Escort Mk.5 battery drain.

Ladies and gentlemen, here we have a '93 diesel escort with a tendancy to flatten the battery every couple of days if only used for short trips.

With a known good battery in it, and running the engine at 2000 rpm the voltage across the battery terminals is around the 14V mark, so I take this to indicate that the alternator is actually doing its charging function.

Have Googled and found references to testing parasitic drain, and have just gone through that - I read somewhere that the drain should be no more than around 75 milliamps - this one is losing 0.52 amps so [unless Escorts drain this much normally] I think I'm now on the right track.

Pulling the fuses made a negligable difference of 1 or 2 milliamps. Pulling the relays occasionally made a similar difference. Pulling the fuse on top of the fusebox [f#29] drops this right down to

20 milliamps.

As a double-check, this test was repeated with a known dodgy fusebox [standard heater motor / electric window fault] and similar readings were obtained.

According to Mr. Haynes, this fuse copes with the central locking and the alarm, but [with the fuse in] the central locking seems to work fine, and the alarm does its bleepy thing when arming it through locking the drivers door.

Putting the alarm into test mode gets a beep when all the doors and boot are opened so I'm tempted to think that the door switches are OK.

I have a nagging feeling that the alternator or possibly the boot switch / contact plate thingy could have a hand in this, but I'm not exactly logical when it comes to car electrics, so, any ideas as to what to check for next?

Reply to
Macie
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Disconnect the alternator and recheck

Reply to
mrcheerful

Just done that - with the alternator disconnected it still drains at

0.5A
Reply to
Macie

is there a bonnet open light confusing the issue?

boot light another possible glove box light

the load you have is the same current as a small bulb needs

very rarely I have seen a starter solenoid pulling current too

and you are checking with ignition key out? I don't think it applies to your car but some cars do things as soon as the key is in.

a miswired radio can also take juice continually, likewise electronic clocks that are wired so that the light in them is on all the time

mrcheerful

Reply to
mrcheerful

Also sprach Macie :-

Sounds like a stuck central locking motor. Try unplugging 'em one by one.

Reply to
Guy King

I take it you mean 'stuck' in the electrical sense rather than mechanically stuck? All the C/L works, but I'll do further testing tomorrow, when it's warmer....

Incidentally, with say, a boot or glove box light, would it be sufficient to pull the bulb to check current drain, or should I be measuring amps/volts across the bulb holder?

Reply to
Macie

Hmm, interesting. No bonnet light fitted. Glove box light is going off as it should and no bulb is fitted to the boot light.

There is a boot release switch that is operational when the ignition is of, pulling the connector off the switch made no difference to the current drain, although I suppose that a feed to it could be shorting, but I haven't a clue how to test that.

Disconnected the starter and solenoid whilst I was checking the alternator - no significant difference.

Yes

Will have another look and poke about tomorrow, although I'm running of ideas. Thanks for your input.

Reply to
Macie

just keep checking what is actually leaving the battery, that is the only important thing

mrcheerful

Reply to
mrcheerful

It could be the alarm, or (if fitted) the remote locking unit. My Sierra has a non-Ford ultrasonic internal alarm sensor which went faulty, rattling the internal relay all the time but not setting the alarm off, this caused the battery to drain in about a week.

Check by locating the alarm module and unplugging it.

Just a thought,

Mike

Reply to
MSC

Also sprach Macie :-

It may be moving so that the lock operates, but not switching itself off afterwards.

Reply to
Guy King

*Ding* Central locking motor on the tailgate was the cause [or something in that circuit]. Unplugging it reverts to normal levels of battery drain, so no further need to charge the car every 2 or 3 days.

The ecstacy of finding the rogue component after a couple of days of searching was only mildly reduced by the rear wiper now working permanently :-(

Another fault for another day, I can live with my car starting in the meantime, so many thanks to everyone for all the advice.

Reply to
Macie

Also sprach Macie :-

I had trouble with my Montego shaking itself like a wet dog about about

45mph. Wasn't wheel balance or rubber bushes or shock-absorbers. Turned out to be drive shafts - though neither was clicking or seemed to have noticeable play when on the car.

Bliss now though - it's like having my old car back. Luvverly.

Reply to
Guy King

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