The Mitsubishi Pajero Owners Club®

Juzzie · Posted: Tue May 24, 2016 14:32 Post subject: Pajero IO (Pinin) - battery drain

Hello,

my Mum has owned for the last 4 years or so a 1.8 (non GDI) Pajero IO (W reg). It's basically an import version of the Pinin. The family I bought it off emigrated back to the UK from NZ and loved it so much they shipped it over here! They were the original owner from new.

The car has been brilliant but it's developed a fault in that the battery will go flat after just a few days standing idle. My mum thinks it would be OK if used every day (she uses it now and then) and I said I don't think that's ideal as a battery should not go flat that quick!

The battery is only a year or so old, she's had the alternator checked, the immobiliser/alarm checked and I think some other stuff too by the local garage and they can't find what's wrong. No interior or exterior lights are left on.

So I'm on here wondering if any electrical guru's out there could suggest what it might be.

Thanks in advance.

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peteinchad · Posted: Tue May 24, 2016 15:02 Post subject:

Did the garage do a "drop test" on the battery? - basically it tests the battery under load.

If the battery is still good then it must be a short somewhere - best to remove the positve battery lead and put an ammeter between the battery and the lead. Make sure everything is switched off and then measure the current flowing out of the battery - it should be very little. I have an alarm, a tracker and a few other things that draw current when the ignition is switched off and I have a drain of about 0.25A, yours should be about the same or less.

My batteries go flat after about two weeks if I don't start the engine - but I have more drain than most and my batteries are six years old and ready for renewing.

helijohn · Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2016 19:24 Post subject:

When I read this I thought, oooooooh.

That's because my Junior has displayed the same symptoms. I disconnected the battery and it would be fine but after a couple of runs flat again. My mobile mechanic told me the alternator was showing almost no charge so it meant I was pretty much running on battery power only. I was fooled into thinking it was the standing that was killing the battery.

Does anyone know what happens regarding the ABS when the battery is low BTW?

It's only in England/UK we call them Pinins and Shogun toboot. The rest of the world uses the Italian name iO (me) and happily Pajero with it and they are way better than ones run in this country from new. I wish I'd had an import version.

helijohn · Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2016 17:57 Post subject:

I found out why my battery kept going flat. I bought a used alternator from Japan breakers and it still went flat. So I took the OE alternator to a repair specialist and he took one look at it and said he knew the fault. Then he tested it and it was fine giving 14v or so. He said it was a worn out fanbelt or slippage and he could tell that by the shininess on the pulley wheel!!! My belt was new so when I got it back home I whacked up the belt really tight and lo and behold it was charging. I think the problem though was really the adjustment bolt allowing the alternator to loosen off a touch.

peteinchad · Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2016 18:11 Post subject:

Be careful not to tighten it too much as it will load the alternator bearing and cause it to fail.

My belts were too tight and it damged the rubber joint in the crank pulley - £400 bill for that job!

I've now got one of THESE

helijohn · Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2016 18:42 Post subject:

helijohn · Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2016 18:47 Post subject:

peteinchad · Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2016 19:12 Post subject:

It's called a Gates Krikit - and Gates know a lot about belts (although I think it is made by someone else).

Very easy to use - put it on the belt and push till it clicks.