P38A Battery draining height sensors removed

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ar1g3

ar1g3

Well-Known Member
Posts
148
Location
Belgium
This concerns my 1999 p38 2.5 dse

Weird issue. The car is on coil springs and EAS compressor and valveblock have been removed.

Last weekend I thought I'd harvest some EAS parts of the car for my other p38 because I'm going to sell the car. Removed the 2 front height sensors. Now, the battery is completely dead, 2.5V... Battery is new since last month and no issues before.

Anyone any idea how removing the height sensors could lead to draining the battery? I would assume that if the car is on coil springs the height sensors are not being used and it doesn't matter when you remove them?
 
ar1g3 said:
This concerns my 1999 p38 2.5 dse

Weird issue. The car is on coil springs and EAS compressor and valveblock have been removed.

Last weekend I thought I'd harvest some EAS parts of the car for my other p38 because I'm going to sell the car. Removed the 2 front height sensors. Now, the battery is completely dead, 2.5V... Battery is new since last month and no issues before.

Anyone any idea how removing the height sensors could lead to draining the battery? I would assume that if the car is on coil springs the height sensors are not being used and it doesn't matter when you remove them?
Click to expand...
Depends if the EAS ECU is still in place perhaps because it normally self levels every 6 hours or so. I'm only guessing, but with no sensors it may have thrown a wobbly and stayed awake. More likely it's something else like the BECM not going to sleep.
If the EAS relay is still in place, remove it and also unplug the EAS ECU and see what happens.
 
Datatek said:
Depends if the EAS ECU is still in place perhaps because it normally self levels every 6 hours or so. I'm only guessing, but with no sensors it may have thrown a wobbly and stayed awake. More likely it's something else like the BECM not going to sleep.
If the EAS relay is still in place, remove it and also unplug the EAS ECU and see what happens.
Click to expand...
I have reinstalled the height sensors. Unfortunately the battery is properly f****d. 24h on a trickle charger to no avail. Now trying to reach out to the store where I bought it for warranty (if that exists for batteries).

Can I just remove the EAS ecu without the other ecu's acting up? I believe its still installed.
 
ar1g3 said:
I have reinstalled the height sensors. Unfortunately the battery is properly f****d. 24h on a trickle charger to no avail. Now trying to reach out to the store where I bought it for warranty (if that exists for batteries).

Can I just remove the EAS ecu without the other ecu's acting up? I believe its still installed.
Click to expand...
I have not tried it but I suspect the BECM would be unhappy with the EAS ECU removed prompting messages on the dash and beeps.
A trickle charger will not bring the battery back, it needs some serious amps to start with but it may well be fecked.
Most batteries come with a warranty.
 
Hi all,

Thanks for the input!

I have reinstalled the height sensors (changed one for a fecked one from my green P38), jumpstarted the car using the green p38 and let it run for half an hour. Then back on the trickle charger for 72 hours. Trickle charger is a fancy expensive one with desulfation mode etc. Battery back up to 12,7V and charger indicating green for battery health. Left it 1 day in the workshop, then installed in the car and waited another 24h. Started the car and boom, fired straight away and still 12.5V. Lots of starting power. Now one week later, haven't started since, and she's dead again...

Not convinced there is a drain issue per se, battery was delivered without plastic cap on the positive pole so who knows what has happened to it. I think I will try bring it back to life again, leave it 4 days in the garage, measure voltage, charge back up, put in car, wait 4 days, measure voltage. Just to see if there is a massive difference. Maybe I'll try measuring current as well.
 
ar1g3 said:
Hi all,
Not convinced there is a drain issue per se, battery was delivered without plastic cap on the positive pole so who knows what has happened to it. I think I will try bring it back to life again, leave it 4 days in the garage, measure voltage, charge back up, put in car, wait 4 days, measure voltage. Just to see if there is a massive difference. Maybe I'll try measuring current as well.
Click to expand...

I had a similar battery issue on our daily drive 3 years ago, purchased a new battery from an outlet I'd patronised for several years, no caps on the terminals but never gave it a thought. Battery wouldn't hold a full charge so I returned it & they charged it over the weekend but refused to replace or reimburse me. Lost confidence in the thing when winter came & replaced it with a Bosch, needless to say I'll never buy another battery from there again :mad:
 
ar1g3 said:
Hi all,

Thanks for the input!

