Can the A/C Compressor cause battery drain?

I've had to replace my battery 3 times in the past 14 months. I did a little research (I've scratched the surface so far) and it seems I'm not alone in having battery trouble. In fact there is a recent class action filed for an unknown battery drain issue. (https://www.girardsharp.com/work-pending-subaru-battery)

 

While getting a warranty replacement from my local auto store I asked the guy if he new of anything that might be a source of the drain. He mentioned that a previous customer, with a different make/model, had their battery drain due to a bad relay for the A/C compressor which resulted in a draw on the battery while the car was off.

 

I turned the A/C off and saw that the compressor was still turning. Does that mean there is an issue with mine? I can't seem to locate the relay to test if the compressor should stop turning when it's pulled.

 

Has anyone heard of battery drain issues and what caused them? I really like the car (mine is a 2016 limited) but i'm concerned about this battery problem. I've had to get a jump twice at work and don't relish the idea of getting stranded somewhere if I take a road trip.

The compressor will run when certain HVAC settings are selected, such as window defrost.

 

Have you checked any of the relays in the engine bay to see if the A/C relay is located there? Perhaps locate and pull the fuse related to the A/C...?

 

You could also disconnect compressor itself and see if there are any changes.

 

Are there any aftermarket auto start, alarm system, etc installed?

I saw there was one fuse in the cabin that was labeled AC IG, pulling it didn't seem to effect the compressor though. When I looked at the labels for the relays on the fuse box lid from inside the engine bay, I didn't see any that mentioned AC so I left them alone.

 

There is an aftermarket alarm installed by the dealer. I don't know much about it other than there is a blinking light added near the hood release and I recall being told something about it tracking the car in case of theft. I have had other cars with after market alarms that did not have the same trouble with batteries as this one has so I hadn't considered it as the primary source of the drain.

your compressor does not have a clutch so it will always be spinning. it has an electronic control valve that turns compressor on and off internally. there was an ecu update for smart charging available for these cars to help with battery charging. i would recommend inquiring at the dealer to get update performed.

Hadn't seen anything about that update yet, I'll ring up the dealership and inquire. Thanks!