Battery drain

[dakazman]

  Not Lotus related first of all. Its my 2000 Hyundai Tiberon.
   I just replaced my 7 year old battery because the car did not start , first ever problem with a battery.
 replaced battery and everything honky dory. 4 days later  - no start
 checked amp draw of every fuse nothing to speak of found documented the voltage drop daily .20 volt drop a day.  getting tired of pulling 1 fuse at a time and leaving them out so after8 day i ran the engine and charged up the battery 13.19 volts.  then washed the car, it was still early so i decided to check the voltage before the night time and after sitting 2 hours.  8.07 volts  thinking about it, the battery was dead after are rare rain storms.   I do have a problem with squirrels lately making a home in the engine compartments All the fuses our out of the interior fuse panel and only five more under hood plus all the relays. I have not pulled any of relays.
They also didn't get wet.
  This is driving me crazy.
Dakazman

[Richard48Y]

Twenty-three year old ECM car?
Out of warranty with a problem means it is scrap. 
Too new to be an easy fix and too old to have any value while still being too new to have any value. 
In the morning I get to replace all the O2 sensors in my scrap T-Bird in an effort to cure the engine stumble. 
Not optimistic.

[Rainer]

This could be a bad diode in your alternator, had this several times and these can draw up to 5 amps.
Connect the ampmeter between battery minus and ground check for draw, disconnect the alternator and check again.
As a rule of thumb up to 25mA after some waiting time is ok. Checked a 2013 Tiguan yesterday and it got down to 12mA in about 10 minutes.
Also flooded towing connections are a problem at least our europe style types.

Regards Rainer

[dakazman]

 Rainer, You nailed it.
  Took your tip and disconnected the positive term of the Alternator , watched for the drop in battery voltage…, next to nothing 12.45 to 12.43 in about 12 hours. I’ll find the schematic and see exactly where I split the system. I couldn’t get the excitation plug out.
  Being attacked by wasps and a creeping jack I elected to put it off for another day.
  With 260,000 miles on the alternator it may be time to replace. I keep you posted.
Dakazman

[EuropaTC]

  With 260,000 miles on the alternator it may be time to replace.

that's the trouble these days, nothing is made to last.....   

[dakazman]

  After ordering one I decided to pull the old one. Found the real problem 😡 , see pictures…the new alternator will be here in 4 days .
   The Hyundai has been an exceptional vehicle as far as reliability. The 10 year warranty was great also.
Dakazman
 

[dakazman]

 I wonder if this tickled just a bit ?  Found my terminals, now for wires, heat shrink and new conduit.
  Sorry , Squirrel damage found !🐿️🐿️🐿️
Dakazman

[dakazman]

  Repairs to all the wires completed and with my new alternator arrived I completed the reinstall. Changed the oil while I was down there laying on my back . It’s still on hackstands because I ordered the engine splash panels because they were crumpling with any movement.
  I added a double layer of shielding to deter the vermin.

Dakazman

[dakazman]

  I took care of the problem this morning. Moment of silence please. Too graphic for posting.
 
   Slash guards show up so that job is done and coming off jacks .

[dakazman]

  All good with my cars battery drain. Now I get to go back in the attic to lay insulation. 😥
The good thing is now my friend keeps showing up for another meal. 
Dakazman