I have reinstalled the height sensors (changed one for a fecked one from my green P38), jumpstarted the car using the green p38 and let it run for half an hour. Then back on the trickle charger for 72 hours. Trickle charger is a fancy expensive one with desulfation mode etc. Battery back up to 12,7V and charger indicating green for battery health. Left it 1 day in the workshop, then installed in the car and waited another 24h. Started the car and boom, fired straight away and still 12.5V. Lots of starting power. Now one week later, haven't started since, and she's dead again...

Not convinced there is a drain issue per se, battery was delivered without plastic cap on the positive pole so who knows what has happened to it. I think I will try bring it back to life again, leave it 4 days in the garage, measure voltage, charge back up, put in car, wait 4 days, measure voltage. Just to see if there is a massive difference. Maybe I'll try measuring current as well.
Click to expand...
Don't bother, I would go back to the shop and complain. Sure sounding like a duff battery
 
Happy yo see that other here also think it's the battery rather than the car that's the problem. Hopefully the store sees it the same way. Issue is that I've bought it online so I can't physically go back and complain. Been 2 weeks now and their customer service transferred my request to the warranty department yesterday.. they 'forgot' about it apparently.

I will be disconnecting the key fob receiver to rule out BeCM issues as I understand that this may cause the car to wake up.
 
ar1g3 said:
Happy yo see that other here also think it's the battery rather than the car that's the problem. Hopefully the store sees it the same way. Issue is that I've bought it online so I can't physically go back and complain. Been 2 weeks now and their customer service transferred my request to the warranty department yesterday.. they 'forgot' about it apparently.

I will be disconnecting the key fob receiver to rule out BeCM issues as I understand that this may cause the car to wake up.
Click to expand...

RF interference is a problem unless you have a gen 3 receiver. Unplugging makes it less of an issue but won't be 100%. The only real fixes other than an extortionate gen 3 receiver are MartyUK's filter kit or Briansp38dse second fob for a jog switch to kill the power to the RF receiver. Without the battery will drain, the car can lose sync to the engine ECU and the locks can burn out on the doors. Not a case of if but when.
 
Grrrrrr said:
RF interference is a problem unless you have a gen 3 receiver. Unplugging makes it less of an issue but won't be 100%. The only real fixes other than an extortionate gen 3 receiver are MartyUK's filter kit or Briansp38dse second fob for a jog switch to kill the power to the RF receiver. Without the battery will drain, the car can lose sync to the engine ECU and the locks can burn out on the doors. Not a case of if but when.
Click to expand...
I spotted Martyuk's RF filter and fancy one however its out of stock in his shop and he seems to be away for work since '21.

The car I have this problem with is up for sale so I will just unplug the receiver. For my other one I think Martyuk's filter is the best option.
 
ar1g3 said:
I spotted Martyuk's RF filter and fancy one however its out of stock in his shop and he seems to be away for work since '21.

The car I have this problem with is up for sale so I will just unplug the receiver. For my other one I think Martyuk's filter is the best option.
Click to expand...

Brian's 2 fob trick will work and is a fiver.
 
I drove a 2018 rrs p400e thingy this morning. Tons of poke and eary on the battery even upto 60mph?
Only does 50mls to a full charge.
Nice but too much of to much wizardry behind closed doors:eek:
 
Mark Piercy said:
I drove a 2018 rrs p400e thingy this morning. Tons of poke and eary on the battery even upto 60mph?
Only does 50mls to a full charge.
Nice but too much of to much wizardry behind closed doors:eek:
Click to expand...
Great until the electronics develop a problem. I'm in favour of hybrids but not the excessively complex electronic systems that most people will never use.
 
ar1g3 said:
I spotted Martyuk's RF filter and fancy one however its out of stock in his shop and he seems to be away for work since '21.

The car I have this problem with is up for sale so I will just unplug the receiver. For my other one I think Martyuk's filter is the best option.
Click to expand...
yep Marty's never in the country now so his website is rather pointless as there is no stock.
 
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