Peugeot 206 2003 - Battery drain

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Sun 6 Mar 2022 20:25
Peugeot 206 2003 - Battery drain - galileo

Elderly neighbour's Peugeot 2003 failed to start, multimeter shows the battery has only 7 volts after standing on her drive unused for just one day.

This is the fourth time this has happened over the year she has had the car, the supplying garage has supposedly fitted a new battery and new fuse box, which has not cured the problem.

Obviously there is something which drains the battery sometimes when stood idle, a random fault but renders the car so unreliable she dare not use it.

Any suggestions, would a local auto electrician be worth a try, or would a Peugeot Agent's diagnostic charge be worth the expense?

(The previous owner rarely used it as it was a second car, so 20,500 recorded mileage is genuine)

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Sun 6 Mar 2022 22:00
Peugeot 206 2003 - Battery drain - elekie&a/c doctor
These are pretty basic cars , with not much to go wrong. Check items like boot and glovebox lights , if fitted .,I would take it to a local Indy electrical specialist for testing. However, an intermittent fault may not show . Taking it to a main dealer would be a waste of money, they are unlikely to have seen a car this old . All you’ll get is advice about the brakes and wiper blades .
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Sun 6 Mar 2022 22:08
Peugeot 206 2003 - Battery drain - galileo
These are pretty basic cars , with not much to go wrong. Check items like boot and glovebox lights , if fitted .,I would take it to a local Indy electrical specialist for testing. However, an intermittent fault may not show . Taking it to a main dealer would be a waste of money, they are unlikely to have seen a car this old . All you’ll get is advice about the brakes and wiper blades .

Thanks Doc, I was thinking along those lines, I did check boot/glovebox and it has no alarm, no remote locking, a random fault is, as you say, hard to find.

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Mon 7 Mar 2022 12:20
Peugeot 206 2003 - Battery drain - Gibbo_Wirral

Google "Planet owners map" and find a fellow Peugeot owner with the diagnostic kit. They'll know as much as the dealers but it will only cost you the price of a pint as opposed to £100+VAT.

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Mon 7 Mar 2022 12:27
Peugeot 206 2003 - Battery drain - galileo

Many thanks, Gibbo, I charged the battery yesterday and today it started and ran as normal.

I will see if she wants me to follow up your suggestion and if so will feedback any results.

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Tue 8 Mar 2022 11:01
Peugeot 206 2003 - Battery drain - Peter.N.

Must be a fairly hefty drain to flatten the battery in a day, disconnect the alternator and check it for current flow, with the engine off of course.

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Tue 8 Mar 2022 14:13
Peugeot 206 2003 - Battery drain - bathtub tom

OP states the car belongs to an elderly person. Could they be doing something forgetfully perhaps?

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Tue 8 Mar 2022 16:49
Peugeot 206 2003 - Battery drain - galileo

As Peter N points out going from 12V to 7V in a matter of 16 hours suggests a drain of quite a few amps. It only happens every few weeks, given there are no obvious causes such as lights/alarms/ignition left on overnight I wondered if the electronics pack on the alternator had a fault that was the cause.

Bathtub Tom's alternator check might show this up, if not I think it need a trip to our local auto electrician, when that can be arranged with them (and the owner!)

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Tue 8 Mar 2022 19:19
Peugeot 206 2003 - Battery drain - elekie&a/c doctor
If it’s the alternator causing an iod ( ignition off draw) , then it would be warm to the touch after an overnight stand . If this is faulty, then it’s likely to be a permanent rather intermittent issue .
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Tue 8 Mar 2022 22:02
Peugeot 206 2003 - Battery drain - galileo
If it’s the alternator causing an iod ( ignition off draw) , then it would be warm to the touch after an overnight stand . If this is faulty, then it’s likely to be a permanent rather intermittent issue .

Thanks for that Doc, sharing your knowledge is much appreciated .

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Wed 9 Mar 2022 12:16
Peugeot 206 2003 - Battery drain - Gibbo_Wirral

OP states the car belongs to an elderly person. Could they be doing something forgetfully perhaps?

Possible, but then I would expect "Economy mode" to quickly kick in when the battery is in danger and start to turn off things automatically. Lights left on when leaving the car is accompanied by a loud beeping to remind you they're still on.

Are we absolutely sure the battery is OK? Has it been properly tested, regardless of its age?

Edited by Gibbo_Wirral on 09/03/2022 at 12:17

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Wed 9 Mar 2022 13:28
Peugeot 206 2003 - Battery drain - galileo

OP states the car belongs to an elderly person. Could they be doing something forgetfully perhaps?

Possible, but then I would expect "Economy mode" to quickly kick in when the battery is in danger and start to turn off things automatically. Lights left on when leaving the car is accompanied by a loud beeping to remind you they're still on.

Are we absolutely sure the battery is OK? Has it been properly tested, regardless of its age

It is a bit tricky to organise these things as the neighbour's husband died just a month or so ago, she is struggling with things he used to deal with, other family doesn't live near/works full time.

As and when possible I'd take it to a well regarded auto electrician l have used before.

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