battery draining over nite

dan kerkstra · Aug 4, 2012

hey yall 2002 NB auto 160,000 new Alt three months ago new battery last month , no lights come on while it sits over night drew of 02 with all things off, yet I have a dead battery in morning, I disconerted the battery and hooked up a tail light bulb an left that on for 3 hours hooked it back up and car started right up. leave battery disconected all night it will hold a charge. HELP HELP any ideas out there as to where to look from here, what can come on after it sits for awhile thats not a light ?

Vince Waldon · Aug 4, 2012

Hmmm deja vu all over again.

There's a factory-sanctioned way documented in a TSB to scientifically find rogue current draws on cars like VWs that have various modules that will wake up if you go the traditional route of pulling fuses... as discussed in this thread:

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=335670

Having said that... the first place I'd check for current draw is the alternator...running the battery flat overnight suggests a fairly large current draw, and a shorted diode will do just that.

eddieleephd · Aug 5, 2012

^^^^^
with him on that!

boertje · Aug 5, 2012

Had that on my 2006 bug on occasion. Turned out to be the hack back not seated correctly or my wife accidentally pressed the hach button on the fob. Now the she watches out for this, we've not had an issue with it anymore.

dan kerkstra · Aug 5, 2012

I know the hatch is closed , my daughter did have a sony radio installed after xmas I wonder if this isn't the problem, thanks for your input, will go to work on it tomorrow after i read TSB and other input Ill keep you posted Vince where is that Alt diode.

Vince Waldon · Aug 5, 2012

dan kerkstra said:
Iwhere is that Alt diode.

There are a bunch of 'em and they are internal to the alternator. To check 'em as a cause of your current drain, remove the alternator fuse on the top of the battery box and use an ammeter to check for current between the battery and the alternator (engine off)... there should be none.

Gilty_one · Aug 5, 2012

dan kerkstra said:
I know the hatch is closed , my daughter did have a sony radio installed after xmas I wonder if this isn't the problem, thanks for your input, will go to work on it tomorrow after i read TSB and other input Ill keep you posted Vince where is that Alt diode.

It would be possible that the techie that installed the radio by wire-color. As I understand, VW may use different colors for ground, ignition+ and A+ power.

oilhammer · Aug 5, 2012

Please do a search, at the bottom of this page is already a list of threads with the exact same question.

dan kerkstra · Aug 6, 2012

thanks Vince will go after that tomorrow, with the two radio fuses removed the battery is holding a charge, so far , but its only been 18 hours.

dan kerkstra · Aug 6, 2012

I now have some good info more ways I can go thanks oilhammer

dan kerkstra · Aug 6, 2012

also if the issue is the after market radio no one around here knows any thing about this recoding the car for this radio, will I need to bring it in to a dealer

Alchemist · Aug 6, 2012

The dealer will probably just disconnect the aftermarket radio and say the car is fine, but you owe me $$$$$$$$$$$$$
I am not too sure of what you mean by recoding for the aftermarket radio. It is unlikely that it will communicate with the other electronics in the car, so will be independent.

Paul

dan kerkstra · Aug 8, 2012

So if I under stand this correctly if its the aftermarket radio they hooked it up wrong/ color code issue, so if I just put the old v/w radio back in the hole I should be good. PS anything electical sucks for me, thanks you all , the battrey was drained this morming with radio and fuses in, pulled them and will check in the morning.

vlad0401 · Aug 8, 2012

my friend had this problem in this jetta and the dealer said it was the aftermarket radio so just sell the aftermarket radio and put in the original radio in. i know thiss was said like 9 times but im just another person agreeing which is what humans do.

jessabug · Aug 9, 2012

If you get the radio hooked up properly, an aftermarket unit will work just fine. Sony unit in our '01 Jetta TDI. No battery drain.

Gilty_one · Aug 9, 2012

Another possibility is that the installer mixed up Ign+ and A+ to the new aftermarket radio.

All things that you have described point to a fault in the aftermarket radio install.

cvairwerks · Aug 9, 2012

Long time ago I had the same problem with my bug. The problem turned out to be an incorrect wiring callout for hooking up the power adapter for the antenna. The callout given in the vendor supplied wiring information had the adapter being wired to the constant +12V instead of the switched +12v. Corrected the wiring and the problem solved.

dan kerkstra · Aug 11, 2012

This is my older daughters car now Im sure it is the radio, I told her to sell the sony radio and put the stock radio back in the hole, or take singing lessons lol Im done screwing with it, thanx for all the good responces

battery draining over nite

dan kerkstra

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Vince Waldon

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