battery dieing

cochrank

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 23, 2005
Location
Erie, PA
TDI
2002 Jetta
Well this group has really helped in the past so i hope it can do it again.
Here is my situation. My 02 jetta has an issue where if it sits overnight, when you go to start it in the moring the battery is dead. I have made sure there is no lights on (trunk, door, etc.) that could be draining it. I recently purchased a new battery 6 months ago so i thought it could be a bad battery, replaced that and it lasted for three days before it too went dead. I went to autozone and advance auto and had them both do a electrical diag. Both came up with the alternator, starter and battery are good. There was also no vampire draw (hard to believe on that one). Once the car is started you can drive all day and it will start after being shut off. This only happens when it sits overnight (10 hrs). The only thing I have recently done with this car is to fix the electric lock in the rear door and to extent the key fob range (procedure on here) but that was months ago. I do not even know where to begin on this one. Has anybody had this problem before?
 

BobnOH

not-a-mechanic
Joined
May 29, 2004
Location
central Ohio
TDI
New Beetle 2003 manual
something is drawing off the current.
you could pull some fuses to see which circuit affects the 10 hour drain.
definitely look at the circuits on top of the battery, they should look "clean"
also, dirt can draw off current, but it would be very dirty to go dead in 10 hrs.
 

mk3

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2005
Location
Wisconsin, USA
TDI
03 Jetta GLS 5-speed
in order to know which circuit (as you pull fuses) you need to put a multimeter in-line with the battery.

I think you will get something less than 100mA current on a good car... maybe even as low as 30mA.

maybe someone here knows the actual number.
 

cochrank

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 23, 2005
Location
Erie, PA
TDI
2002 Jetta
I looked all around the batter, I cleaned the terminals and looked at teh posts on top as well. All look clean and tight. Any idea which fuse to pull first?
 

BobnOH

not-a-mechanic
Joined
May 29, 2004
Location
central Ohio
TDI
New Beetle 2003 manual
I woul start with these-
cochrank said:
.......The only thing I have recently done with this car is to fix the electric lock in the rear door and to extent the key fob range..............
if you're real flexible and can get to the fuse box easily, you could try removing a bunch after you've driven it it, then pop them back in after it's sat
 

cvairwerks

Veteran Member
Joined
Jul 17, 2008
Location
North Texas
TDI
2001 NB 2004 Audi A8L gasser 1999 A4 Avant gasser
I've got a 2001 Bug that was doing the same thing. I found two different things that combined, were killing the battery. The first was that the hood switch was not staying in position and therefore was not arming the alarm correctly. The second was that the power adapter for my replacement stereo was wired to the wrong power lead in the stereo harness. It was powering the antenna all the time and after a half day or so, the combination of these two problems would draw the battery down far enough that it wouldn't reliably start. I replaced the hood latch assembly and rewired the antenna power feed and the problems went away.
 

cochrank

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 23, 2005
Location
Erie, PA
TDI
2002 Jetta
OK update (still not fixed though). I removed the negative terminal and placed a test light in between. Light lit bright and then dimmed. I heard a relay clicking. I removed the dash fuse and that stopped (left out). Light still on. I removed he interior light fuse (left out) because the door light was on. Test light still on. Test light would still go bright and them dim but every-time it did a heard a low buzzing in the right rear door. Took off panel and heard it was coming from the door lock. I unplugged the door lock hoping this was the issue but again failed. Test light still came on. I then systematically removed every fuse from the panel and test light would still do the initial bright and then dim. I then went to the relay panel and removed the two fuses way on top. No luck. Then I went and removed every relay one by one testing in between. Still a light. I tested the fuses on top of the battery as well. Now I ask "Now what". Is there a way to disable the alarm system (didn't see a fuse for that). Is there something else I can try. Is there a different way to test the alternator other than taking it to Autozone or removing the battery terminal when it is running? I do not want to have to take it to a garage because i know i will end up spending a lot of money for them to take their time finding it. Any help would be appreciated.
 

mk3

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2005
Location
Wisconsin, USA
TDI
03 Jetta GLS 5-speed
Do you know how much current the test light needs in order to light up?

Even a 100% perfectly functioning electrical system will have some load with everything off. This might be 30mA.

It would be better if you have a multimeter to put in line for those tests.
 

2001TDINB

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 23, 2008
Location
Spokane Wa.
TDI
2000 New Beetle GLS TDI, (Stock) Yellow Clearcoat LD1B/J5
I have had a similar problem since 2004, but only on the first cold freeze night of winter, kills the battery dead straight away every winter, and once I jump it off and drive it regularly it stays charged, but one or two nights in the cold and it will die again with out driving it.

