This must be a common problem. I went to test drive a RX8 with the Nav system and the battery was dead.

 

i agree with GEO .i remember someone saying that the nav can cause your battery too drain .

 

yep.. you know.. the unit i test drove had no nav.. but i told them i wanted to mess with the Bose and NAv units after i drive the test car.. They had to Jump start that car too..


Humm I bet the GPS unit.. draws down the battery ..

 

thew, I guess you've not been able to do the standby current measurement yet?

Why would the NAV system be using current if the car is off? Anyone have any ideas? BTW, I don't have NAV in my car.

rx8cited

 

Just a thought. Your alt could have an internal short slowly draing batt. Happened to my mark 7 lincoln years back. Ran fine every day. Charged battery while running. Slowly discharged batt when not running. Whenever it sat more than 3 days wouldnt start. 2 days it was good but turned over just a tad slow,,,Hope this helps.

 

Rx8cited.. i am hoping to get time to but the meter on the battry tommorw. ...

 

Well, what amp'd?

 

To add to the above posts concerning installing an ammeter between the + post and the + cable. Then what you need to do is remove and then replace each and every fuse one at a time and look for any noticable current drop on the metter. If the reading changes then that is the source of the current drain. Just be sure that all the doors are closed or tape off the light switches to shut off the interior lights.

 

ok.. i had to charege my battery .. no i can do this.. My 8 is still taken apart as i do the RCA input install.. I will meter it today !!!

 

well my moms huge conversion van had the sam problem. she went to experts and they could not find the cause of the drain. i finally found the problem being the genious that i am. it turns out the mirror light was staying on because when it shut it was suposed to hit a very small off button that had gunk on it and wouldnt press in

 

I went to do it this morning.. and guess what.. The Batt was dead ..

So i am charging it up now.. and will meter it tommorw.. first thing.. I did discover today that when i hooked up my Charger the Trunk light came on !!! I think my switch is sticking... but this is the first time i have seen it on !

Ill keep ya posted

 

Darn, you're having a rough time with this problem. How did you notice the trunk light was on? Pull the bulb for a short term solution if it's staying on.

rx8cited

 

Ok, I hope this helps...I went away for a week a came back to a dead battery in my RX-8 as well. I did the multimeter tests unplugging all of my aftermarket electronics 1 at a time to see if somehow they were drawing electricity. After about 2 and a half hours of testing, I move to the trunk to see if anything in there is on and when I go to open the trunk I notice it is not latched closed but looks like it is closed. VOILA! The voltage draw drops in HALF when I close it fully! No problems since. The switch for the trunk has VERY tight tolerances soo I would check that BEFORE anything else.

Hope this helps

 

So far i have found the same thing.. What i dont get is that some times my trunk light is not on but theres still a draw in the trunk..... ANd i though i rememberd a TSB about this?

Ugg I dont want the Dealer to fix it.. i just want the parts.

 

Don't leave the cables attached when you are charging a battery!

 

Even if the instructions that came with the charger do not specify to remove the car's battery cables?

rx8cited

 

"Even if the instructions that came with the charger do not specify to remove the car's battery cables?"

Yes, you're pushing electrons "the wrong way". This can make things like the alternator's diodes unhappy. Low-current devices like trickle-chargers might be safe, but why take chances? Alternators and ECUs are expensive items, and worth 30 seconds to protect, imo. If it says "charger" I remove the cables.

 

heheheh Electrons don't flow the wrong way.. heheheh

unless you reverse the earths Magnetic Poles ....

Have you ever head of a Battery charger booster? The 2 units that i have can also start the car.. I.E. jump start the car..

How do you do this with the cables off?? .....

Anyway.. my 8 was killing the battery because of the trunk light switch.....

 

C'mon, is that all you're going to give us? How'd you figure out it was the switch and how'd did you fix it?

rx8cited

 

is that ur battery own problem? if it's dead u can took it back to store. and flap on to the seller's face.. and.!@#$%^&^%$#@#$%^&*&^%$#

 

hehe

so far i have just been closing the trunk lid a little harder ..

I discoverd that is was the trunk light when i hooked up my battery to the charger.. Then i let it charge for a few mins with me in the car.. after a few mins i opend the pass thru and sure enough the trunk light was on..

SO now I have to slam the trunk.. so far that has fixed it..

 

When your trunk was not shut correctly was it latched and could you still arm your alarm (get the flashing lights acknowledgement that it is armed)?

I cannot shut my trunk without a good swift swing, it either latches or it does not ........ is there some in-between state you're experiencing?

rx8cited

 

Out of curiosity, how are you able to use the standard alarm to lock the car, if the trunk isn't closed?

My after-market alarm has a trunk sensor and won't arm if the trunk isn't latched - did they add that or is it part of the standard alarm?

 

yes.. the trunk will shut and the alarm will arm.. its just not turniing off the trunk light. it seems to be an issue with the contact switch.


but yes the alarm arms just fine..

Now i am just closeing the trunk a bit harder

 

had the same problem... now i think the trunk light is happening to me too. i also passed on having the dealer touch it.

there seem to be three states to the trunk lid:

1. open (lights dont flash when alarm arms, looks ajar)
2. partly closed (lights flash but light stays on, looks closed)
3. closed (boom)

james