draining battery

[cpu999-1]

have a 94 ford escort lx 1.9 l wagon,the problem is that when the car sits for more that 5 hrs battery gos dead rechaged battery car starts fine next day battery dead,the alt. is charging battery 14.3v replace radiator fan relay,no fix,I hope some one can help who had same problem

[mightymoose_22]

Sometimes a bad battery just won't hold a charge and needs to be replaced.

However, you might have an open circuit somewhere, and someone with a little more technical know-how than me can explain to you how to check if something is drawing power when the car is supposed to be turned off.

[GTP Dad]

If the alternator is putting out 14.3 volts then the issue is either a bad battery or a corroded battery cable that is not allowing charge to get to the battery. When did you replace the battery last? If it is fairly new the the problem is somewhere other than the battery but if it is more than 3 years old I would suspect the battery.

[cpu999-1]

Originally Posted by GTP Dad

If the alternator is putting out 14.3 volts then the issue is either a bad battery or a corroded battery cable that is not allowing charge to get to the battery. When did you replace the battery last? If it is fairly new the the problem is somewhere other than the battery but if it is more than 3 years old I would suspect the battery.

the battery is in good working conition had alt. check out working ok

[Davescort97]

cpu999-1. To find out what is draining the battery use this test. First, make sure the dome light isn't on and if you have a light that comes on under the hood take the bulb out. Take the cable off of the battery. Either side will work. Attatch a test light with 2 leads---1 lead to the battery post and 1 lead to the cable you took off. The light should be on if something is draining your battery. To find out what, take the fuses out one at a time and when the light goes out, that is the circuit that is draining the battery. There is very little current taken for the computer, radio-presets, and clock. These should be left alone because they don't take enough current to drain your battery. Even over a long period of time. If the light goes out be looking at that circuit and the components it provides power to. As I said before. The engine computer, radio presets and clock might make the light come on very dim. Ignore this and look for something that pulls several amps. The light will come on bright when you find what you are looking for. If you can't find the draw of power be looking at your battery if it is over 3 years old. Later, Dave