I had to finally get one of these:
http://www.batteriesplus.com/product/36124-DBT021--0128-12V-1-dot25A-Battery-Charger/100070-1/103136-Battery-Tender-Chargers/103148-12V/Plus.aspx

It works great, I know that is probably not the fix you are looking for, it was not for me either. :(

But after several winters and several trips to the Stealerships with no fix there and money out of pocket it was the best and most cost affective one that I could come up with, I hope that helps you. :)
 

mk3

Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2005
Location
Wisconsin, USA
TDI
03 Jetta GLS 5-speed
I have had a similar problem.....But after several winters and several trips to the Stealerships with no fix....
I think that may help the OP, but I have to say Wow! - that is really lame that the dealer mechanics could not find the current leak. Would you happen to know what methods of troubleshooting they tried?

Naturally, a current leak can be hard to find if it is intermittent.
 

2001TDINB

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 23, 2008
Location
Spokane Wa.
TDI
2000 New Beetle GLS TDI, (Stock) Yellow Clearcoat LD1B/J5
I think that may help the OP, but I have to say Wow! - that is really lame that the dealer mechanics could not find the current leak. Would you happen to know what methods of troubleshooting they tried?

Naturally, a current leak can be hard to find if it is intermittent.
No I sure don't know the methods that they used.

I know they charged me for looking two different times and said they couldn't find anything.

I was going to go a third time specifically for that problem and the dealer told me that it was going to cost quite a bit of money labor-wise, so I didn't do it.. lol

I got the battery tender idea from my land lord who uses it on his Jeep that he keeps up at his cabin in the winter here.

"that is really lame" You said that right lol..

The one I took it too twice was the dealership in Oak Harbor, on Whidbey Island Washington, the one that threatened a big hit to my wallet and made my mind up for me not to do it, was here in Spokane at Appleway.

The battery tender works Great though.

I am taking it in for the timing belt here on the 29th, but not to the Appleway dealer, but to:

European MacHine 208-667-3163
2955 N Government Way Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815

I got that shop from a person here in the forums as being reliable.

I plan to bring up the battery issue with him there, and use him possibly if he turns out to be reliable, to do other small upgrades as I can afford to do them, since I am not so mechanically inclined and have Zero Knowledge when it comes to actually working on the car.

Although I will say I have changed a front headlight bulb before.. lol

The other thing I will say after reading this Awesome Forum for the past week is that there are several other things that I should have been doing as well, and never did, but plan to start doing.. lol :)
 
Last edited:

HornetHandler

Veteran Member
Joined
Jun 10, 2010
Location
Canada
TDI
2010 Jetta TDI
Well this group has really helped in the past so i hope it can do it again.
Here is my situation. My 02 jetta has an issue where if it sits overnight, when you go to start it in the moring the battery is dead. I have made sure there is no lights on (trunk, door, etc.) that could be draining it. I recently purchased a new battery 6 months ago so i thought it could be a bad battery, replaced that and it lasted for three days before it too went dead. I went to autozone and advance auto and had them both do a electrical diag. Both came up with the alternator, starter and battery are good. There was also no vampire draw (hard to believe on that one). Once the car is started you can drive all day and it will start after being shut off. This only happens when it sits overnight (10 hrs). The only thing I have recently done with this car is to fix the electric lock in the rear door and to extent the key fob range (procedure on here) but that was months ago. I do not even know where to begin on this one. Has anybody had this problem before?
Sorry for your trouble, Cochrank, I hope it all works out for you.

You mentioned that there is a procedure for extending the range of the fob. Would you mind sending me the link, as well as a link--if one exists--for opening/closing the windows with the fob.
 

JB05

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 20, 2005
Location
Il.USA
TDI
Golf,2005,anthracite blue
Rob, check out the How-to's at the top of the 101 section.
 

puter

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jun 19, 2007
Location
Tacoma, Washington
TDI
2002 Jetta GLS
2001TDINB: I know it's a couple hour drive for you, but Matt over in Redmond has a shop and is really good.

You'll never get good results from the dealership, but Matt knows his stuff and I am sure could get you fixed up. Even if it costs in time, at least you won't pay to have nothing get fixed.

If you're willing to make the drive then get ahold of him, he is Matthew_S here.

If not...take a look at the 101 section for the trusted mechanics by state. Whatever you do, keep that car away from the dealer.
 

Powder Hound

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 25, 1999
Location
Under a Bridge, Crestview, FL, USA
TDI
'00 Golf 4dr White 5sp, '02 Jettachero 5sp, Wife's '03 NB Platinum Gray auto(!)
The current draw after the alarm is armed, after 3-5 minutes drops to about 20-30 mA. Good luck finding the problem. I found one in a car that had an aftermarket alarm added then removed. The previous owner had left a relay in place that was always on.

Do check and ensure that the alternator is charging the battery sufficiently also.
 
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