Freelander drains battery overnight

Getting nowhere with this at the moment. I tried a variation of the bulb test - not sure if my method is valid, I made up a test lead with a 12v 30W bulb cable and 2 croc clips. Attached one end of test light to battery + terminal. With not having another pair of hands to assist I removed 3 fuses at a time, closed Landy door (to ensure interior light circuit closed), walked around to the front, touched test light against battery clamp - lamp lit. Opened door of landy replace the 3 fuses, removed the next 3 and repeated the process. Each time the test light was full brightness, went through all fuses in the interior box and all the fuses in the engine compartment box - no difference with any of them - light glowed brightly when each group of 3 was out of the holder. Of course with the bonnet open there is an open circuit through the bonnet switch but surely that only powers the "door open" light on the dash. I began to suspect the alarm system so left it unlocked all afternoon - 5 hours later battery too low to start engine. Still starts and runs fine on fresh battery. Anyway - it's booked in at a garage on Tuesday so beginning to admit defeat. Any last thoughts guys ????

Did you take out the fused links as well as the fuses, there could be up to 12 of them ?

Hi Ian, No I didn't touch the fused links as the manual warns against messing with them - so there is still plenty of scope for problems to investigate. Probably leave them to the professionals though - but do they just pull out ?

They are only big fuses, removing one shouldn't be any different than if one blows.
Link 1 I think is bolt in, but as it feeds,the alternator, Links 2,7 and 10, and fuses 5,8 and9 it can be eliminated by removing those links and fuses and disconnecting your alternator.
Alternatively pulling Link 1 saves you doing those others. Do you have a copy of RAVE it has a good circuit diagram section.
Also Main relay (R4 I think) is powered from the battery with no fuse, so try pulling this.

If it's pulling well over 10 amps which is blowing your meters current fuse, then try the voltage trick. Fully charge the battery away from the car. Leave the battery to settle for 10 minutes. Then fit the battery to the car. Put a volt meter across the battery terminals. If say your cars pulling 20amps when the fault occurrs, then the battery volts will drop as and when the battery is loaded. Volts will rise to normal when not loaded. Hence you can pull out fuses in turn to see which fused circuit has the desired effect of a volt drop.

My backgrounds in electronics so I appreciate the voltage trick isn't as good as measuring current, but when somethings powered by a battery and draining large currents, it's a help. Especially when a shunt load isn't available.

The connection on the starter motor is the feed from the battery and also from the alternator, you could try disconnecting it to isolate these.

It could also be the alternator. Try removing the plug from the back overnite.

If its lighting a 30W bulb via the leak current and nothing is looking like its burning
I would start looking at the heavy current items - lights are not on, ceramic heater (don't think the 2002 had one?), heated mirrors or rear window (has it got a heated screen?) :scratching_chin:
Failing a stuck on circuit then a failed alternator rectifier diode would be favourite.
Going with Floppy on that one. :clap2:

juiceyv8 said:

Set it on fire and the problem will go away.

Click to expand...

Could'nt agree more..

Took Landy into garage that does my servicing. He re-connected battery and the tailgate window went down (as it is meant to) and he took it back up on the dash switch. He connected ammeter between battery and clamp and found constant 7 amp drain. He went to gather up his test gear and did a couple of other jobs. Meanwhile Landy was parked in his workshop with its arse close to large space heater. A little while later he heard the sound of the tailgate window operate on its own and there was a puddle of ice melt on the floor. He checked the ammeter and the current drain had gone. He kept it in the workshop for 48 hours with a datalogging ammeter connected and operated all the switches and components and could not reproduce the unexplained current drain. His theory was that the rear window was frozen up but I said that cannot be the case as I have had the battery in and out lots of times and each time the window opened and was closed by me using the dash switch with no problem. Only remaining conclusion is that maybe the switch in the tailgate handle which lowers the window and inch to allow the door to open was stuck on. However this must have been one of the fusues I removed and I never saw the test lamp dim. Anyway Landy has now had 4 days without any current drain, 2 in his nice warm workshop and 2 back on my freezing drive in minus 8 C and so far no return of the problem. However – I think I will be carrying a spare battery with me for a good while yet !!!! Garage only charged me £50 for the investigations which is fair enough. Does the above fall within the “stuck on circuit” as suggested by TD John ? Hopefully this is my last post on this thread. Cheers for all your help and suggestions everyone.

So the moral of the story is: bring yer Freelander inside on cold winter days, and put it buy the fire. But not too close...