Battery drains even without key in ignition
12-02-2020, 11:28 AM
#1
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Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Bellevue, Washington State, near Seattle
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Battery drains even without key in ignition
Our '90 SE seems to be draining the battery even when off without the key in the ignition.
At first I assumed the problem was the somewhat old battery, so I replaced it, but I'm getting the same problem with the new battery.
Any suggestions?
At first I assumed the problem was the somewhat old battery, so I replaced it, but I'm getting the same problem with the new battery.
Any suggestions?
12-03-2020, 12:20 AM
#4
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Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Bellevue, Washington State, near Seattle
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Hi all,
Yes, I've checked for lights, radio, etc.
With the key NOT in the ignition, the door chimes when I open the door. Should the door chime when the key is not in the ignition? To my recollection that normally only happens if the key is in the ignition.
Yes, I've checked for lights, radio, etc.
With the key NOT in the ignition, the door chimes when I open the door. Should the door chime when the key is not in the ignition? To my recollection that normally only happens if the key is in the ignition.
12-03-2020, 02:22 AM
#5
If you've removed the key from the cylinder the only warning chime you should get is when the light parking/headlight switch is left on. Also when closing the door and locking it does the security light come on and go off after a few seconds or does it stay off? Maybe its a bad relay in the drivers fuse area. Swap the blue accessory relay and see if that changes anything. All the switches on the master panel door work?
12-07-2020, 08:37 AM
#6
I'm fighting a problem like that on a local Maxima of a private owner and what I've found so far point is the positive battery terminal fusible links/ bus connectors have a 12 volt pull that are directly attached to the starter, alternator, and Ignition switch!
12-07-2020, 08:40 AM
#7
I also checking all the fuses, pulled all the fuses and that lead me to the positive terminal with those two or three wires tied to it!
02-16-2021, 05:08 PM
#8
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CMax03, so it seems i too have been having the same issue for some time now. My car would start fine one day if not for a whole week with no issues but if i let sit for more than 2 days, it will not start and give symptoms as if the starter was bad. I replaced all 3 critical components, battery, starter and alternator. Once all 3 have been replaced it still gives the same issue where it will not start but just exhibit clicking noise once i turn the key as if again the starter is bad. Then i leave it alone for nearly 4 days and then my battery is completely dead. Now i went ahead and replaced main positive battery cable from battery to starter but not sure if the fusible link is possibly bad? or both links are bad? I went ahead and swapped starter relay but again not sure if that is also good as i got it from the junkyard. So, i basically unplugged the connector that goes straight down to starter and just installed a wire directly from the positive battery terminal to the female end of the connector and the car starts? Any suggestions as to what else i can do?
02-16-2021, 06:17 PM
#9
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Location: Bellevue, Washington State, near Seattle
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I had a mechanic look at it and I think our battery drainage problem is solved.
He found that the hood sensor -- the one that senses whether the hood is open -- was not functioning correctly, and, if I understood him correctly, it was sending frequent signals that the hood was open. He disabled the sensor. He tested the battery for a draw after that and found that there was no draw on it.
I bought a new battery -- by then the battery, though only about 6 months old, had been drained so many times that it still would not hold a charge for more than a couple of days even after disabling the hood sensor. It's been a few weeks and we've had no problem. I suppose it's possible we're still in the process of draining the new battery and will soon have the same problem again, but I'm hopeful that disabling the hood sensor did the trick.
He found that the hood sensor -- the one that senses whether the hood is open -- was not functioning correctly, and, if I understood him correctly, it was sending frequent signals that the hood was open. He disabled the sensor. He tested the battery for a draw after that and found that there was no draw on it.
I bought a new battery -- by then the battery, though only about 6 months old, had been drained so many times that it still would not hold a charge for more than a couple of days even after disabling the hood sensor. It's been a few weeks and we've had no problem. I suppose it's possible we're still in the process of draining the new battery and will soon have the same problem again, but I'm hopeful that disabling the hood sensor did the trick.
02-16-2021, 07:40 PM
#10
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I had a mechanic look at it and I think our battery drainage problem is solved.
He found that the hood sensor -- the one that senses whether the hood is open -- was not functioning correctly, and, if I understood him correctly, it was sending frequent signals that the hood was open. He disabled the sensor. He tested the battery for a draw after that and found that there was no draw on it.
I bought a new battery -- by then the battery, though only about 6 months old, had been drained so many times that it still would not hold a charge for more than a couple of days even after disabling the hood sensor. It's been a few weeks and we've had no problem. I suppose it's possible we're still in the process of draining the new battery and will soon have the same problem again, but I'm hopeful that disabling the hood sensor did the trick.
He found that the hood sensor -- the one that senses whether the hood is open -- was not functioning correctly, and, if I understood him correctly, it was sending frequent signals that the hood was open. He disabled the sensor. He tested the battery for a draw after that and found that there was no draw on it.
I bought a new battery -- by then the battery, though only about 6 months old, had been drained so many times that it still would not hold a charge for more than a couple of days even after disabling the hood sensor. It's been a few weeks and we've had no problem. I suppose it's possible we're still in the process of draining the new battery and will soon have the same problem again, but I'm hopeful that disabling the hood sensor did the trick.
02-16-2021, 08:57 PM
#11
I don't trust those 2 connectors on the positive battery terminal....I had problems with mine on my 1990 and I removed all that and placed the battery in a remote battery box (Vented) eliminating all that crap!
02-17-2021, 11:48 AM
#13
I had a mechanic look at it and I think our battery drainage problem is solved.
He found that the hood sensor -- the one that senses whether the hood is open -- was not functioning correctly, and, if I understood him correctly, it was sending frequent signals that the hood was open. He disabled the sensor. He tested the battery for a draw after that and found that there was no draw on it.
I bought a new battery -- by then the battery, though only about 6 months old, had been drained so many times that it still would not hold a charge for more than a couple of days even after disabling the hood sensor. It's been a few weeks and we've had no problem. I suppose it's possible we're still in the process of draining the new battery and will soon have the same problem again, but I'm hopeful that disabling the hood sensor did the trick.
He found that the hood sensor -- the one that senses whether the hood is open -- was not functioning correctly, and, if I understood him correctly, it was sending frequent signals that the hood was open. He disabled the sensor. He tested the battery for a draw after that and found that there was no draw on it.
I bought a new battery -- by then the battery, though only about 6 months old, had been drained so many times that it still would not hold a charge for more than a couple of days even after disabling the hood sensor. It's been a few weeks and we've had no problem. I suppose it's possible we're still in the process of draining the new battery and will soon have the same problem again, but I'm hopeful that disabling the hood sensor did the trick.
if the hood was opened while the car is locked. it would honk the horns and flash the headlights. who knows what the previous owner did...but you probably hear the relay clicking when the hood switch goes haywire but not actually sound the horn the flash the lights.
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