RB20, couple of small issues

[90_rb20]

Okay, here goes. Ive read through my search results and all seem to ask the right question but never come up with a definite solution/answer.

Problem 1 (and biggest problem)

Car cranks, runs and idles FINE. Running, its meters out perfectly for a car with a correctly functioning alternator. Just bought an Optima Red Top and it has been installed in car.

I can crank the car in the morning, drive the car all day, and come home and park it. Wake up in the morning and car is dead.

Possible Problems?

Dead Short?Test: Disconnect the negative battery cable and attach a test light to the negative cable. With key out of the ignition, and doors shut, touch the test light the negative post.

Does it light up? If yes, you have a direct short somewhere.Fixes? Have someone hold the test light, go to your fuse bx and begin pulling fuses one at a time, and reinsert them if it does not kill the light. Once you pull a fuse that kills the light, you've found your source of the short. Locate and repair wiring.

Problem with mine is that it does not light up. So its reading that there is no direct short.

Ive checked my fusable links, and all of the connections, thoroughly cleaned them, and all are in "as new condition"

Any other ideas? Ive heard that some people have problems with their rear defrost running the battery dead while the car was off, any help would be great. I have a battery tester, the battery is good as is the alternator. Car also has all new ground wires.

2) Timing was retarded from teh previous owner. (Dont ask why) He completely rebuilt the motor prior to me purchasing it and I believe he was doing it because he believed that it would be better for break in.

What timing are you guys running? Stock? Ive heard some are running and stock and some are coming out a bit. Just want to know what yall are having luck with.

[Nick51]

So the battery is completely dead in the morning like 0.0v?

Look at the back of your ecu and see if the red led light is staying on when the key is out of the ingnition, that will have a little draw and drain your battery but would it be enough to drain your battery all the way over night, yeah it could. I know when I had this problem with the led staying on my car would not be able to start sometimes in the morning/afternoon.

That would be my first place to check and get out of the way

I havent heard of the rear defrost drain but I think I still have a very very little drain somewhere but not enough to kill the battery overnight.

[90_rb20]

How did you rectify the red led issue?

[Nick51]

"ok to fix this problem u need to unrap the wiring for both the green relays near the ecu, no turn the ign. on and feel for them to click, only 1 will be clicking, now locate the orange (iirc) wire running between the 2 relays and to the ecu, cut the wire that is running to the relay that IS NOT clicking. problem should be solved."driftmyke heres the link zerothread?id=299889

[90_rb20]

Checked for the red light, and it's not currently lit.

Any other ideas? Ive looked for everything that I could that may be causing the problem but to no avail.

[90_rb20]

bump, still need input

[craz4240]

Could be something as silly as a glovebox light being on....any shop can check your car for parasitic draw.

If that comes up negative then go to things like ecu,fuel pump staying on etc.

Then I would suspect the alternator..it is only 80amps so if you are running e-fans,stereo,lit up gauges,turbo timers etc etc. then it won't keep up.Answer here is Nissan Quest 110amp alternator retrofit.

If your running a race style battery it may not have enough reserve to start the car after running it al day and the alternator not keeping up with charging.

[mott6904]

Use a multimeter and check to see if the car is pullin any amps when everything is off. If so then start pulling fuses again. If not then you might have got the wrong size optima. How many amps is your alternator putting out?

[Joe]

correct, you need to check for a parasitic draw with a multimeter. start pulling fuses till you find out which one is wired incorrectly.

[90_rb20]

Just some things that Ive learned that may help someone out in the future.

If you leave you car off with the negative batter cable disconnected it will go into "sleep" mode.

When the car is off, you shouldnt be pulling more than 20-50 mA. If you are, like many have said, pull fuses until the amperage goes back down to normal amperage.

Also, you need to check your wiring from the alternator to the battery. If you're running an electric fan, radio, after market lighting, gauges with lighting, you're not goign to get as high as a rating as you would on a normal car. So do not be upset if youre not getting as high of a reading, you can still all be good.

Parasitic draw is usually be a big culprit, so check this after youve verified that your battery and alternator are in proper working order. Thanks for helping me guys. Yall are all very helpful!~

[Nick51]

^^^So what exactly is sleep mode if your trying to see you have a draw or do a test, like it wont read accuratly?

I also have an optima red top, Ive had it tested along with the alternator and both are in good working condition. When my car sits for awhile say longer than 8 hrs and when I go to start it up it will crank the first time and sputter like it wants to start so I let off. Try again and it slowly cranks down like theres not enough juice and then finally it wont crank at all so I have to jump it. Then when it does get fired up Im reading 13.7-13.9 volts. After a few minutes of driving it falls off to around 13.6. I checked for the parasitic draw and the tester light comes on for less than a second. If let off the contact for a few seconds and test again it does the same thing. I have tried charging the battery but it really doesnt do anything when the car sits for about more than 8 hrs.So why would this be doing this, do I have a draw somewhere?

[90_rb20]

Nick, you definitely have a draw. Sleep mode isnt something that is regconized by all auto workers but its definitely something to keep in mind. When testing using this method, detach the negative battery cable and let it sit for about 5 mins. What this is doing is putting car in sleep more, AKA giving the car enough to know that its not a short stop and completely powering down the car to the bare essentials.

Tests lights do not accurately test a parasitic draw. All a test will do is tell you if there is enough current to power the light. Use a multimeter and put it to your lowest amp setting if it does not have an auto sensing feature. Test for amps. If you're running more than around .20mA then begin to pull fuses until you find the culprit. Let me know if this is helpful.

[Nick51]

Yeah dude that clears it all up. Im gonna give this a try when I get home and see what the meter reads.Thanks for your help, appreciate it.

[Cpt_Impossible]

"ok to fix this problem u need to unrap the wiring for both the green relays near the ecu, no turn the ign. on and feel for them to click, only 1 will be clicking, now locate the orange (iirc) wire running between the 2 relays and to the ecu, cut the wire that is running to the relay that IS NOT clicking. problem should be solved."driftmyke heres the link zerothread?id=299889

This is what fixed my huge drain...

[mott6904]

If your car is wired right it sould go into sleep mode less than a minute of the key being turned off.

[Nick51]

If your car is wired right it sould go into sleep mode less than a minute of the key being turned off.

with both terminals connected right?

[mott6904]

Yes with both battery terminals connected. Im a mechanic and personally for me i think 40 ma is the max draw IMO.

[Nick51]

So checking for draw, would it have to done with both terminals connected or the neg disconnected?

[mott6904]

Negative connected and then the power has the multimeter in series.