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CossieMoJo
26-12-2005, 11:53 PM
My Mk 4 Golf TDI's battery goes flat every Christmas and New Year. This past year I eventually had to admit defeat and buy a new battery. But today the battery was flat again and I had to get the AA out. The battery was jump started and the alternator was also checked as being OK. However, a small charge was found to be being drawn when the car was switched off. It keep fluctuating and wasn't steady. Everything was switched off but the AA man reckoned that whatever it was (said it wasn't the alarm) was enough to drain a battery where the car wasn't getting its usual daily 40 mile motorway run ie during Christmas hols!

Can anyone suggest what it might be? Wondered if it might be because I leave the radio tuned to FM and the radio's in-built chip records all traffic reports on the last frequency used - could it be scanning for reports?

I'd also be interested if anyone else has had electrical glitches with the Mk 4 - touch wood nothing mechanical has ever gone wrong in 7 years but the electrics.......!
Cheers

stuart
27-12-2005, 11:36 AM
Hi, Thanks for joining the site.

I had a similar thing a few years back on an old car of mine, turned out the boot light was staying on when the lid was shut, might be worth checking that this is not the problem with your car

Stuart

CossieMoJo
27-12-2005, 11:38 AM
Thanks Stuart I'm away to sit in the boot and check!

Cheers

stuart
27-12-2005, 11:44 AM
Easy way is just to take the parcel shelf out, and then close the tailgate, easier than finding it on a saloon car:)

Stuart

mccombie_5
28-12-2005, 12:27 AM
I wonder if he's still in his boot! :D

CossieMoJo
28-12-2005, 09:43 PM
Blimey it's cold in that boot!

Thanks for the tip Stuart. Light is off so its something else. However, given the circumstances in which this seems to occur I've managed to work around it - by going back to work! Oh joy.

mccombie_5
28-12-2005, 09:45 PM
Blimey it's cold in that boot!

Thanks for the tip Stuart. Light is off so its something else. However, given the circumstances in which this seems to occur I've managed to work around it - by going back to work! Oh joy.
LOL

It may be an interior light, like the oens that come on when the door is open, the ones actually on the door, or possibly something like the rear window de-icer or something like that.

There are many things that it could be

Do you have a CD changer? Many of these drain the power.

stuart
28-12-2005, 10:12 PM
Blimey it's cold in that boot!

Thanks for the tip Stuart. Light is off so its something else. However, given the circumstances in which this seems to occur I've managed to work around it - by going back to work! Oh joy.

Mmmmmm bit drastic...sooner settle for a flat battery and stay at home:D:D

Another thought, have you had the battery tested? may just be, it just can't hold a charge anymore when left, especially now we are getting cold nights. From past experaince, I never rule out a new part could not be faulty, so just because you changed it 12 months ago, does not mean it is still ok:confused:

Stuart