I have had my Renault Megane (‘51’ registered 1.4L) for just two weeks. The battery died, so I bought a new one, but that died too after only four days (by the way, the alternator looks brand new). I recharged the battery out of the car, then ran the engine again and the battery died once more shortly after. Could I have a short circuit somewhere? I have checked as much as I can regarding the possibility that the boot light and other electrical components may be left turned on, but I’m getting nowhere. Any help would be great thanks.
The mechanic says...
It sounds as if there must be a significant current drain to sap your battery’s power after just a few days. The alternator’s output, and also the precise rate at which the battery is being drained, need to be measured, and the circuitry should be investigated to establish exactly where the problem lies. Your best bet for the quickest and most cost-effective rectification of the problem is to take the vehicle to a specialist auto electrician, or a reputable mechanic. They will have the necessary equipment and skill to be able to measure the current drain and pinpoint the cause of the trouble, in the shortest possible time.
It seems likely that the fault is causing a huge current drain over a period of a few days, rather than a short-circuit that would deplete battery power almost instantaneously.
One trouble with the complex electrical systems on modern vehicles is that fault-tracing is not straightforward for do-it-yourself operators. In addition, the multitude of electrical/electronic components fitted to most vehicles over the last 10 years or so means that there is much scope for faults to occur, especially as the cars age.
