out of nowhere i got a parasitic drain on my battery

after some testing i suspect my alternator but i would like someone that knows how to translate my results to give me a definate answer.

-after replacing my drained battery with a brand spanking new one the volts read 12.6v

-i then tested for the amp draw of the drain which read 4.44

-i figured there are only 2 parts that could drain that much would be the starter or the alternator

-i started the car and the volts started at 13.20v and slowly rose to a maximun of 13.60v

-i then applied stress to the system by turning on the sterio, head light high beams, heater, dome light etc...

-the volts read after stress was applied was 12.18v

do my results conclude that my alternator is the issue? i need to make a decision in the next day or two to buy a new alternator, this is my daily driver.

P.S. i did do the fuse pull out test and no interior or exterior fuses made the amp drain go any lower than the initial 4.44

 

Remove the positive battery terminal while the car is at addle if it stalls you should consider buying a new alternator

 

^this and if it dont stall, id remove the alternator wires and check for the drain then. Seems like the alternator might be stuck on, big reason why a lot of old school chevys goto a one wire system.

Does your battery light come on at all? if the alternator is bad it should, could also be a grounded out wire if all else fails check your loom

 

Crap I never thought to just unplug the battery :-( I left the car at my parents house till this upcoming weekend since I go to school far from them.

But there was no battery light turned on in my car.

I literally drove to la from San Diego "about a 3 hour drive left the car sitting for a night and tried turning it on and my battery was drained. Before this happened I never had a rough start or any hint that my battery power was being drained. And the initial drained battery was less than a year old.

My wiring loom is fine and Everything is properly connected.

I have an Evo 8 loom in my Evo 9 but it's been on or about 6 months with no issues.

 

Yup just pull the positive cable off while the car is idling.

Forget the alternator issue. Pics of said TT evo?

 

Haha the TT Evo was totalled in 2006 I have an fp-red Evo 9 now haha. I think I only have one or two pics of that TT set up but I need to find them :-( and I'm sure there was an old thread or two on that set up on here!

 

Might be a longshot, but did you check your distribution block fuse? I replaced my alternator and was still having problems. Come to find that I blew the 100amp fuse inside the block.
This is what mine looked like...of course after replacing alternator, alternator wire, and a new battery:

 

I already checked those and the one in the engine fuse box. But since it's drains my battery when the car is off I doubt it's a cut wire or blown fuse since those two things wouldn't cause a drain when the car is off. Since I'm 100 miles from my car and can't do the disconnecting battery test I took a shot in the dark and ordered an alternator.

Ill do the unplugging battery test on Saturday if it proves my alternator is bad then ill replace it then and there.

I'm about 85% sure it has to be the alternator though since the acceptable voltage range is 13.8-14.8 when running and when you have all your electrical stuff on and mine is only pushing out 13.6 volts at idle and 12.16 volts when all the electronics are turned on.

Anyone else please chime in a appreciate the advice.

Also I'm going to try to remove the alternator from under the intake manifold does anyone have any advice to make that method any easier?

I seems to be
-remove battery, upper Intercooler pipe, throttle body, and strut bar
- take off accessory belt
-unplug alternator power wire and harness
-get long extension and breaker bar and make it work
- wiggle out alternator and replace haha!

Am I missing anything?

 

I just did mine, it was over charging 14.8-15.9 Volts, I did mine thru the bottom of the car, You do have to take the CV shaft out thou and it takes a bit of wiggling and woggling, but doing it from the manifold seemed alot more difficult. Some people say different thou, And yes a alternator can drain a battery if the Diode is bad, only way to test while its in the car is to disconnect the wires to the alternator and check for drain, otherwise if the alternaor is good its not showing the proper volts at idle because of the drain.

 

Best answer yet!

I would love to take the alternator out through the bottom but I've never done any drivetrain work and it scares me to mess up an even more expensive area of my car because of my lack of knowledge with that area :-(

But I will definitely to the disconnecting of the alternator test with my voltmeter.

Then I will try the unplugging of the positive battery terminal to while idling test.

Hopefully it is the alternator because I hate being withouth my car! I swear the past two years since moving to a beach city so much awkward little crap has been going bad on my car, from o2 sensors, and wideband o2 sensor going bad, my old catback got a huge hole where the hanger was attached to it, my tps is acting up, the ground wire on my starter snapped off so I had to replace the whole battery wiring loom, the bolts that hold my header to my turbo all came off after not being touched for 4 years!, my brake rotors are good and I have 80% pad left but for some reason my brakes squeal loud as hell! And I'm noticing all my bolts are starting to rust and areas where I have chipped paint! :'( I swear I hate living next to a beach now it's slowly killing my car! Lol

 

Alt from serv manual says take right axle out and go through there.

I've done it from the top, but it was when I was doing a water pump anyway.


But anyway, did you actually check for a drain or just charging voltage?

Drains are MIlliamp draws when the car is shut off.
Normal car draws about 19-32 mA , 32 is prob with an aftermarket radio setup with memory.

Use a DVOM, remove ground cable from battery. Place one lead of DVOM on batt terminal, other on cable that is disconnected. Wait 15 minutes and of course have the key off and doors closed.

 

in for results

 

DO NOT DISCONNECT THE BATTERY WITH THE CAR RUNNING. you run the chance of frying EVERY electrical component in your car, thats a ridiculous amount of money.

 

My car was shut off for 4 days when I performed the milliamperes test and it read at 4.44 when the dial was set to dc 10A isn't a normal reading on that setting supposed to be .05?

 

4.44 Amps?? Thats crazy!!

0.03 A would be about normal if your meter doesn't go that low.