Battery Drain, J317 relay

[rix337]

Here's what I have. About a month ago, went to drive our 09 jetta and the battery is dead. Jump it and everything is fine for a couple weeks. Then, same issue.
Vag-com gives me 001674, ecm power relay load circuit opens too early - intermittent.
I use the resourses and threads on this forum and find my battery drain on the 7.5a fuse in the dash, use the chart and see it is pulling 309ma while asleep. That fuse goes to the J519, electrical system control module relay. Pull the panel out from the dash and I can hear the j317 relay clicking every 5 seconds or so and it is nice and warm. Pull the relay and my battery drain is gone.
Now my question is, do I have a bad relay, or something further down the line? J317 is the Power Supply Relay, terminal 30, B+, which is the battery positive, hot at all times. In the Bentley wiring diagram page EWD-7, it shows the relay in the control module but I do not know where things go from there. It looks like it goes everywhere...

 

[rix337]

I just checked and the car will start and run without this relay in place. I see the trunk indicator is on in the dash, like it is open, overhead interior lights aren't working, and my sunvisor garage door opener does not work. Everything else seems to work, lights, climate controls, flashers, etc.

 

[stennyboy]

Can you swap the relay with another one? See if the problem follows the relay? Maybe it is sticking.

 

[rix337]

That is what I am hoping. But if I need to track it from there, I will need to know which things run off the relay. I am okay at tracking a schematic, but this relay doesn't look like it runs to anything on the j519.

 

[rix337]

Okay, so it looks like I have an identical relay on the same panel, so I can swap them and see if it does the same thing in the other location. Although I will have a bettery draw on the same fuse though...any thoughts anyone??

 

[rix337]

The problem did not follow the relay, I guess I am in for some fun...

 

[rix337]

Update:
Traced this down today. It was the trunk light. I swapped it to this one when the bulb burnt out:

https://www.ecstuning.com/Volkswagen-Jetta_V--TDI/Lighting/LED/Interior/ES2102416/

I will be speaking with them tomorrow. It took over a month to start acting badly, and was intermittent until last week. I am just glad I got it sorted out.

 

[R-TDIGR]

Thank you. This helped me out. I have been struggling with a battery drain for a while. Turned out to be the same trunk light.