Battery Drain

I recently replaced the battery in my 87' 190E 2.3 with one purchased from an auto parts chain store. The car starts without a problem but after not using it for 5 or 6 days the battery goes flat. The parts store tested the battery on the bench and in the vehicle with their test fixture and said that both the battery and alternator are fine. I checked the current drain on the battery with the ignition off using a Digital multimeter in series with the negative battery cable. The drain is 100 ma. I sequentially removed and reinstalled each fuse but observed no change in current. I do not have electrical diagrams for the car but noticed that the computer was not listed on the fuse box so I assume that it is what's drawing the current. I'm not sure if 100 ma is sufficient to drain a healthy battery in 5 days. Any thoughts as to what else might be causing the drain? What is the reccomended battery capacity for this vehicle?

[Edited by RUH52 on 04-30-2001 at 10:15 AM]

I had a situation that sounds very similar when I first got my 190E. Mine was caused by the power antenae. (sp?) I was leaving it up all the time, not realizing that it draws current to hold it in place. I only had trouble if I didn't drive the car for a few days.

Darrell

Sounds like a accesory item such, as the glove compartment light or the alarm. If you have a aftermarket alarm, it will take about a 0.5 amps more or less.

[Gilly]

A small bulb, such as a trunk light will draw a couple amps, which is a couple thousand milliamps. A car like this should have a resting current draw of about 20 milliamps, even with an alarm system.....Gilly