battery dies every one to two days

[precopster]

This is the ONLY WAY to fix this accurately with no guess work.

Buy a cheap digital meter. Place the meter in Amps range; preferably 2000mA range.

Make sure the leads are plugged in to the AMPS sockets of the meter; not voltage.

Ignition should be off. Disconnect the negative lead from the battery. Reconnect the negative post of the battery to one lead of the meter and the other lead of the meter to the negative lead of the car so the meter forms a bridge b/w battery and negative lead.

Read how many milliamps are being drawn when ignition is off. This should be in the vicinity of no more than 200-250mA.

My guess is yours is drawing much more. Proceed to pull fuses one at a time until you see a marked difference in the reading. Always replace the fuse if it doesn't drop markedly. Once you establish which circuit is drawing the lion's share of the current you can then start digging further.

Come back with your findings.

[2ddorrance]

No I don't know the the ECM is. I think I'm just going to buy a new alternator. I heard that there is a diode inside that can go bad. I just can't believe that multiple things can cause the battery to die just about every night or... if we don't use the car for a day then it's dead. 1. Pulled the alarm module fuse.. (the moon roof worked intermittenly). So now the moon roof doesn't work at all because that was on the same fuse as the alarm modue.
2. When we use the heater we can plan on the car not starting the next day.
3. If we don't lock the car at night (using the key fob) then the battery is dead.
4. If we use the A/C and make sure it's turned off when we leave the car it's dead the next time we go to start it. Can even be the same day.

This is driving me nuts because I have to charge it every night. Friends are making fun of me and my hybrid Volvo. If it doesn't take the charge them I'm late for whatever I'm doing. I can go into a doctors office then come out and wait for AAA for 2 hours.

[MoVolvos]

Disconnect the negative lead from the battery. Reconnect the negative post of the battery to one lead of the meter and the other lead of the meter to the negative lead of the car so the meter forms a bridge b/w battery and negative lead.

Read how many milliamps are being drawn when ignition is off. This should be in the vicinity of no more than 200-250mA.

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This could be helpful?

How To Perform a Parasitic Draw Test


Blessings,
BKM

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Thanks BKM but we already did that. Any other suggestions? I'm at wits end.

Hi precopster,

I am assuming 2ddorrance has already tried that one as the Video shows in the begining how that is done besides guidance at looking for multiple AMP draws/drains.

... when we leave the car it's dead the next time we go to start it. Can even be the same day.

I can go into a doctors office then come out and wait for AAA for 2 hours.

Hi 2ddorrance,

Perhaps you may have the same problem as my T5 which was purchased in Jan this year. The car would not turn over out of the blue. The Alarm Module had been ripped out Key Fob was in pieces so I have to unlock the car on the driver's side and reach in to open the doors for everyone front and back. The fuel door is opened by going into a trunk and pulling a nylon cord that I attached to the motor shaft that releases the Fuel Door.

What it turned out to be was a POOR but Tight connection at the Starter where the 2 large Red Cables attach. The car would just quit without warning.

When your problem happens again try jumping the Starter. Remove the Green Wire from the Starter and use the Post with the Red Cables next to it to jump the Starter with the key in Position II. If it does remove both Red Cables on the Starter post and sand the Flat Surfaces "and the Post" with 200 Grit Paper. Use pliers to flatten the Cable Connectors if they are not completely flat and re-tighten everything well. Mine has not failed to turn over once after this repair.

Blessings,
BKM
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[2ddorrance]

Thanks BKM but it doesnt't sound like what I'm going through. The battery is literally dead. The car turns over. Thank you though. Keep the suggestions coming.

I heard it could be a bad diode in the alternator. Has anyone had that problem? Alternator tests good when car is running. Someone said that the diode could be stuck open and draining the car when it's off. Anyone heard of this? Thanks!!

[MoVolvos]

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A quick search of the web yielded these two post from this link and confirms a Diode Drain issue:
http://www.thirdgen.org/techboard/elect ... y-can.html

Re: Alternator is draining battery - Can I just put in a new diode?
Thanks for the help with this. The warranty idea was a good one. I couldn't remember where I bought it (let alone find the receipt) so I called around to see if anyone could find the purchase in their computer. No luck.

