2012 VW jetta parasitic draw

VDUB5150

New member
Joined
Nov 24, 2018
Location
Vacaville
TDI
2012 jetta
Hey everybody first time poster so sorry if I'm posting in the wrong area. I have a 2012 jetta tdi with a parasitic draw of about 3.5 amps. I just purchased the car from a used non VW dealer as is. The car had no issues but I decided to try out the VCDS trial software with an amazon China cable i had from another car. No setting were messed with just checked the trans temp as I was planning to do a DSG fluid change. The car has a newly purchased battery of 12.6 volts goes dead in 4-6 hours. The battery has been tested and all cells are good. I've used the tsb method and tested every fuse for voltage drop and could not find the culprit. To be on the safe side I removed factory fender amp and raido. I've hit a wall on where to go next and really dont want to bring to local dealer and raked over the coals. Thanks for input!
 
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GD

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2002
Location
Toronto
TDI
2011 Jetta TDI Highline DSG
You removed the fender radio or did you install an aftermarket radio?
 

Ol'Rattler

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jul 3, 2007
Location
PNA
TDI
2006 BRM Jetta
Per the TSB, did you trip the hood latch, trip the drivers door latch, arm the alarm and verify the car went into sleep mode and then without pulling fuses, check for draw per the chart in the TSB?

3.5 Amps is a pretty fair current drain. An easy check for the alternator diodes would be to disconnect the big wire from the alternator, arm the alarm and see if the battery still loses it's charge overnight. Make sure that you don't let the alternator wire ground out on anything because it is still hot from the battery.

Another place that is always hot are the red wires connected to fusible links type fuses on the front of the under hood fuse box. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMtdEsVTsAk

Almost forgot. Before you go to far, take a picture of both fuse panels because there is no chart for fuse locations/sizes in the owners manual.
 
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