Guys I have a battery drain problem, I have made sure its not the alternator and the battery, I have the old two prong battery tester and the battery passed with flying colors.
I just had the alternator connected to the battery over night and no drop. It is something on the car, but I have checked with the car locked fully asleep and gone through all the fuses with my my volt meter set to m/volts and not one showed up any voltage when asleep.
My amp clamp displays a draw of 150 to 180 m/amps, I am stupmed now any ideas from our electrical wizards??.
This is my reading.
Click image to enlarge
I have also disconnected the radio head unit, the HEVAC panel and the nav screen but no difference.
11th Sep 2023 4:56 pm
Pete K
Member Since: 15 Jan 2016
Location: GL
Posts: 10374
Change the large fuses with windows in the top to a wire loop.
Particularly 17 or 18. And put your clamp round the wire.
Should they be live when the car is asleep Pete? as all of them had a reading so I presumed they are ok, electrics not my domain.
Flack
11th Sep 2023 5:12 pm
Pete K
Member Since: 15 Jan 2016
Location: GL
Posts: 10374
18. Yes.
Generally the battery connects to them big fuses and then down to blade fuses in some cases.
So finding the big fuse with the leak is narrowing things down.
18 seams to be a favourite. So ruling it in or out is good.
Well Pete I checked the battery first thing this morning with my battery monitoring app and its 12.8 volts, this is a funny one, I used the car yesterday and was parked up for about 40 mins, never touched the car, it only just started and I got the usual park brake fault when battery low.
I also got home and after only just 30 mins I had to jump start it from my aux battery, yet parked over night its still ok.
I have left the Radio and hevac panels disconnected over night, but I still had the 150m/a draw on the meter.
A bit baffled now by this one. I am going to do a cranking test, just wondering if a the battery is reading ok, but fails on a cranking test, although I have done a drop test test with my old shorting dropper tool.
Flack
12th Sep 2023 9:15 am
M3DPO
Member Since: 22 Sep 2010
Location: Notts.
Posts: 8121
Could it be a faulty earth connection?
Have you a fridge in the centre console that is switched on?It can when others can't,
It will when others won't,
It goes where others don't.
12th Sep 2023 9:23 am
Pete K
Member Since: 15 Jan 2016
Location: GL
Posts: 10374
150mA shouldn't cause a problem when parked for 1 hour or less, so I would look elsewhere. (I guess if the car doesn't get used for many days it will drain the battery)
Yes, checking the earth strap between the battery and inner wing is a good idea. Can come loose at the inner wing.
Are you aware you need to latch the doors and BONNET, and let the car sleep for 30mins? before taking a current reading? Maybe the car hasn't gone to sleep when you read the 150mA?
Re-inserting certain fuses will also cause the car to wake up.
or are any accessories drawing current?
I would look elsewhere, but want to know where the ~150mA is going before winter
Yes Pete did all the door locks and waited at least 50 mins before testing, checked all the earth leads, also I have a fridge but not on, I am going to look around the rear of the car, check the BT module and the fuses in the rear, I fitted an old seat motor to my spare winch hoist years ago, going to check that out this morning.
Just checked the draw before I touched the car and its still drawing 150 to 80 m/a.
Flack
12th Sep 2023 10:37 am
PROFSR G
Member Since: 06 Mar 2017
Location: Lost
Posts: 4673
Earth leakage? I'd be inclined in that direction too at least in the first instance.
You could try an earth leakage test from the engine to the body and see what voltage reading you get.
Ideally, engine mount or alternator body to one of the body bolts on the wing for example.
Alternatively as a "get around" to the access problem, for a quick test the EGR metal body will do, too just make sure the contact points are good!
Another option is a jump lead from the engine to the battery earth and see if the mv readings change/drop?yµ (idµ - eAµ) ψ=mψ
12th Sep 2023 1:20 pm
Sidestick
Member Since: 22 Apr 2012
Location: Rome
Posts: 2288
In my case the cubby fridge (blue led light) also when switched off drains about 20 mA, and another 50 mA from the Easy Lift suspension ECU.- Easy-Lift suspension module 4.0
- GoodWinch 9500 lb
- Full underbody protections
- Tree/Rock sidebars
- Prospeed roofrack & ladder
- Compressor guard
- Raised Air Intake
- Driving lights (2+4)
- 50 mm Waffle boards
- Altox Heater control
- Overland Rooftop Tent
- Rear seats entertainment
- Front & Rear camera
- GVIF
- Removable tow bar
- Cubby box fridge
- BFG KO2 265/65R17
- iidTool BT
Yes I checked the fridge and it was ok, I have been through everything I can think of checking and its made no difference.
I checked all the fuses in the rear and disconnected anything that uses power, I cant remember if the D3 has an earth lead under the driver side wheel arch like the D4.
I had a shunt fitted to the earth lead so I removed that to see if that was causing it, just charging the battery back up now to try again later.
This image was the drop off over night, I also noticed that just before I charged the battery I had the carr ignition on, the reading of battery volts was 12.04, I watched it has it started to drop quite quickly in about 3 mins it was down to 10.50 volts, I am thinking there might also be a problem with the battery.
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