While calling around I found one store clerk that was privy to this diode replacement deal. The diode for my car was $56, the complete alternator was $86. Needless to say I just swapped in a new alt and the car is holding a charge fine now.

Re: Alternator is draining battery - Can I just put in a new diode?
I just rebuilt my alternator. Cost me $10 for a new rectifier and took about 30 minutes. New alternator was $100 + core. Many alternators can be repaired at a fraction of the replacement cost. It's not that tough.

Blessings,
BKM
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[2ddorrance]

Wow thanks BKM! I'll definitely let you know how I make out with this.

[Bigblue]

The alarm module could very well be bad...You can check it out by locking the car from the inside with the remote, which will arm the alarm and start the red light flashing...Then get out of the car...If the alarm is working, it will sound off in a few seconds...If it is not working, you will get fault codes...I have not seen an alarm module that would drain the main battery yet, but there is a first time for everything...It usually just stops working...

The ammeter for checking current draw can be inserted into either the positive or the negative leg...You simply have to reverse the meter leads...I prefer an anolog meter when working around automobiles...Digital meters often give widely fluctuating readings...It is the nature of their design...When doing any kind battery service it is best to disconnect the negative first, and reconnect it last...

I prefer Precopster's method because you can do it alone and you don't have to disconnect the battery...The ammeter is being substituted for the fuse this way and it will register a high current draw when the guilty circuit is found...Be sure you are using an ammeter range, not a voltmeter range, and be sure to use the highest range the ammeter has or you will let the built-in smoke out of it if the current draw is high enough...All electrical things have built-in smoke...

[precopster]

I really don't see how changing the alternator will help UNLESS you have a parasitic draw that is still apparent after pulling all fuses.

In this case you can simply disconnect the large RED lead from the alternator (but please disconnect the battery first and wrap this shiny brass terminal in tape) and if your parasitic draw disappears you know you've found the culprit.

If it is still there after pulling the RED lead AND the signal lead (smaller lead on the alternator) please send ME $350 as it will go to far better use than replacing your alternator. If not keep looking.

[Bigblue]

I am a little confused here...You can't just simply replace the diodes in an alternator...That is a shop procedure requiring a complete tear-down and a hydraulic press, if you could buy the diodes, which you can't...The diodes (there are 6 of them) almost never go bad...Many alternators are replaced with a rebuilt at a cost of over $300 when all that was needed was a new voltage regulator costing $60...The so-called "rebuild" they are charging you for was nothing more than changing the regulator...Regulators have brushes that wear out, but that is about the extent of it...It is EXTREMELY doubtful to me that the alternator is the cause of this problem...

The original poster was confused about "standby" mode...I never heard it called that before, but it is a very good description...When the car is parked and locked, all the control circuits continue to draw a very small amount of current in order to maintain their memories...This is called parasitic current draw and is about 25ma...250ma would be considered a short...That's a big draw (1 amp every 4 hours) and would deplete a 60 amp battery in about 200 hours, just a little over a week...

[MoVolvos]

Re: Alternator is draining battery - Can I just put in a new diode?
... While calling around I found one store clerk that was privy to this diode replacement deal. The diode for my car was $56, the complete alternator was $86.

Re: Alternator is draining battery - Can I just put in a new diode?
I just rebuilt my alternator. Cost me $10 for a new rectifier

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...You can't just simply replace the diodes in an alternator...That is a shop procedure requiring a complete tear-down and a hydraulic press, if you could buy the diodes, which you can't...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rectifier

Diodes are used in a Rectifier Circuit to convert AC to DC. When someone says Diode they just mean the entire Circuit Board with the Rectifier Circuit which includes the Diodes. I have replaced brushes and bearings on older model Alternators as the cars were not worth the cost of the expensive new units. You can bring the old bearings to any industrial bearing store and they will match it for you.

Purchased an expensive Starter and the Front casing was slightly off so dissembled (fingers crossed) new unit and put the old casing on. Disassembling those is doable and parts are available. As for the Parasitic draw you should be able to do a Voltage Drop test with alternator in the car with the engine off. The Charging Test can also be done in car if you have the right equipment.

Blessings,
BKM
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