Golf draining battery

what do you think to something like this ? price wise seems ok:

I'd be happier if it gave its accuracy when measuring low currents. I suspect there's a reason why it doesn't. ;-)

I use one of those battery disconnect devices which fits between battery terminal and lead. With a removable 'wheel' to disconnect it. You can then connect your expensive DVM across it with the battery connected, let things settle, then undo the wheel. I bought it after discovering just how much Fluke fuses cost...

good point about the accuracy. I think I have got one of those battery disconnects somewhere, I must find it and put it in the test drawer. I found a lovely little tester for accumulator cells the other day, with its instructions and leather case, seems like an ebay item to me, I have not got the foggiest where it came from.

I've got an electronic one from CPC. Cost well over 100 quid - but I needed it for other batteries used in connection with my work. You simply clip it across a charged battery and it gives a readout of the capacity in amp.hours, as well as voltage and temperature. The a.hr should be close to the figure on the battery case. If not, it's scrap. Excellent device. Works on small lead acid like you get in house burglar alarms right up to the biggest you'll find in a car.

Oh - it doesn't spark when connecting like an old discharge tester.

Does it have an aftermarket stereo?

No.

I'll be getting the battery properly tested later today and today is the only day I can look at it (due to work).

I am now armed with enough info to at least show roughly where the problem is (if is is not the battery)

Chris Whelan wrote on 29/10/2011 :

That used to be the case, but most cars these days have a battery saver circuit relay. All of these things are turned off after 20 minutes or so if the car is left undisturbed for the 20 minutes.

So basically you can leave your car door open, interior lights on and

20 minutes later the relay will time out and shut things down.

The trick nowadays, is to connect an ammeter in series, but short across the ammeter to allow the car to settle is consumption down to within the meters range, then remove the short across the meter.

Start up currents are quite high, even a lamp in series might not allow enough current to pass to allow things to initialise and settle down properly.

Dave Plowman (News) expressed precisely :

>

Alternative method, if the ciggy lighter socket is permanently powered....

Wire a small 12v gel cell across a ciggy plug, with meter in series. Plug in and then disconnect main battery. All current will then be sourced from gel cell via meter, without anything being disturbed.

The local motor factors has just tested the battery and claims it needs replacing.

But as always, he cannot get the battery until tomorrow.

We'll stick a new battery in tomorrow and see how things go.