Notices
 
 

  

User Tag List

Thread: CAN BUS - Battery Drain - HELP!!

Page 3 of 5 FirstFirst 12345 LastLast
Results 21 to 30 of 50
  1. Re: CAN BUS - Battery Drain - HELP!! 
    #21
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    Preston, Lancs, UK
    Posts
    32
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quoted
    2 Post(s)
    Got the MM yesterday but didn't get a chance to test.

    Do I charge the battery properly with the GTEC charger (still need to order) and then carry out what you've advised, if it already may be in poor health? The battery is less than 6 months old, but I suppose it's hard to tell how much damage has been done. Whenever I've reconnected the battery, it has enough for the windows/radio etc, but just never enough to start the car, so not totally dead.

    If you could suggest a simple vid to watch on how to do it, (I've watched a couple), but don't want to over-complicate methods on how to carry out the fuse testing?

    Thanks
     
    0 0 0
     

  2. Re: CAN BUS - Battery Drain - HELP!! 
    #22
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    SW London / Surrey
    Posts
    1,205
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    10 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quoted
    168 Post(s)
    I haven't had chance to do pics yet, but to get started...

    Firstly, all at your own risk, etc. If it all looks too daunting or confusing just stop. No point starting a fire or causing other damage.

    Whenever working near the battery keep double checking that you don't have loose wires or tools that can bridge positive to negative, or to random bits of car. That'll short the battery and be a fire risk.

    Key thing to remember is the car shuts down when it thinks your done for the day, so closing doors and bonnet plus locking need to be done to get a realistic view of what parked drain there is.

    The MM will have a 20V range. See what the battery is charged at by placing the MM probes directly across the battery. It should be over 13V with a really healthy battery after it has had a good run to charge up. Something like 12.5V may sound close, but is already poor (but should be enough for the current tests). The more you abuse it the less chance of it managing to recover. The charger / conditioner will help - but it may be beyond practical use unless you take to using the charger as life support after each trip out. If you only use the car infrequently that may be fine. Or it may have survived the abuse and once you get back to regular use with no drain it'll be OK.

    Step 1 is to set the MM to 10A range with leads in the right place. This is usually a different, unfused connection on the MM, so be careful when it is selected as it will tend to pop car fuses if placed in the wrong path. Connect it between car battery negative post and the disconnected -ve lead. Lead end should be quite easy as you can pinch probe between slot in clamp, or the nut that closes it. Battery end will need a bit of wire wrapped around MM probe tip and then around the battery post, or similar. You can also do this at positive end if easier, but be double sure you aren't creating any shorts with flapping wires. If you happen to have a hi-fi stereo / speakers with 4mm "banana" plus you could make up alternative leads with loose wire ends that will fit MM and be easier to attach to car.

    Bring leads carefully through gap around bonnet, close bonnet and put MM on it. Then close car up as if parking. You should see current reading moving around a bit as things do a final check and go to sleep. 20 mins later it should be stable, and hopefully just a few hundred mA, like 0.500 Amps. That is the leak current, and once we know it is in the path being measured can try pulling fuses to get it lower. If it is low enough you can switch to using the MM "low current" ranges which are fused and somewhat safer to use. Identify the fuse layout type and we can pick a few key candidates to try.
    ======

    Did this forum help you today? Help make sure it's here next time as well. Just click here to make a suitable donation using PayPal .
     
    0 0 0
     

  3. Re: CAN BUS - Battery Drain - HELP!! 
    #23
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Nottingham, England
    Posts
    42,103
    Post Thanks / Like
    Blog Entries
    4
    Mentioned
    108 Post(s)
    Tagged
    1 Thread(s)
    Quoted
    1816 Post(s)
    Just to emphasise your point, when you change from amps to volts checking, remember to move the test lead to the correct port or you will blow the MM internal fuse.
    Anthropogenic climate change, the biggest con inflicted on mankind since religion...

    Slava Ukraini
    !


