Nissan Repair: Dead battery on 1993 Altima, volt ohm meter, small drain

Question
Von,

We have had some discussion before on this issue.

I have a 1993 Altima GLE with 57,000 miles on it.

The problem is that after approximately three weeks, the battery becomes discharged to the point it won't turn the engine over.The battery has been replaced twice together with the Alternator. The senior tech at the local Nissan dealorship has tried four times to trouble shoot this problem without success. He has even called the factory technical help line.The Nissan tech has had the battery on test for hours hoping to see some type of draw. This test is not showing any specific draw problems.

I am at wits end with this problem. Have you any ideas where we go from here.

Regards,

Mike Izon
Las Cruces, NM

Answer
Mike,

You have something draining your battery.  But, it is such a small drain that it will take the car down after three weeks.  100 milliamp draw is normal on some modern cars.  The computer has to remember all these things and that causes a 1 percent drain a day on the battery.  You have more than that so I think you need to see if there is some aftermarket part on or perhaps the fuel pump continues to run due to a stuck relay.  The only way to find the problem is to start looking at different circuits with the car off and see what is draining the battery.  A volt ohm meter and an inductive amp gauge are really helpful in tracking these problems.