The Electrical Guide has an entry "Ground Point Locations".

 

Do you mean to the right front wheel well? I will go looking after it today - do I have to take the wheel off, or can I crawl under to see the strap? Believe it or not, the chassis make-ups are largely similiar.

cheers....thanks again

 

Yes, the RF wheel well. At least on our LHD cars. You can probably turn the wheels enough to gain access and see.

Cheers,

 

Unless you are absolutely in LOVE with the car it is time to cut your considerable losses and move on. Just how big is the drain?

 

In the interim why not install a switch to disable the Switched System Relays until you figure it out.

Flip the switch when you leave the car unless that disables something critical.

 

Well let's give him a chance to run some tests first, so he can find out what's really going on. Then he can decide on a course of action.

Cheers,

 

I think that installing a switch to turn off the "switched power system" will also disable the alarm and power door locks if I remember right. I was able to locate my power drain problem to Circuit 33 (switched Illumination/dimming circuit) in the front right kick panel fuse box. I installed a switch that opens that circuit. Just a temporary fix until I can find out if the problem is in the GECM or something bad in the circuit.
Anyway, I'm no expert but trying help with my limited experience as I have been helped through this forum

 

here's the latest:
went over to my mate's flat today and we put an ammeter on it. However as soon as we pulled the terminals - which I had been doing before to prevent discharge - and put the ammeter on to connect the circuit, the 'secondary'* horn went off. Not the alarm sound, but, a beep beep beep horn - well we couldn't get it to shut off even disconnecting the wires to it. Must have its own battery - perhaps a rechargeable battery? - More on that later - it stopped after about 10 min. So we set up for the test. All doors shut, window open boot lights out and boot pin cable wrapped.

Using the method XJR suggested w/ the visor light - we monitored the draw down. And sure enough, it started at about 1.4A, then after 5 min down to 1.02A, and after 35 min down to 20ma, and the visor light went out.

Is it possible that bloody (secondary) horn was bleeding power and waking up the system? I can't declare success fully because I need now to wait for the car overnight and see what happens tomorrow night when I go to work.

cheers to all for the suggestions. Also - one thing - we put the ammeter in series across the positive, most recommend to do this across the negative. I hope that didn't bugger our test up.

*secondary horn - it was located on the right front (UK driver's side) under the bonnet next to the RF headlight. Its a metal box about the size of a big man's fist.

 

You know it's funny you mention this as I have an intermittent battery drain issue. But I also have had the RF door opening and no interior lights go on a couple of times.

Another thing that's screwy is the manual overhead lamp at the top of the windshield LH side. I can turn it on sometimes and it just will not turn off. Though leaving this lamp on has never been the direct cause of my battery drain.

Are these lamp switch locations like that more complex than a simple mechanical on/off? Such as a trigger on a bus system?

 

I can't figure out which specific lamp that is but from the elec guide:
lots of the lamps are just a switch then the light across a power feed
plenty more are controlled by a module - you can tell which most are because they come on without you operating a switch (and many auto fade out), such as by opening a door or turning ignition off at night

The elec guide shows the details of exactly which is which and which module does what.

It also shows which power feed is off when engine and/or ignition is off. And the latter is a clue for some of the people whose drains have turned out to be ignition switch related.

 

Anyone know how these horns work? are they powered by re-chargeable batteries? Is it possible this thing can try to draw power which then de-stablizes the CANBUS equilibrium (for lack of better word)?

well, the car is resting now 8 hours, I'll see if its good in the morning.
cheers,
Scott

 

Ordinary horns. See elec guide. Your car has no CAN.

 

The security system defaults to armed when the battery is reconnected. Leave your key hang in the ignition when connecting, that may stop the horn.

You're on the right track, see what happens as the car sets. Maybe something is waking up the system after a period of time.

Cheers,

 

well, I'm stumped because the battery was disconnected and the wires to the small box for this horn were disconnected, but, the horn continued to sound (beeep beeep beeep, etc). It wasn't the sound from the steering wheel horn, and it wasn't the same sound from the alarm system - both of those completely different. (And it did NOT respond to commands being pressed from the key fob)
this horn worked despite being removed totally from power. I gotta say seemed different.

Update: Just checked the battery. Still fully charged after 13 hours. This is the longest its lasted in over 3 weeks.

 

Could this "horn" be some sort of aftermarket alarm component ??

 

Good thought 666, leightos, can you take a picture of the mystery box?

 

one photo is a wider angle to get perspective. the other is the closup of the box.

Anyway...new problem - now its been 17 hours and the battery is dead again. I'm gonna vomit!

funny thing is...another data point - I took out the key, and popped the boot and then hooked up my CTEK charger, and as soon as I did, all 4 windows went down half way.

I can't figure this out. yesterday the car went to sleep, on its own...totally to sleep. now dead again.

 

is this the box in question ?

 

yes ...
but, you can imagine that I don't consider that the offending component anymore because its disconnected and the battery ran down last night.

 

but if its a part of an aftermarket alarm system the may be more parts, wiring, switches, that may be drawing power or stopping your car from powering down