# engine battery discharging



## yorksbill (Mar 9, 2008)

I would be grateful if anyone can offer advice.

I have a Citroen Relay van. A couple of weeks ago I put the key in the ignition and turned it to warm up the glow plugs and noticed that the battery warning light was flashing. I took the key out and then started the process over again and the warning light showed constant until I switched on the engine, which started OK.

Since then the battery warning light has not come prior to starting the engine, althought all the other usual warning lights come on prior to starting the engine. I now find that the battery is draining after just 3 days of the van standing idle. I then have to recharge the battery via a charger and take the van out on a short run to allow the engine the fully charge the battery.

I have taken the fuse out of the wire connecting the engine battery to the leisure system in the van to ensure that nothing in the leisure part of the van is causing the discharge, but the engine battery still discharges. I have just had the battery checked and it is ok and the garage tells me that it is charging OK from the engine.

My next port of call is an auto electrician, but i just wondered if anyone could offer any advice or may have had a similar problem and how they had fixed it.

Thanks for your help, even if you just say, leave to the auto electrician.


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## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

While a 'VanBitz' battery master would enable your van to be charged when on 'hook-up', it would seem that you have a physical drain on your main battery.
Do you have an alarm system? They can put a drain on your battery as can leaving your radio on (guilty) or sidelights on (guilty).
Seriously you may need an expensive auto electrician to determine what is acting a a constant drain on your system if it is not one of the obvious ones I have mentioned, unless someone knows better.
Alan


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## paulmold (Apr 2, 2009)

You don't have to leave your radio on for it to discharge the battery or in fact leave the fascia on if it's a removable one. The station memory facility in your radio uses power all the time or you would have to reset all the stations every time you switched it on. As has been said an alarm system will also run it down. Mine will last a good week before it causes me problems so I use a 4 watt solar panel on the dashboard which seems to keep it topped up but you do need to find out what is causing the drain.


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## lgbzone (Oct 8, 2008)

It sounds very similar to an issue a friend of mine had a while back, rather suddenly the engine battery would loose charge after less than a week of not being used, the battery would charge fine and would pass load tests performed by garages no problem, but it just kept going flat. he replaced the battery with a new one which has performed perfectly ever since.

HTH


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## yorksbill (Mar 9, 2008)

Thank you to those who replied.

This is just an update. Auto electrician came and tested certain items. The battery was OK. The alternator was charging the battery OK. He took off and then put back on the wires to the alternator. That brought the battery light on again (prior to that it would not go on at all). But it then stayed on, even when the engine was going. But thankfully, after leaving the van on the drives for a few days the battery remained charged, so no drain.

Logic was that it had to have something to do with the alternator. So off to another auto electrician who specialised in alternator problems. Short answer was that it was a French alternator and they are a bug... to fix. So new one fitted (hopefully not French) and am told all is now working fine (fingers crossed).


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## rosalan (Aug 24, 2009)

Thank you for your update, it did in fact turn out to be not so obvious and easily rectified.
Hope all goes well from now on.
Alan


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