Clio battery drain

My 2007 Renault Clio (gasoline engine) battery keeps draining. Speedometer shows errors, lights are dim, and the error memory is full. Starting is hard; the battery is weak. Any ideas? It's done almost 200k km (196977 to be exact).

4 comment(s)

Excessive battery discharge can be caused by many things. Have you done a parasitic draw test to see if something is using power when the car is off? Also, what's the alternator voltage when the engine is running?

Parasitic draw test? Never heard of that. And where do I measure the alternator voltage?

A parasitic draw test uses a multimeter to measure the current from the battery when the car is off. For alternator voltage, measure at the battery terminals with the engine running. But with the symptoms you describe, especially the error messages and weak starts, a bad battery sensor is likely. I'd suggest a diagnostic check at a good workshop to be sure.

Thanks! Took it to the shop as you said, and you were right – the battery sensor was bad. Cost 315€ to fix. Thanks for the help!

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