Anybody know a mechanic that can fix shorts?

The old Beamer has an electrical drain somewhere. Alt. is good, but it has drained 3 new batteries. Anybody know someone that can do what it takes to find an electrical short?

I do not know of anyone. How do the cables look? Could have a bad ground, or bad connection off of the battery to somewhere else.

Well if you installed an electrical component (stereo,etc) you could pretty much point to that. Something my have become disconnected causing a short of sorts.

Short of that, warm up the multimeter and flashlight. The hunt is on. Look for frayed wires, and then testing each component to see which one is drawing power and shouldn't when the car is off.

Electrical bugs can be a challenge and an exercise in patience.

Most likely an interior dome light or similar.

2006GT wrote:Well if you installed an electrical component (stereo,etc) you could pretty much point to that. Something my have become disconnected causing a short of sorts.

Short of that, warm up the multimeter and flashlight. The hunt is on. Look for frayed wires, and then testing each component to see which one is drawing power and shouldn't when the car is off.

Electrical bugs can be a challenge and an exercise in patience.

This is Blair we are talking about here.

Blair I can look at it for ya.

Patience is certainly not one of my virtues.

2006GT wrote:Blair I can look at it for ya.

That might be the deal. I have not installed anything on it and I have had 2 different mechanics look at the cables, so that's not it. It's probably the tail lights as I am getting a message that there is a problem, but they are working fine.

Do the break lights stay on after you turn the car of? Could have a bad relay as well?

Do you leave anything plugged in: cell phone charger, Radar detector, any thing like that??

03.sonicblue wrote:Do the break lights stay on after you turn the car of? Could have a bad relay as well?

Do you leave anything plugged in: cell phone charger, Radar detector, any thing like that??

Nope, nope, nope.

If I jump the car, it charges right up, but if I don't drive it every day, dead.

We need to get a volt meter. If you have one or have access to one get it. Turn off the car and let it set for about 3 -5 minutes. Hook up the volt meter and see if there are any amps being drawn. If it is more than about .3-.6 you have a problem. From what I have read, most BMW 3 series pull about .3 amps just sitting. Temperature change will drain your battery before these .3 amps will. If you do get a reading higher than .6, patiently start pulling fuses until the volt meter changes (but replace them as you go as well if the meter does't change). If you get the meter to change, Voila, you have found your falty circuit and know where to begin looking and researching. I can help you out later in the week or next week. Just need to find a voltmeter.

03.sonicblue wrote:We need to get a volt meter. If you have one or have access to one get it. Turn off the car and let it set for about 3 -5 minutes. Hook up the volt meter and see if there are any amps being drawn. If it is more than about .3-.6 you have a problem. From what I have read, most BMW 3 series pull about .3 amps just sitting. Temperature change will drain your battery before these .3 amps will. If you do get a reading higher than .6, patiently start pulling fuses until the volt meter changes (but replace them as you go as well if the meter does't change). If you get the meter to change, Voila, you have found your falty circuit and know where to begin looking and researching. I can help you out later in the week or next week. Just need to find a voltmeter.

Tarzan no like electricity.

Its just a couple of sparks, hardly even enough to burn you. I will try to find a volt meter.

I have a DVOM if you need to borrow it. Or look at it whenever.

Don't blow the fuse when checking for amps, them suckers are expensive. Let the car sit around 30 minutes to make sure all the modules are asleep. Ford spec is like .05 amp is normal, anything higher then that start pulling fuses like stated, it can be a pita thats for sure.

well we had a car (chevy of course) that if we let it set for more than a few days w/o starting we had to take the radio fuse out or it would no start. had full time clock in it.

A bad diode in the alternator can let voltage back feed to ground.

Forgot i am dealing with a OU grad.Pull the ground cable off and hook a volt meter(one lead to cable,one lead to - post,this puts it in series)If the reading is high,remove the out put cable from the alt. if the reading drops ,bad alt.If not replace alt wire and start pulling fuses while watching the volt meter.Walmart sell one for 25 bucks,or you could take your tight ass to the BMW dealership and let them fix it.

It's been to two mechanics already. The alt. is OK. Nobody wants to look for shorts, BMW dealer or not.

A alt.will still charge and work.It's the diode that lets batt.voltage flow back to ground when not running.Did they do the above check.I had a glove box light stick on once and caused a drain.If you have one pull the bulb.

Thought of something else.It's not a fix,but will keep the batt. from going dead.They make a quick disconect(looks like a knife,)that you can put on the batt.cable.Lift the hood and pull up on the handle and the batt.is no longer tied to the system.

carcrazy53 wrote:A alt.will still charge and work.It's the diode that lets batt.voltage flow back to ground when not running.Did they do the above check.I had a glove box light stick on once and caused a drain.If you have one pull the bulb.

I seen this happens allot. Also check to see it the trunk light is still on when the trunk is close or the light under the hood. I seen tail light stay on also on other vehicles, as stated before.

is that car red also could be just a bad year for red

It's been working OK for the last 3 mornings, but then gain it's been warm and the car has only been sitting for less that 12 hrs at a time. Once this weather hits, we'll see.

Blair, I am free next week. Pic a day and give me a shout, we can take a look at it and see if we can track down the source

Will do.

As mentioned before. Ditto

Still starting now. We'll see what she does in this cold weather.