Parasitic Drain test, galaxy 2003 tdi

[maysani]

I am Having aproblem with my car battery, but before I change it I wanted to know if it is the battery or something else such the alternator is not charging probably or Parasitic Drain. However, I tested the alternator and it does provide 14.3V (when the car is running) which is more then the recommended 13.6V i.e prefect.

I have done a  Parasitic Drain and found the there is 89mA current going thought when everything is switched off , Is that normal?  Literature on the internet indicates that anything above 50mA is bad.

I also put my voltmeter on 200mv scale and tested all the fuses in the fuse panel under the steering wheel and none gave a reading all zero, hence I assumed none of them is leaking current. . It here any other place I need check. 

The Battery is very goods make (VARTA) and they do not go bad easily. 
 

[Mirez]

14.3 is fine so it's unlikely to be the alternator.

I'm assuming the problem is the battery going flat? If so over what time frame are we talking?

Where are you measuring 89ma and when? You need to measure at the battery and leave the car a good 30mins after connecting to allow control modules to power down correctly.

That said 89ma isn't excessive, probably a little higher then you'd like but a decent battery should handle that for a few weeks without discharging.

What voltage are you measuring the battery at after its been standing a while?

[maysani]

I'm assuming the problem is the battery going flat? If so over what time frame are we talking?Over a week

Where are you measuring 89ma and when? You need to measure at the battery and leave the car a good 30mins after connecting to allow control modules to power down correctly.

I measured it this morning without starting the car from last night. I connected my millimeter black lead to the negative of the car battery and the red to the cable the negative connection in a series fashion i.e my multimeter  was in the middle of the connection. 

What voltage are you measuring the battery at after its been standing a while?

12.3V this morning

[Chrispb]

Something else to consider, how far are yor journeys? You may not be running the engine long enough between starting and stopping  to recharge any battery.

[maysani]

I am using the car only weekend and max I do 10 miles.
Is there another fuse box in the galaxy 2003 apart from the one under the steering wheel?

[Chrispb]

That's very little time for the battery to recover, then standing all week.
You may consider buying a smart charger and for one week say in every six place it on charge.
I think a new battery would only be short lived and you would soon be back where you started.
The other fuse box is infront of the battery.
Check this out as they do have problems melting which will usually be evident on inspection.

[maysani]

Fore the very reason you mentioned I do not want to buy anew battery.
Do you mean put on for the whole week every six weeks on charger? 

[Chrispb]

Yes with a smart type charger you can leave it on charge all week with no problem.

[Mirez]

I would agree that your problem is lack of recovery time. Have a search for "c-tek mxs 5.0", these are by far the best chargers you can get and can be left connected 24/7 all year around with no ill effect. They are very popular with classic car owners and main dealer showrooms.

I had a period of not using the gal for weeks on end which is why I installed one, you can wire the connector in permanently so you just plug the charger into the front if the car without having to even unlock it!! I'll take a photo tonight if you are interested

[maysani]

I found my testune in my garage today and tested the battery on the charged & aged scale and it showed flat. the voltage is  11.5V cross the battery terminal. I agree,  the battery has never had the chance to fully charged. However, can I hook the battery to power supply that gives (the output 14.27V and 1.2A) to charge overnight or as long as it takes?  It is an OEM AC adapter that will act as a charger. Most smart and trickle charges I have been searching do the same job basically. They provide output voltage between 12.8V to 14.6V and current between 500mA to 1.2A, any reply would be appreciated.

[Chrispb]

Using a conventional charger is fine but the smart charger is the better option, if it's showing flat then you need to charge it for 36 hours ideally.
An overnight charge is not sufficient to fully charge a battery.

[maysani]

Chris ââ,¬â€œ many thanks for the speedy reply. I will hook it tonight and see how it goes.

[Mirez]

Its how the smart charger applies the current thats different,  deffo the better option!

[maysani]

Mirez,  got your point, I am only experimenting to see how far I get with my home made charger. However, can you share the picture of how you connected your smart to the car?

[Mirez]

Here you go, First off I'd like to point out that the flash makes the car look WAYYYY dirtier then it is... honest.

Here's the CTEK's charge point fitted into the lower left grill - it comes with a tethered rubber cap for when its not in use:

[attachimg=3]

And then when you do want to charge its just a case of plugging in:

[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]

No need to unlock the car, open the bonnet or anything else. The charge point runs up to the battery via a fuse - job done

[SilverBeast]

So when it's in the garage do you have to get out the passenger side or the boot?

[Mirez]

Normally its reversed in but yes, she gets out the passenger side if its going to be left a while

[Chrispb]

Mark is this the lead you used to run from the grill to the battery

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CTEK-Comfort-Battery-Indicator-Lead-Eyelet-Fits-M8-56382-/320835543657?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_BoatEquipment_Accessories_SM&hash=item4ab349e269

[Mirez]

No, CTEK charges come with two leads - one for permanent connection and one with croc clips. I chopped the permanent connection one in half, installed a fuse at the battery end and then extended it to suit before heat shrinking all the joins.

[Chrispb]

Thanks M8 thought that would be extra, as you know my daughter has got the MK2 now and has drained the battery with over use of the eberspacher without the engine running and short journeys.
So thought of fitting one of these like you have, only thing that concerns me is she may drive off with it still connected.
Am thinking of using a relay with diode to disable starting when charger is connected or would you know a different way.
Cheers Chris

[Mirez]

Well we've had two "drive off's"... (annoyingly both on my watch lol) but the connector seems to be designed to separate before any damage is done which is handy... the only problem is if its raining then the rubber covers not on. I did think of doing something like that but decided it wasn't worth the aggro so I just put a red card under the wipers now lol... simple but effective

[Chrispb]

That's good of you to admit that I thought you would have had some really complicated setup to avoid that happening lol
Will see how much time I have  left after doing the mot test

[SirDavidAlhambra]

C-Trek chargers are indeed excellent and your car would benefit from being charged up every month or so if you only do 10 miles a week