thread: 2GRFE Battery Drain

  1. #1

    Sep 2011
    Bowral, Australia (100 kms from Sydney)
    56

    2GRFE Battery Drain

    My 2GRFE SW20 drains the battery whenever the car is left for a few days. At first I thought it was the second hand battery that came with the car on conversion. Replaced the battery and the same drain happens. Start the car with a booster pack and it will start all day after runnjing for a short while. No problem with track days either. Load up the trailer, bring it home and park it for a few days and the batttery is flat again.

    I know it must be something in the wiring. Has anyone encountered similar with a 2GR conversion? Any suggestions as to where to start looking?

    Apart from this issue, my love affair with this car grows as I get more seat time at the track. Picture attached is from the recent MTC 2014 event at Wakefield Park in Australia


    Hillclimb.jpg

  2. #2

    Oct 2012
    United States
    4
    Verify battery drain with a test light. Disconnect a battery terminal and touch the light to the disconnected ends ( with ignition off and doors closed of course).

  3. #3

    Jun 2009
    27
    Same here... lasts about a week unattended on a full charge before the central locking is dead, even when left unlocked and alarm disabled in the garage its completely flat. New battery also. Not too much of an issue for me though as like you say, all the time you're driving it its fine. Only issue is the ecu reset and the settling in period after you've got it started after resting it up for a while. My garage doesn't have power so a batt conditioner is out the question but will probably have a play with solar to see if that helps.

  4. #4
    gavsdavs's Avatar
    Mar 2012
    Rotherhithe
    445
    Probably irrelevant (i'm no car mechanic)...mine had a similar drain which turned out to be a leaky relay for the electric windows in the drivers door. May not be engine related......

  5. #5
    snowtigger's Avatar
    Sep 2007
    stockport
    5,475
    My mk1 does it as well but I think that's down to the alarm and not the 2gr install, I've got both solar and have a battery mate in the garage.
    Plus every so often take the battery of and give it a full charge, yes the ecu reset is a pain.

  6. #6
    Woodsport Paul Woods's Avatar
    Mar 2005
    Durham, UK birthplace of the 1.5,v6 and v8 Mr2
    14,617
    If it helps, i check all my conversions before they leave for excessive battery drain, so subsequent drains are car related rather than engine (unless a fault developed)

    TB Quote of the month:"I split my ear open whilst masturbating" - Jasper Full story Here

  7. #7
    Jiff Lemon's Avatar
    Jul 2005
    Milk and Beans
    2,276
    little bit more scientific checking.
    Disconect earth, put an ammeter (multimeter set to amps) between the earth terminal and the battery negative terminal.
    anything more than .5 amp wants finding.
    Start by removing a single fuse at a time to see if anything causing the reading to drop.
    Usual suspect is the boot bulb
    I hate all southerners. As a point of reference, I'm stood at the north pole.

  8. #8
    Diesel Meister's Avatar
    Nov 2008
    Das Krapital
    548
    Had this on mine every 10 days without exercise - best guess is a duff Clifford immobiliser fitted by prev owner. Now I just keep it hooked on the CTEK and try to drive it more. The former works great, the latter... Call it a New Year Resolution!

    Hoping to get back to it after decorating done ;-)

  9. #9
    cdwood2010's Avatar
    Sep 2010
    Earls Barton
    6,003
    I've had this a lot with aftermarket mods like ICE or security.

    Jeff's fuse pull test would seem like the best move.

    :)

    Chris.

  10. #10

    Apr 2010
    Walsall, West Midlands
    106
    Had the same on my MK3. Most of the problem was with the after market stereo, so I disconnected the yellow memory wire which was the culprit. Doesn't remember my settings now, a bit of a bummer. Now the battery lasts from 1 day to 4 days, that's down to the Toyota alarm system. I havn't tried this yet, but I have been told if you press the fob twice - it deadlocks, but if you press quickly three times, it locks the car but deactivates the alarm. Try that and see if it saves the battery and report back.

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