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**m3f_Styx33** · 12-19-2001, 10:54 PM

It sucks that this is happening to your car. I doubt it is the battery. It sounds like there is a grounding/short circuit problem. Many parts of your car always have voltage to them but only draw current when the circuit is completed. I am guessing but I think a low voltage wire is completed *somewhere* on your car and it is always slowly drawing power from your battery. The kicker is that it will always be drawing current from your battery until it is fixed and it is *somewhere* on the car.

That is what I am guessing.

**m3f_ARCpolo_6b20514d39** · 12-19-2001, 11:30 PM

do you think the warranty covers it?

**m3f_Styx33** · 12-20-2001, 01:53 AM

If it is under warranty it should!

**m3f_eduardo go_61bf44b0e1** · 12-20-2001, 04:30 AM

Hi.

That strange noise you hear from the obc area is normal. It will go away after a while and wont come up again unless you start the car again.

I will try to give you the solution for this problem. Here is my two cents:

You will need an electrical multimeter to find out what device is "eating" your battery. Connect the multimeter to your battery (make sure it is charged) and if you wait a while you will notice that is a litlle discharge hapening. Then, you will need to switch off electrical things like OBD, heating system, radio, cd magazine, alarm etc.

One of this things will stop the voltage drop in the multimeter, then you will know what it is.

Eduardo.

P.S. if this doesn`t help post again and i will have another solution.

**m3f_Styx33** · 12-20-2001, 10:17 AM

You may have to wait a hour or so to pick up a drop in voltage with a multi-meter. Then when you do find the system causing the problem you will have a large job of finding the culprit part or assembly. If you have a Bently manual it will help a lot because you will have to do resistance checks across all the wires (preferebly from connectors to connectors) and the parts they drive or actuate.

**m3f_ARCpolo_6b20514d39** · 12-21-2001, 12:27 AM

Thanks guys....so do I have to wait an hour to wait for the votage to drop?? When I connect the volmeter to the battery for testing, do I start the car with all the things on such as Radio, AC, light, etc. and turn off one by one to check??? my first suspect would be the Alarm right now, can you guys tell me the most common way for the alarm to short or drain???

thanks I really appreciate it

**m3f_eduardo go_61bf44b0e1** · 12-21-2001, 05:17 AM

Hi.

When you connect the multimeter the engine should be off. Otherwise the alternator would charge the battery and would be no drop in voltage.

You only need to turn the ignition on.

As for the alarm the most common problem is the batteries inside the siren.

this batteries use to damage and the alarm needs voltage to keep is program.

The function of this batteries is in case someone cuts the wires of the alarm it will "shout" anyway because he has is own voltage inside without needing the car battery.

I bet one dollar that this is eating your battery. http://m3forum.com/ubb/smile.gif http://m3forum.com/ubb/smile.gif

Eduardo.

**m3f_Styx33** · 12-21-2001, 01:22 PM

Turning things off with the ignition on will not do you a whole lot of good because you said your car would sit for a couple of days and then would not start correct? I was under the impression that your car was sitting in the garage for 3-4 days with out running and then the battery would be drained. If this is the case, turning off components of the car from my perspective means pulling the fuses. Then you could check for your culprit by pulling the fuse that supports the alarm and see if the voltage across the battery drops (hour or so). If there is no change in voltage I would put the alarm fuse back in and start trying other fuses one by one. Provided that the fuse test points to the alarm. I would suspect that parts or all the components that have constant voltage in the alarm (such as the reciever for your keyless entry, or the back-up battery charger if there is such a thing) could be drawing more current than specified due to intallation mistakes or manufacturing defects.

Warranty! But it doesn't hurt to arm yourself with information before you turn your car over to someone else.

**m3f_Styx33** · 12-21-2001, 01:40 PM

Sorry, this might help

If I was going to test your car this is what I would do.

1) make sure to charge battery

2) remove the fuse to the alarm

(don't put the keys in the ignition. Put the car into a state like you were going to leave it for 4 days

3) Have a beer and do something for an hour

4) go back to the car and only check the voltage across the battery. Do nothing else that could draw or add current.

4.1) IF the battery started at a hypothetical 12 volts and it now reads 11.5 or so I would let it sit for another hour just to make sure it is draining.

This means that it is NOT the alarm. Current is still being drawn when the alarm is not connected

4.2) IF the battery is still at *12 volts* then I would guess that it IS the alarm. But to be sure plug the alarm fuse back in and wait another hour (maybe 2) to see if the voltage goes down this time.

happy hunting

hope this helps

**m3f_ARCpolo_6b20514d39** · 12-21-2001, 10:19 PM

Wow...this is very helpful...I will try it tomorrow morning....Saturday since I dont have to work...

and see if the Alam is the problem (hopefully)

I will let you guys heads up

Thank you very much and Merry Christmas

**m3f_ARCpolo_6b20514d39** · 12-24-2001, 09:25 AM

Ok Guys....I havnt have a chance to test out the electric problems yet...but one thing I do notice.....When it rains..the battery will die!! it happens this morning, the car was still wet on the driveway when I try to start...it was completely dead..not even door lights came on!! The battery was completely dead..this happened 4 times and it rained before an all 4 occasions!! What was the deal???? I drove the car the day before it rained and prior to that I didnt drive for 3 days and it was fine...only when it rains...the car died...any comments??

**m3f_Styx33** · 12-26-2001, 10:13 AM

This is a huge guess. It could be a wire getting shorted to ground (the car's ground)when it gets wet. I could see a cracked wire (copper exposed) hanging just above a grounding point somewhere on the car like the body or frame. When it rains this wire gets completed to the frame and stays there because of surface tension of the water. Then it drains the battery.

But I am not sure if this solution would be accurate because I am guessing you wash your car and it doesn't seem to drain the battery then (otherwise you would have said so).

I would take the car in, this sounds like a difficult problem to solve.

**m3f_tanaysim** · 12-27-2001, 03:51 AM

I own the same car. I used to have the same problem it was because of the window water spray nozzle resistance.I have had an accident and the dealer I repaired the car didn't put the resistance in its place(right bottom front bumper) I bought one and the problem solved .

the sound from the heater when you turn the ignition off is normal it is just adjusting the heater

**m3f_ARCpolo_6b20514d39** · 12-27-2001, 06:14 PM

so without the water resistance, your battery was slowly drained?? How did you find out that the resistance was causing the problem?? thanks

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