Battery Drain

[KARL]

On a VW Golf II the battery (new as well as the old one) falls below 12V in three days or so of the vehicle standing unused and dormant. I have removed all the relays (fuse box area), still the voltage drops. Separately, I removed every single fuse, same result. At someone's suggestion, I (also separately) disconnected the alternator - no change. Can anyone suggest what may be going on ? I should mention that this vehicle has what I believe to be a factory fitted anti-theft system but it appears to be disabled - could it be at fault (I don't know how it is wired) ?

[TTG]

How old is the battery? I don't do many miles so the battery does not receive a decent charge until the weekend. After one day of not being used, the car refused to start. You can buy solar powered "trickle" chargers.

[KARL]

In the stand-still mode (i.e. when the car is parked, all lights etc. switched off) any battery that fades significantly in less than two weeks is suspect. The example I am referring to has a brand new battery and the old one was/is in fact also perfectly good - they both provide a robust start following being disconnected for several weeks after first being fully charged. The problem is not the battery/batteries but something about the wiring, hence the question.

[KJN]

Faulty relay on the lighting side. i.e. drivers door button sticking , lights turning off but power still being used by a relay?

[malagabob]

Try plenty of vasaline on both terminals. Spray some wd40 on top of battery between terminals. See if it improves.

[KARL]

While I appreciate the suggestions, I feel have ruled out the obvious suspects (see my original posting). For example, a relay or any part of the lighting will not draw current if the relay and/or fuses has/have been removed from the car. The likelihood of any significant power leakage between terminals is pretty much nil on a brand new battery under the bonnet during dry and sunny weather - and if the battery is disconnected but left in the car there is no power drain so a trace between the terminals clearly does not exist. A drop from of the order of 13V to below 12V in 3-4 days when the battery is connected up constitutes a significant leak somewhere, but all of those mentioned above have already been ruled out.

[Canary42]

You've certainly been thorough in your attempts to trace the leak - but the "factory fitted ... anti-theft ... disabled" sounds suspicious. An enquiry to Wolkswagen might not come amiss (you could try a garage but my cynical nature suggests you will just be ripped off for ineffective modifications/repairs).