan 6^th, 2013, 4:31pm

No the remote works the footwell lights ok, but will not unlock the doors, but have new set of locks ign etc, so will get on with that when i can sort out the other bits!there is more to do than i thought, i think bacause the car was stored so long, thanks Bob

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by Mike H on Jan 20^th, 2013, 4:18pm

I'm guessing he's saying the keys don't work.

Title: Re: huge power drain on battery!
Post by ro284 on Jan 21^st, 2013, 10:00am

Sorry guys i got a bit carried away with more important things, The fault is in the central locking module in drivers door, i know what caused the problem, Bob