Chasing electrical and alarm issues on the 182

[DetectivePenguin]

Hi everyone,

I've been experiencing some persistent electrical and alarm issues with my Trophy. Before diving in and dismantling things, I'm hoping to find out if there's a common issue that might be the cause.

Could anyone share a diagram or photos showing the exact location of the earth leads? From older posts, I noted their locations at the top of the engine, gearbox, behind the driver's headlight, multiple behind the dash, next to the brake fluid reservoir, and by the rear lights.

Here are the main issues I'm facing:
- The alarm goes off if the car is left for 10-12 hours.
- The battery completely drains within 5-6 days if the car isn't used.
- Lights dim when using the window switches.
- The car hesitates to start if it hasn't been used in a few hours.

So far, I've checked the battery. It showed 12.5V yesterday, dropped to 12V overnight, but jumps to 14.4V when the car is running.

Any insights or advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[NorthloopCup]

The alarm switch for the bonnet used to be an area of issues for setting the alarm off, but the alarm itself is an after thought on many clios, so you may find that the alarm itself is the key issue.

You’ve got a battery drain on there which could also be setting the alarm off. You need to check that everything is shutting off properly - so boot interior light, door switches etc.

If they’re all checking out ok, you need to start the task of finding the battery drain.

 

[DetectivePenguin]

Did some more checks, the battery is showing no draw when the car is switched off so I'm hopefully not looking for a parasitic draw.

Bonnet switch for the alarm tested okay and I found a 3-4 ohms of resistance during a continuity test on the engine block and alternator. Will do a few more tests during the week once the rain stops.

 

[Louis]

I'd start by disconnecting your bonnet sensor and moving your internal sensors inwards slightly.