Electrical issue with 96' infiniti q 45

[night 7474]

The vehicle drains power from the battery and it's not the alt. When the vehicle is hooked up to the power source it will drive just fine but the draining is rapid. Full battery will last a day max. I'm looking for thoughts on what part could draw that much energy with a short and also if possible a review on a local import garage called Paulli's Import Service--111 S. Phelps Ave(5700 Block of E.State St.) Rockford. I have no idea what the best options to take in my situation are. If you have a recommended place you guys trust in Rockford, IL i'd love to get the feedback. I just want to avoid getting taken to the "cleaners" really. I'm also going to have all the fluids flushed including the petro.....would that be a large issue for this model labor wise? Thanks ahead of time....

[Q451990]

to NICO!

There is no common issue with the early Q (or any Q for that matter) that fails and causes a heavy electrical load. How old is the battery? Tell us about the testing that has been done on the battery and alternator to conclude that they're OK.

No help on the Rockford shop... I've been there but my visits included such great attractions as the Sunset Memorial Gardens, a motel, and some place we ate breakfast that looked like a Cracker Barrel on crack. Farmer's Table? Farmer's Shed? Good food if I remember correctly.

Heath

[night 7474]

First thanks for the quick response. As far as testing the battery i have purchased two just to make sure things were ok. After i connected left in overnight then got a reading on the battery even though it was obvious the car wouldn't turn over just to see how much "juice" it lost. Totally dead both times.......angry flashbacks, lol. With the alt i was told that if you start the car and unhook the battery if the car keeps going your alt is fine. If that bit of info isn't right for my situation i will be a happy camper. Oh and as far as food ive really liked the Outback lately. The prime rib ( biggest portion) with two sides just about $26 bucks, with two house options for seasoning...........( Homer Simpson)...ummm donuts...ahhh.....lol. Thanks for the help ahead of time again.

[goody90q45]

If you're convinced that the problem is not alternator or battery related then I would think that any shop should be competent enough to do a quick electrical check at the 2 fuse boxes with a voltmeter and at least tell you which circuit is draining the battery when the car is off.

[night 7474]

Thanks for the reply and that makes sense. Just want as much info from people in the know as I can get so I'm not totally ignorant to what's needed. Off topic your vehicle is right....and it's a 90'......any general tips for me and up keeping? Also I was planning on flushing the gas tank...my question is would this be a huge undertaking for a shop and my year vehicle? Thanks ahead of time for the response and thoughts.

[qship96]

Why would you "flush" the gas tank?

[night 7474]

Ive had the gas in the tank for over a year and I don't want to cause any problems with the engine......best way I could think of to correct things

[Q451990]

So your battery goes from 12 volts to 0 overnight? As far as that alternator test - I wouldn't do that... The electrical system is designed to float over the battery - with it acting as a kind of buffer - so you run the risk of damaging some electrical components. The alternator on the car is just barely capable of powering the car. Under normal operation it can charge the battery while running with a limited number of accessories, but at night with the lights on - especially if you turn the rear defroster on - it's probably not able to keep up with the drain on the battery.

You should see a little over 12 volts with the car turned off, and about 14.4 volts with the engine running.

Heath

[night 7474]

Makes sense.....thanks for the additional info on the issue. If you come up on any other info please fill me in when you have the time.