Central lock
- Thread starter mikkre
- Start date
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- Buckinghamshire, UK. ('95 DT)
70 mA doesn't sound bad although it may randomly be waking up.
After-market radio is a common source of drain.
Might be worth pulling the delay relay on the EAS as that is known to wake up sometimes as well.
After-market radio is a common source of drain.
Might be worth pulling the delay relay on the EAS as that is known to wake up sometimes as well.
I`m back and the new measurements have been taken.
The previous measurements were incorrect because I didn't notice the charger was connected to the front bumper connector. So let's forget about them and forgive the confusion!
Now, measured with 3 different meters, the result is about 25mA of current going to the car's wires. The reading is not stable, it fluctuates somewhat.
This may be at least partly due to the flashing LED light of the alarm.
The most stable reading was with a UNI-T clamp meter with a range of 2A.
The cheapest meter gave a reading of about 119mA, which is not in line with other meters. Maybe we forgot this meter in front of the tire when we set off with the car... The voltage at the time of the measurement was 12.45V.
The bottom line is: in my case, too, the RF receiver was to blame for draining the battery, like many others... Until something fails again.
The previous measurements were incorrect because I didn't notice the charger was connected to the front bumper connector. So let's forget about them and forgive the confusion!
Now, measured with 3 different meters, the result is about 25mA of current going to the car's wires. The reading is not stable, it fluctuates somewhat.
This may be at least partly due to the flashing LED light of the alarm.
The most stable reading was with a UNI-T clamp meter with a range of 2A.
The cheapest meter gave a reading of about 119mA, which is not in line with other meters. Maybe we forgot this meter in front of the tire when we set off with the car... The voltage at the time of the measurement was 12.45V.
The bottom line is: in my case, too, the RF receiver was to blame for draining the battery, like many others... Until something fails again.
Datatek
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- Near Poitiers SW France
Something wrong there. 0.7ma? Should be around 50ma with the BECM asleep. Less than 1ma is not possible. If the meter really was on a 20ma range, the the load would exceed the range so your reading is likely to be meaningless.
Datatek
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- Near Poitiers SW France
He didn't say 70ma, he said 0.7ma, less than 1 ma.
As I wrote above, the previous measurement values are too low, the reason; I did not notice in the dark the charger connected to the bumper connector, which provided power to the car's wiring, so only a small part of the battery went to the same wiring, from which those previous readings of less than a milliampere came. .
When I noticed the charger and disconnected it, the measurement results changed completely. That is, about 25 mA, which varies at its highest about 33 mA, at its lowest 12 mA. The same readings were obtained with three different meters. The fourth, which was the cheapest, had a much higher current, and it was not in line with the more expensive meters.
When I noticed the charger and disconnected it, the measurement results changed completely. That is, about 25 mA, which varies at its highest about 33 mA, at its lowest 12 mA. The same readings were obtained with three different meters. The fourth, which was the cheapest, had a much higher current, and it was not in line with the more expensive meters.
Datatek
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- Near Poitiers SW France
I have never seen readings that low.
Datatek
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- Near Poitiers SW France
Yes it would but I'm not sure it would reduce it by that much.
About battery charging: I have installed a 3-pin socket on the front bumper, to which I usually connect a 270W solar panel with MPPT controller. I sometimes also connect a battery charger to this same socket, as I had just done and forgot about it.
The solar panel provides enough power to maintain the battery on a bright, cloudy day.
The third use for the socket is to change the battery without turning off the car. In this case, I connect an additional battery to the car via the socket.
The solar panel provides enough power to maintain the battery on a bright, cloudy day.
The third use for the socket is to change the battery without turning off the car. In this case, I connect an additional battery to the car via the socket.
Datatek
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- Near Poitiers SW France
I use the 13 pin trailer socket to do the same as you have done with your socket. Where I am, a 20 watt panel via a controller is enough to keep the battery topped up except in the last 2 weeks when we were fog bound all day every day.
I can check the RF receiver consumption tomorrow as I have an early one I can test in the bench.
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I have one of those Uni-T clamp meters. It's perfectly adequate on the 2A range for checking the sleep mode drain. Ok it can be 10-20mA out, but certainly shows if everything is sleeping properly.
Best way to do the BECM sleep test I posted in #32 above is with door open so you can access the BECM fuses.
1. Open the door, and close the door latch with a screwdriver so BECM thinks it's shut !!
2. Disconnect the bonnet switch
3. Lock the car & wait for the BECM to sleep.
4. Now zero the clamp meter & put it on the battery ground cable.
You should see the drain drop to below 100mA (0.1A) within 2-5 mins. One of mine takes longer due to the Android stereo sleep delay. As said by several above, it should be 35mA to 50mA. If not, then do the BECM sleep test by pulling fuses one at a time.
Best way to do the BECM sleep test I posted in #32 above is with door open so you can access the BECM fuses.
1. Open the door, and close the door latch with a screwdriver so BECM thinks it's shut !!
2. Disconnect the bonnet switch
3. Lock the car & wait for the BECM to sleep.
4. Now zero the clamp meter & put it on the battery ground cable.
You should see the drain drop to below 100mA (0.1A) within 2-5 mins. One of mine takes longer due to the Android stereo sleep delay. As said by several above, it should be 35mA to 50mA. If not, then do the BECM sleep test by pulling fuses one at a time.
Speaking of door locks, now that I've removed the RF receiver completely, is it no longer possible for the locks to operate unintentionally via radio waves, regardless of frequency?
If the "dancing" continues, is there something wrong with the microswitches in the lock?
If the "dancing" continues, is there something wrong with the microswitches in the lock?
Datatek
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- Near Poitiers SW France
No receiver, no possibility of operating the locks via RF.
If the locks dance, it's a microswitch problem or just possibly the latch mechanism is sticky needing to be cleaned and lubricated.
I went to check the battery voltage now that the car hasn't been driven since my last post. The reading was 12.4V, which I think is reasonable.
The main thing seems to be: the RF receiver was the cause of the battery drain. Same as many other readers. I will never connect it again.
Or as they say here: Don't bring it closer than five meters from the car...or: it must be buried three meters deep.
Are there any actual measurements of the quiescent currents when the RF receiver is disconnected? Or in other words: What is the minimum quiescent current when everything is in quiescent mode?
Datatek, did you measure yours?
The main thing seems to be: the RF receiver was the cause of the battery drain. Same as many other readers. I will never connect it again.
Or as they say here: Don't bring it closer than five meters from the car...or: it must be buried three meters deep.
Are there any actual measurements of the quiescent currents when the RF receiver is disconnected? Or in other words: What is the minimum quiescent current when everything is in quiescent mode?
Datatek, did you measure yours?
Datatek
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- 45,058
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- Near Poitiers SW France
Sorry I forgot to measure the receiver current, it's been a bit hectic here with a big storm, I will do it tomorrow.
I would expect the current draw with all asleep and no RF receiver to be in the range of 35 to 50ma.
Datatek
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Not keen personally on adding more things to go wrong but having said that, most electronic measuring devices are pretty accurate these days depending on the scale. If the reading is for example X.XX amps, I would expect the accuracy to be +/- 1 of the least significant digit, so for example a reading of 9.45 true could read 9.44 or 9.46. Some are less accurate giving a reading of 9.3 or 9.6 for example.