     
    0 0 0
     

  4. Re: CAN BUS - Battery Drain - HELP!! 
    #24
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    Preston, Lancs, UK
    Posts
    32
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quoted
    2 Post(s)
    Cheers for that, I think I can get my head wrapped around that. I'll carry on watching some tutorials just to be sure.
    Engine is a BKD one.
    Below is a pic of the under bonnet fuse box, I don't know what, if any are missing...!

    IMG_20200824_183319693.jpgIMG_20200824_183319693.jpg
     
    0 0 0
     

  5. Re: CAN BUS - Battery Drain - HELP!! 
    #25
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    SW London / Surrey
    Posts
    1,205
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    10 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quoted
    168 Post(s)
    Great.

    To save too much typing of fuse layouts and possibly confusing each other, once you can see the residual current measuring with the MM in the battery circuit try the following. After each one lock car up and see if MM reading is noticeably lower after 20 mins. If it is then put connection / fuse back and check original "bad" current returns, and then remove it and measure again to check for consistency. If it has no effect put the connection / fuse back and move to next step.

    - One of 100A and 80A fuses you'll see if you look at the vertical front of the engine fuse holder feeds lots of bits of cabin equipment (via the other fuse board in the cabin). It should be number 5 or number 6 counting from the left - and these are the two to left and right of the big red wire. Detach the cable at 5 and 6 one at a time and bend clear of where they bolted on (or stick a wooden / plastic clothes peg on them to separate). Put them both back and move on if no change.

    - Remove 4 to 6 fuses from the top of the fuse tray. Close and measure. If no change replace all and move to next group to remove. If there is a change replace 2 of them, then 2 more, etc until "bad" reading returns - then remove one of the last pair in turn to see which has the effect. Once you think you know which one it is put everything else back in and make a couple of in / out measurements to check for consistency.

    By the end of that you'll hopefully know which engine fuse is involved, and then we can look at what it is feeding.
    Last edited by VAG-Abound; 25-08-2020 at 07:18 AM.
    ======

    Did this forum help you today? Help make sure it's here next time as well. Just click here to make a suitable donation using PayPal .
     
    0 0 0
     

  6. Re: CAN BUS - Battery Drain - HELP!! 
    #26
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    Preston, Lancs, UK
    Posts
    32
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quoted
    2 Post(s)
    Thanks again. Will try it at the weekend most likely when I get some time to myself. Weather has been dreadful today :-O
     
    0 0 0
     

  7. Re: CAN BUS - Battery Drain - HELP!! 
    #27
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    Preston, Lancs, UK
    Posts
    32
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quoted
    2 Post(s)
    OK, so I managed to get a reading for the voltage via the MM, nice and simple. Put the lead in the V-ohms-mA port, flick the dial to 20V and it tells me its 12.5ish and then 14 when car is started.

    My issue is that I have no 10A setting, only 5A (see attached pic). I connected the -ve MM lead to the -ve battery post and the +ve MM lead to the disconnected -ve lead.
    I flicked the dial to 5, but it just says zero. Are my settings on the MM wrong?
    IMG_20200829_183016070.jpg
    Attached Images
     
    0 0 0
     

  8. Re: CAN BUS - Battery Drain - HELP!! 
    #28
    Join Date
    Apr 2014
    Location
    SW London / Surrey
    Posts
    1,205
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    10 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quoted
    168 Post(s)
    If you open the car door then you ought to get a fairly distinctive non-zero reading on the 5A scale. The interior roof light (just one lamp, not all of them) should be around 2A or less. If it can't light up with the MM in place but can with battert connected normally then there is something wrong with MM 5A setting. Do leads fit in snug and deep on front?
    ======

    Did this forum help you today? Help make sure it's here next time as well. Just click here to make a suitable donation using PayPal .
     
