Battery being drained from unknown source

[mattman]

Hey guys here is the situation
91 accord ex
something is draining the battery to the point of it being dead.
the battery is a 4 year old optima yellow top.

the battery has NOT shown any signs of dying (i.e. barley cranking over)
just suddenly over the past 3 days it has been dead every time the car has sat for over 5 hours.

had the battery tested as well as the alternator at Orielly's they said the battery is good (as it damn should be) and the alternator is running at about 13 amps... im no expert but I am under the impression 14+ was ideal.. however they did say that the solonoids "passed" but something else failed but I cant remember what that was. anyways I did the old test of disconnecting the battery while the car was running and the alternator continued to power the car no problem with all accessories on.

So my question is this what could be killing the battery?.. and yes I am sure I didnt leave the damn lights on lol

Should I just go ahead and have the alternator replaced? or could it be something else? thanks

*note I do have two amps and hid retrofit kit attached to the battery

[lucifer1]

You need to disconnect the battery and put an ammeter on there to check for a current draw. You should have a substantial draw to kill a battery in 5 hours. If there is a draw, start pulling fuses one by one. Eventually you will find a fuse where the draw goes away to give you a starting point of where to look for a problem.

I would put a known good battery in first and see if you still have problem. Optima batteries are garbage and a 4 year old is past its lifespan.

[Joey GT-R]

the alternator is running at about 13 amps... im no expert but I am under the impression 14+ was ideal.. however they did say that the solonoids "passed" but something else failed but I cant remember what that was.

You need to start by replacing the alternator first. If it failed one of the three tests used to determine its functionality it very well could be the reason your battery is being drained. My last alternator had a bad diode that drained the battery even with the car off.

[mattman]

You need to disconnect the battery and put an ammeter on there to check for a current draw. You should have a substantial draw to kill a battery in 5 hours. If there is a draw, start pulling fuses one by one. Eventually you will find a fuse where the draw goes away to give you a starting point of where to look for a problem.

okay that sounds good, I have a feeling that it is possibly a relay or something in the car that is stuck open and drawing from the battery. I will give this a shot and see what happens, thanks

[mattman]

You need to start by replacing the alternator first. If it failed one of the three tests used to determine its functionality it very well could be the reason your battery is being drained. My last alternator had a bad diode that drained the battery even with the car off.

I bought a new alternator, however I am just waiting to see if I can troubleshoot the issue first for a cheaper solution. I can return the alternator I bought if I do not end up needing it. fingers crossed ..

[EsperHamid]

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