Hi everyone, anybody help me out here. 12v drain on 89 Rs Turbo. Seems to be when yellow relay is left in , in fuse box. One which powers indicators and heater fan. Removed fan and indicator stalk but still a drain. Dies this relay power anything else?? As soon as a connect battery it energises 🥴 with nothing apparently on .
Thanks
Dale

 

Any aftermarket alarm fitted?

 

No, no after market alarm. Disconnected indicator stalk, heater fan and now radiator fan but still energising with no ignition on .

 

My rst drained and it was the interior light circuit if i recall it had a dimmer module
i think on the alarm....I'm sure once this was removed it didn't play up.

It did also now i think require the fuse box coming out as some of the connections were iffy.

 

I think the interior light/clock is still on when I remove the yellow relay. So don’t think it’s that.Only things that seem to stop working are the indicators and heater fan. I also disconnected radiator fan aswell just incase. So thinking it’s one of these. Also removed all indicator bulbs aswell but still same. Driving me mad 🥴😂

 

Either of these?

 

Yes it’s no.6.

 

Thats the ignition relay from a google search, I'm no sparkie so could it be something on this circuit....

Just a train of thought.....what powers up when the keys turned....could something be sticking open??

 

Yeah I read it was ignition relay and on the fuse box cover it shows like a lightning strike which would say it’s ignition but it powers indicators and heater fan because when I take it out they don’t work. Everything works fine when engine running. Indicators/ heater fine. Doesn’t seem to be a bad earth because lights all work as they should. Just don’t know

 

Sorted at last. Know my Rs turbo inside out now. And found the battery drain was caused by the yellow relay in fuse box. One nearest inner wing(no.6) . What it was though and not sure how long this has been going on for( probably since I got it) but the two yellow relays in fuse box are different. And they were in wrong place. Been swapped round. They both fit in but just in wrong place. Swapped them round and sorted. 👍 Easy. So anybody need any help. Just send me a msg 👍😂

 

Glad it was a relatively easy fix in the end, and thanks for posting the remedy.

 

No probs 👍

 

Hi again, thought I,d sorted the battery drain on my Rs . Thought the yellow relays were in wrong place but no. Battery dead after two days 🥴. And where I put the no.6 yellow relay (swapped it with yellow no.4) there’s a drain on no.4 and when I run car no.6 yellow relay gets red hot. So swapped them back and drain on no.6 again. If you can understand that 🥴🥴.

 

Have you popped the lid off the relays see if they're corroded or burnt inside??

 

Opened relays and all ok. Need to know which relay goes in no.6 space. Is it one with pin no.30 on right as you put it in or no.86? Pin nearest centre of car 🤷‍♂️

 

No idea, I haven't had an RST since 1998

 

I would measure the current draw from the battery and then remove each fuse to find what circuit it’s on. My friend had this on his transit recently and it turned out to be the alternator.

 

It’s only when I take the yellow no.6 fuse out which powers the indicators and the heater blower . Disconnected all them and still a drain 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

 

If you’ve removed all the fuses and there is still current draw then maybe investigate the alternator (internal diode short?.)

 

I would get an amp clamp, connect it around the live from the battery. Then pull each fuse in turn and see when the current draw stops. Leave the relays alone, as it will be much easier to pinpoint your problem with pulling each fuse in turn.

 

Sorry might not have explained this right so here goes. Removed all fuses and no amp drain. So removed relays but when I put the yellow relay (no.6 one nearest to centre of car) back in that’s when I get a drain. This relay seems to power the indicators and heater blower. But on the fuse box cover it’s like a lightening strike pic. Not an indicator pic. Under my relay the pin on the right( nearest to centre of car again) is numbered number 30. I swapped this relay around with the other yellow relay which is in no.4 position and pins wired different on this yellow relay. But then no.4 relay which has come out of no.6 then is the battery drain so swapped them back. So haven’t a clue because in Haynes manual no.4 relay is starter inhibitor relay for automatic transmission. Why is this in anyway?? 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

 

I think you may be over complicating this by looking at relays, read what Richie says.


​​​​​May sound stupid but are you 100% sure the battery itself isn't what's at fault here?

 

Without an amp clamp this is going to be nigh on impossible to fix, you can get inexpensive ones these days. Put the amp clamp round battery lead and then pull one fuse at a time untill the drain drops and then you have found the circuit with the problem. You could also just have a knackered battery! You will never fix the drain without proper tools matey.

 

Hello again. I use my multimeter to test to battery drain. Taken all fuses out. Taken off negative connector and put amp meter through that. With yellow relay in it shows its drawing amps but with yellow relay out there’s hardly any amps drawing. 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️. And you can hear relay clicking in when amp meter or battery connected. Also just looked in Haynes manual and it says no.30 pin should be +( permanent live) but that seems to be earth on mine and number 86 pin is permanent live. That’s when I test voltage with no relay in

 

Also battery is new and can leave no6 yellow relay out and battery is fine. Can leave for as long as without drain. 🤷‍♂️ Confused