Battery Draw Amperage

[robert weinberg]

my battery would die after not driving the car for a week or so. it was the alarm system. i just leave the car unlocked now (it's in a locked garage anyway). battery has been fine since.

Robby




________________________________
From: Adam Gratz <adamgratz at gmail.com>
To: 200q20v at audifans.com
Sent: Sun, June 20, 2010 1:42:56 AM
Subject: Re: Battery Draw Amperage

Dave-

I don't think a 200 miliamp draw is enough over 5 or 6 days. That's about
what an after-market alarm system draws as I recall, 12volts @ 0.2 amps.
Speak up listers if my memory is failing me.

What accessories are on #4? Are the Bose amps? (Can you tell I'm an avant
owner?) Are they warm when the car is sitting?

I had a mystery draw that turned out to be the vacuum pump under the rear
seat. It was coming on intermittently :)  There was a slow leak in
the vacuum system at the tailgate actuator and the pump was only coming on
after a few days of steadily falling vacuum. What a mind F@#$ that was to
figure out.

Another gremlin that has left me with dead batteries was a power seat switch
on the passengers side that was sticking in the on position
(also intermittent). I would give someone a ride, they would adjust the
seat, and the next day the battery would be at equilibrium.

Do you start the car a lot and make short trips? A shorted starter can put
a gnarly load on a battery. Does the starter get really hot when you crank
it? Go ahead, pull the fuel pump relay and crank it for 10 sec then put your
nice soft hand on the starter. Now pull it away. Is there now a Bosch part
number branded on it? Bingo!

Either way, if they will sell you an extended warranty on the battery, take
it.

My 2c

Doc-
'91 3b Avant (Now with both rear windows!) wo hoo!!
'86 BMW 325 ic Straight pipes and no top
'96 MBZ V12 "Da Limo" Starting my propane conversion
'81 MBZ 300 TDT "Goldie" Veggie burner
'88 Suburban with 6BT Cummins - Veggie oil burner
Parts cars for #2-4 above. Someone please slap me

>
>
> Today's Topics:
>
>   1. Battery Draw Amperage (David Sexton)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Sat, 19 Jun 2010 10:36:40 -0800
> From: David Sexton <sextondm at gmail.com>
> Subject: Battery Draw Amperage
> To: 200q20v at audifans.com
> Message-ID:
>        <AANLkTikrwiGSPBOk0XhH3IJ-_3Rm0gx6seEa3SnzwzaT at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> Hello all;
> The other day I was checking for a battery draw on the Avant, and I had my
> multimeter between the negative terminal and negative cable and was
> watching
> the amperage draw on the battery as I pulled each fuse out of the fuse
> block, one at a time.
> With everything in place, doors closed, lights out, at rest, there is a .2
> amp draw on the battery.  Is that too much?  Would that be enough to be
> draining my battery in about 4-5 days?
> The battery in my car is only a matter of months old, and is the second one
> I've put in the car.  It is the correct European type battery from
> Carquest.
> I've checked voltage at the battery with the car running, 13.85v.  I've
> also
> checked it at the alternator and it's about 14.00-14.5v.  It appears to me
> that the voltage output of the alternator is fine...??
> My multimeter will only read up to 10A, so I can't check the amperage
> output
> of the alternator.
> I've checked the battery cable under the passenger floor and it doesn't
> look
> corroded, and the voltage difference between alternator/battery doesn't
> seem
> to be much.
> I can charge the battery with my charger in the garage, and it holds it
> charge just fine.  But, when I hook it up in the car and the car sits for
> several days it will be noticeably discharged, or after five or more days
> or
> so, it won't even start.
> The alternator is a reman. Bosch unit, and it's been on the car for four or
> five years, although with not many miles.
> Any ideas?  Is the .2A draw too much?
> When pulling fuses, the only two fuses that made a difference were the #4
> fuse (dropped the draw from .2A to .04A), and the #19 fuse (dropped from
> .2A
> to .178A).
> Thanks,
>
> Dave Sexton
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
>
>
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