I have a 1997 honda accord with about 145k on the motor. Driving home about 2 days ago, I detected a strong smell of burning fluid (coolant, brake, or power steering) when I pulled over, sure enough, steam/smoke was rising out from under the hood. When I shut the engine off and opened the hood I noticed power steering fluid all over my power steering pump. I assumed it seized or was leaking. I had the car towed to a mechanic.

The next day I was called and told my AC pump had locked up so my s-belt was ruined. I had them bypass the pump with a different belt since my AC system doesnt work anyway. I was also told that my battery cellwas completely ruined and I needed a new battery. Battery was replaced and all seemed well. We tested the alternator, idle, and the new belt. It seemed to be running like a champ. I got home last night, parked it and went inside. Nowtoday, I came outside andthe battery is completely dead again. Cant even turn on a dome light.

What would cause a battery to keep completely draining when no electrical systems are runningand the vehicle is parked? Thishad never happend with it before. Any ideas?

 

Ok i am a bit confused,,, was it the p/s pump or a/c compressor locked up ?? first of all if the a/c compressor is locked up it has nothing to do with leaking p/s fluid,, compressor and p/s have different belts. the a/c belt runs the alt ..
assuming you left nothing on, lites, door ajar, etc etc

first off i would chk to make sure that the belt they installed is adjusted properly thus alternator charging properly ,, secondly have the electrical system checked out , alternator output, chk battery cables make sure they are tight,, and chk for electrical drains on the system

an electrical drain , depending on how much it is will discharge the battery totally, either overnight or after a day or so

 

Thats exactly what I didnt understand. I thought for sure it was some sort of issue with my power steering. The technician gave no explaination for why there was power steering fluid all over the pump. They refilled the reservoir and there didnt seem to be any visible leak. We did test the alternator and it is charging with an output around 14v. The AC pump (which according to them was causing the problem) is no longer connected for they used a smaller belt and bypassed it. When I picked the car up everything ran very smoothly and it started instantly. When it was completely dead this morning, I checked all lights, doors, etc and nothing had been left on.

My alternator is located directly below the previously leaking p/s pump. Could there be some sort of internal short in the alternator due to the fluid?

 

The method I use for finding battery draw is to put a test light between the battery negative terminal and the negative cable; the ECU/Radio back up will make the light barely glow.
If the light is bright, start pulling and replaceing fuses to track down the circuit that has the draw. Also the under dash fuses.
When you find the circuit causing the problem you can start checking the individualbranches on that line.
Or tell us a Fuse Number and someone here can find you a schematic.

WhileI don't like to make war on "Brothers in Arms"; you didn't have this problem until the people worked on the car? I'd be having a talk with those people.

 

I brought the car back to the mechanics and explained the problem. They agreed it sounds like a parasitic drain. They offer a 'electrical check' service for 30 bucks that singles out which system the drain is in so I can better address the issue on my own. Is this a worthwhile investment or just some mechanic scam to score an extra 30 dollars to tell me theres a drain in the engine bay?