Odd battery drain problem.

[minny]

For the past couple of years I have been troubled by my battery draining when leaving the car for a few days to a week.

Did all the usual test, multimeter, lamp test, by myself and the garage and nothing could be found.

I recently hooked the multimeter up and tried again, this gave a reading that was flicking between 0.02 and 0.03, which, if I have read it right is between 20 and 30 milliamps; perfectly acceptable.

However, becasue it was flicking between the two I watched it for longer to see if it would settle and then noticed every few minuites it would suddenly surge to about 0.11 - 0.9 milliamps.

Question is, is this periodic surging likely to be the cause of the battery drain? is it a natural thing or is it likely to be a rely or something?

Thanks.

[Flash2]

I can't get my hand on it right now but the VW tech bulletin about diagnosing current draw issues says that intermittent higher current pulses are normal. If I come across it I'll post back with exactly what it says.

Jim.

[minny]

OK, thats for your reply.

[Bigwizzard]

I would guess that's all down to the alarm.

How old is your battery, and what voltage is it giving? When it drains after a couple of days is that when the weather is cold?

[minny]

I would guess that's all down to the alarm.

How old is your battery, and what voltage is it giving? When it drains after a couple of days is that when the weather is cold?

Hello

This is the third battery, the first was replaced becasue I thought that was the problem, the second was a dud and this was replace with a new one last summer.

The battery drains in hot or cold weather, just the same.

The charge in the battery is around 12.5v and stays more or less like that when the negative cable is disconnected. Connect the cable and leave it, drops to 11.5v are there abouts.

Thanks.

[Doctle Odd]

You might have to use the old fuse pulling method.

[minny]

You might have to use the old fuse pulling method.

Thats my next move after the moggys have gone back to school (haven't they just had Christmas?), see if that jump is on a specific curcuit.

[minny]

So I did my fuse removing and literally the last one I took out carried the surge. This was suprising to me since it was a 10amp fuse in position 15 of the fuse box and apparently one of two responcible for the instrument cluster.

What can be on that to cause such a surge, the clock?

It isn't the immobilizer that beeped has usual when locking the doors.

Still, if it's nothing too important I can always pull the fuse when parking and put it back in when driving. Only problem is the clock and any other electrical interuptions that may occur, especially to the ECU.

[Doctle Odd]

Has it got climate control? Aftermarket radio? You could try fitting a relay to the cluster so it only powers on when car is at ACC

[minny]

Has it got climate control? Aftermarket radio? You could try fitting a relay to the cluster so it only powers on when car is at ACC


It has no climate control, I have been suspicious of the radio, being after market, but it still works with the fuse out.

It's a matter now of finding out extactly what fuse 15 is for. I read it operates the windows, but they carried on working after removal.

I think adding relays may be beyound me, it took three years to track this down, mainly due to no unusual reading ever happening when I or the garage hooked a multimeter to it. Only discovered the surge while i was looking at it totally bemused!

[Doctle Odd]

I'll take a look. what year and engine is the a4?

[Doctle Odd]

The layout seems to be all the same. This is 2000 Y 1.8T, screen grab is a little fuzzy I can email you a clearer pic if you PM me

27043

[minny]

It was first registered Sept 1996, probaly why it seems to have a lot of the uplift but a lot of the old. ADR engine.

Yes thats the fuse and that's what it says in the Haynes, but, the windows work with the fuse out, I have no AC or Nav system and it's manual.

The odd thing there is another fuse for the instrument cluster and that seems to drive all the lights and so on, I set the clock earlier with the fuse 15 out, very odd.

It's just a matter of time now.

Thanks for your help and responce.

[minny]

I Just checked, it at least drives the clock, that has not moved since setting it and taking the fuse out.

[Doctle Odd]

For your year car even more unhelpful. Just says control modules without saying what they control

[minny]

So after 3 years I finally tracked the problem down, though not sure if it can be fixed.

Turns out the surge is caused by the minute hand of the clock moving forward of all things, either during time or if I am setting it. No idea if any body else has had or heard of this problem, not even sure a new instrument cluster (which I was thinkng of upgrading anyway) would fix the fault.

[Kpalmada]

Haven't heard of that my clock never stays in time lol


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[minny]

It is odd, as it goes I got a relitavley cheap upgraded cluster from ebay, hopefully that cures it, if not............... :smashfrea

[Cavatio]

It is odd, as it goes I got a relitavley cheap upgraded cluster from ebay, hopefully that curse it, if not............... :smashfrea

Sounds like it's already cursed!