    0 0 0
     

  9. Re: CAN BUS - Battery Drain - HELP!! 
    #29
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    Preston, Lancs, UK
    Posts
    32
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quoted
    2 Post(s)
    I didn't open the door or test anything for that matter.
    Yes the leads fit snug, I suppose if there was something wrong (with the leads or the socket) then it wouldn't have been able to read the voltage?
    A guy at work has a MM that I can borrow, but I'm next in on Wed.
    Anything else I can test and with it not having a 10A setting, should that 5A be enough for the testing?
     
    0 0 0
     

  10. Re: CAN BUS - Battery Drain - HELP!! 
    #30
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    Preston, Lancs, UK
    Posts
    32
    Post Thanks / Like
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)
    Quoted
    2 Post(s)
    Hi guys

    So I finally got round to doing the fuse tests with a MM with a 10A setting. The reading on the MM when connected up was fluctuating between 0.74-0.79.
    F25 and F26 (40A fuses) (from under the bonnet) seemed to be the culprits, but only when taken out together. Individually, it didn't move on the MM, but together it went down to 0.02. So I don't know if the both are linked somehow?
    There was also a small fluctuation with a 5A fuse from F2, but nowhere near the drop with F25 and F26 removed.

    Thanks
     
    0 0 0
     

Page 3 of 5 FirstFirst 12345 LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. Battery Drain or faulty battery/alternator?
    By petrolhead63 in forum Audi A6 - C6 Forum - 2005 - 2010
    Replies: 0
    Last Post: 21-11-2018, 12:47 PM
  2. Question Battery drain A8
    By Dusko in forum A8 - S8 - V8
    Replies: 3
    Last Post: 03-01-2014, 07:12 PM
  3. Battery Drain
    By theINSKIP in forum Audi A4 - B6 Forum - 2002 - 2005
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 03-03-2012, 11:41 PM
  4. Battery drain
    By tazzie in forum Audi A4 - B6 Forum - 2002 - 2005
    Replies: 6
    Last Post: 28-12-2011, 11:16 PM
  5. Battery Drain
    By Philler Cap in forum Passat - B6 Forum - 2005 - 2010
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 03-02-2008, 07:17 PM
Bookmarks
Bookmarks
Posting Permissions
  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  


 



  


Disclaimer: VW Audi Forum is an "independant enthusiast website", administered in line with guidelines supplied by VAG in the UK, and is in no way related to any of the Worldwide Volkswagen,Audi,Seat,Skoda,Bentley,Bugatti,Porsche or Lamborghini group of Companies. For official up to date information on any of there vehicles, please visit the official websites. Any comments made throughout this website, are the views of the respective poster, and in no way represent the views of the VW Audi Forum Administration, or the worldwide Volkswagen & Audi Group of companies.


VW Audi Forum do not vet and are not responsible for any information which is posted in this forum. All content is viewed and used by you at your own risk and we do not warrant the accuracy or reliability of any of the information.


Copyright: Certain "words", "phrases" and "Images" used on this website by the Administration are "Copyright" of Volkswagen GB, Volkswagen AG (Germany), Audi GB, Audi AG (Germany), Volkswagen Motorsport GB, Volkswagen Motorsport AG (Germany), Audi Motorsport AG (Germany), Volkswagen Racing GB, Bentley, Bugatti, Porsche and Lamborghini. No image can be replicated by anyone WITHOUT the relevant Companies written permission.


All trademarks and copyrights remain property of their respective owners.

No part of the VW Audi Forum website or forum may be reproduced without written permission from the site administration


PLEASE NOTE - PERSONAL ABUSE, ABUSE AGAINST THIS OR ANY OTHER WEBSITE OR ANY COMPANY WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. OFFENDERS WILL BE MODERATED OR EVEN BANNED.


This website and forum are best viewed at a minimum resolution of 1024 by 768.



  



- VW AUDI Forum - The #1 Volkswagen (VW) Group Forum - Volkswagen (VW) - Audi - Seat - Skoda - Bentley - Bugatti - Lamborghini - Porsche - Scania - MAN - Ducatti - VW Audi Forum -


- www.vwaudiforum.co.uk - www.vwaudiforum.co.uk -