Heated rear window kilss battery

[prwatson]

My 4 month old Passat was parked outside the house, locked and not used from Thursday until Monday. On Saturday morning I had noticed a small oval area free of dew on the rear window where the two printed circuit leads come down from above to the heated window element. On Monday the battery was flat and the car wouldn't start. I suspect that the central computer somehow left the heated rear window permanentkly on. Only time will tell if it is still permanently on.

Anybody had a similar problem?

[carl s]

The heated rear window is on a timer normally so goes off after a few minutes. It also doesn't work when the ignition is off so I would be surprised if it was that...

You didn't leave a parking light on did you? (silly question I know)
There have been reports of the sat nav systems draining the battery after a few days. They have the ability to turn themselves on at specified times to record a cache of traffic news, sometimes this goes a bit loopy apparently...

[prwatson]

Thanks - you could well be right. It seems too easy to leave the parking lights on. Am I right that just leaving an indicator on (either forgetfully or inadvertantly nudging the stalk) will do it? Of course, my wife was the last one to drive the car...

[bora(ing) nick]

yep, that is how the parking light is activated... and 3 or 4 days of that light on constantly may be enough to drain the battery in the current cold weather conditions. (although i would have thought the battery would last longer with just the parking lights on?)

Good luck and hope you get it sorted

Nick

[Quatrelle]

I thought you got an audible warning if you left any of the lights on - I know you do if you leave an indicator on when you turn off the ignition because it then turns on a parking light for that side.

[bora(ing) nick]

I thought you got an audible warning if you left any of the lights on - I know you do if you leave an indicator on when you turn off the ignition because it then turns on a parking light for that side.

Correct.... Well, it does in my Bora anyway! :D

Nick