Help In seattle- Battery Drain

paul1994 · #1 08-10-2012, 06:42 PM

Hey if you are in the Seattle Area and feel like helping out another member track down a battery drain.. please PM me..

This battery drain issue is driving me crazy.

Things I have done.

1. check the battery ( sears tested, because it's a die hard)
2. Fully Charged the battery - still dead next day
3. Check Altenator ~13.8 volts
4. Bought battery tender.. when of fThe tender the battery was still dead after being parked for 8 hrs
5. I hear a small fan around HVAC Unit.. but I have to see if it is still running after 16mins
6. The AC unit / FAN does not blow erracticly.. I can turn it up and down and it stays at that speed with no surges. COuld this still be and FSU issue?

Any help on how to Trouble shoot a Draw on the battery would be great. Can i Just put my Multimeter across the battery terminals and watch the Amperage?

Thanks All

mgbmwx5 · #2 08-10-2012, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul1994

Hey if you are in the Seattle Area and feel like helping out another member track down a battery drain.. please PM me..

This battery drain issue is driving me crazy.

Things I have done.

1. check the battery ( sears tested, because it's a die hard)
2. Fully Charged the battery - still dead next day
3. Check Altenator ~13.8 volts
4. Bought battery tender.. when of fThe tender the battery was still dead after being parked for 8 hrs
5. I hear a small fan around HVAC Unit.. but I have to see if it is still running after 16mins
6. The AC unit / FAN does not blow erracticly.. I can turn it up and down and it stays at that speed with no surges. COuld this still be and FSU issue?

Any help on how to Trouble shoot a Draw on the battery would be great. Can i Just put my Multimeter across the battery terminals and watch the Amperage?

Thanks All

Please give us more information about your BMW,

- year,
- model,
- engine size,
- miles

JCL · #3 08-10-2012, 10:49 PM

No, you can't just put a meter across the terminals.

The vehicle is designed to go to sleep after a certain time. A small draw will prevent it from doing so and kill the battery much more quickly than the draw itself would suggest.

If you disconnect the battery to connect your meter you will interrupt the sleep process.

Read all of this thread for instructions.
http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...dies-fast.html

Giznaz · #4 08-10-2012, 11:48 PM

Paul,
I could help you work on this, and I have several of the tools that might be needed, but I've never done this with an X5, and would need really good test parameters, and procedures.

We tried to come up with answers for my son's Touareg, but never really found a good way to isolate things. The car keeps waking up during the tests.

Alderwood Manor/Bothell

JCL · #5 08-11-2012, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Giznaz

We tried to come up with answers for my son's Touareg, but never really found a good way to isolate things. The car keeps waking up during the tests.

See my post #3 and the link. Read the link to the end. You need to keep a jumper in the circuit while you remove the battery terminal so the vehicle doesn't reset itself. Then remove the jumper and you will just have the ammeter connected.

Giznaz · #6 08-11-2012, 12:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCL

See my post #3 and the link. Read the link to the end. You need to keep a jumper in the circuit while you remove the battery terminal so the vehicle doesn't reset itself. Then remove the jumper and you will just have the ammeter connected.

Thanks we had done that. VW is different than BMW, in that key proximity can wake them.

Paul, the offer still stands, if you need help.

paul1994 · #7 08-11-2012, 09:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Giznaz

Paul,
I could help you work on this, and I have several of the tools that might be needed, but I've never done this with an X5, and would need really good test parameters, and procedures.

We tried to come up with answers for my son's Touareg, but never really found a good way to isolate things. The car keeps waking up during the tests.

Alderwood Manor/Bothell

Hey Man.. Thanks..

I will PM you.

paul1994 · #8 08-11-2012, 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JCL

No, you can't just put a meter across the terminals.

The vehicle is designed to go to sleep after a certain time. A small draw will prevent it from doing so and kill the battery much more quickly than the draw itself would suggest.

If you disconnect the battery to connect your meter you will interrupt the sleep process.

Read all of this thread for instructions.
http://www.xoutpost.com/bmw-sav-foru...dies-fast.html

Hey JCL.. I read this post before and it helped out I just need some alligator clips or something. I just have probe at the moment..But let me see what I can work out.. i think I may have some clips floating around.