Battery drain

[Radio-active]

Anyone have any clues why my (New) Leisure batteries drain down to 11% in only 3 weeks when not using the vehicle...I have checked everything obvious is switched off, no lights / fridge on etc but the 'Control Unit Camper' says -0.4a when I turn it on...Is this the amperage needed by the light in the display?..is this normal?...or is something else draining the batteries...ideas?

 

[WelshGas]

Anyone have any clues why my (New) Leisure batteries drain down to 11% in only 3 weeks when not using the vehicle...I have checked everything obvious is switched off, no lights / fridge on etc but the 'Control Unit Camper' says -0.4a when I turn it on...Is this the amperage needed by the light in the display?..is this normal?...or is something else draining the batteries...ideas?

Normally the Control Panel takes 0.2amps for the Display. 0.4 is too high and indicates something else is taking power.
The only things powered by the Leisure Batteries are:
12v sockets
Lights in living area
Fridge
Parking Heater
Control Panel, when on.
150 w Inverter in base of B pillar behind passenger seat. This has a microswitch in the socket that turns on the Inverter when a plug is inserted.
Do you use this? Have you left something like a USB adapter in there? When the unit is on there should be a green LED lite under the flap.
Maybe switch has jammed on?
If everything else is Off and the Inverter Ok then either start pulling fuses for Habitation area or find a good auto electrician.

 

[sidepod]

Exactly. Get an ameter and connect it in series with the control panel monitoring cct.

Pull the fuses one by one until you see the load drop off. You'll then know which cct is causing you pain.

 

[MattBW]

I notice it is a 2011 model. Could the stereo perhaps be attached to the leisure batteries? I know this is a mod many owners who like to listen to the radio when camping, like to do. Do you have a driving cam installed perhaps?

 

[Radio-active]

Wow...thank you for all the tips, I will work my way through, it does seem something is drawing power then although nothing obvious, radio switches itself off after an hour or so, nothing plugged in but I did use the inverter 12v plug so maybe there is a clue there...

 

[dfps]

I am not an expert but have had similar experiences with other VW based vehicles.

1. Check you have no USB adapters in the sockets.
2. Check you have no USB appliances plugged in. ( sat nav, dash camera, reverse camera etc )
3. Check all your light switches are off properly.
4. Have you fitted an after market radio/cd player. I had problems with an after market ( non VW factory fitted radio/cd player ) causing a battery drain.
Should all these prove fruitless then you will have to start isolating the circuits by pulling fuses as previously suggested above.
If you don't know how to do that, there are really good video clips on youtube showing how to trace a "battery drain".
Also you could use a really good generic forum site for T5/6's for additional advice http://www.vwt4forum.co.uk or this one http://www.brick-yard.co.uk/forum/

Both have excellent technical sections.

You could also ask someone with a VCDS cable to run a diagnostic so see if it throws any error codes. Are you Newport , Wales or Newport Isle of Wight.There maybe someone close by who has a VCDS diagnostic cable. ?

Good luck. Please post your findings when you eventually sort it so that others can gain from your experience should they encounter similar problems.

 

[Radio-active]

Just checked and the green light is on the inverter 12v supply under the flap so next, how do I turn it off?...which fuse is it?....how do I sort the microswitch?..has anyone done this before?.

 

[MattBW]

Sounds like the source of your issue. It should only be on when something is plugged in I believe, does sound like the microswitch is stuck on.

Someone reported -0.4amps when it was left on, which sounds identical.
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/inverter-socket-is-it-rubbish.7762/

 

[T6 CFO]

Great thread and off to check mine.


Mike

 

[Radio-active]

Sounds like the source of your issue. It should only be on when something is plugged in I believe, does sound like the microswitch is stuck on.

Someone reported -0.4amps when it was left on, which sounds identical.
https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/threads/inverter-socket-is-it-rubbish.7762/

Yup it appears to all line up, off to find the fuse...under the seat I presume, keep pulling them until the light goes out...then find out what else that fuse does and doesn't work!

 

[T6 CFO]

Great thread and off to check mine.


Mike

Glad I did. Been wondering why my leisure batteries have been dropping. Only to 80% but then I've been using the vehicle. Put it down to playing around with things and the parking heater being set to come on once a week for half an hour.

My control panel read that 0.2 amps is being drawn and whilst watching it even had a brief fluctuation to -0.4. Draw though was -0.2. Check of the inverter socket though and I had stuck a USB converter in there when I first loaded up the vehicle 2 months ago. Nice green light showing hidden by the flap. Pulled it out and control panel now reads. A big fat Zero.


Mike

 

[MattBW]

Apparently a 30a fuse ?

 

[Radio-active]

Pulled the fuse...under the passenger seat, front row, 3rd from the door, 30A as suggested. The 'Control Unit Camper' now says -0.2a which I assume is the draw of the 'Control Unit Camper' bulb.

I tried looking to withdraw the unit but I think the clips holding the socket in place will break so I will just put the fuse back in when I need it for the time being...

Thank you all for your help.

 

[WelshGas]

Pulled the fuse...under the passenger seat, front row, 3rd from the door, 30A as suggested. The 'Control Unit Camper' now says -0.2a which I assume is the draw of the 'Control Unit Camper' bulb.

I tried looking to withdraw the unit but I think the clips holding the socket in place will break so I will just put the fuse back in when I need it for the time being...

Thank you all for your help.

The Microswitch in the Inverter is activated by inserting the Plug, so it might have just stuck on. It is just a switch that is pushed in by the plug to switch the Inverter ON.
If you want to take the Inverter out then you have to remove the surrounding "B" pillar trim.

 

[oilydavid]

Fantastic...just found a plug in the inverter socket one of my family must have left in....congratulations to the forum.. and 0 for the VW dealers who did not notice

 

[jts46]

Fantastic...just found a plug in the inverter socket one of my family must have left in....congratulations to the forum.. and 0 for the VW dealers who did not notice

Why should the dealer have noticed, more to the point why didn't you?

 

[thehorse]

Just checked mine - 0.6A !
Had adapter plug in the inverter socket which is now removed and it dropped to 0.4A.

Still looks like it is 200mA higher than it should be.

Anyone else have 0.4A without an adapter in the socket?

 

[thehorse]

Does anyone know if the roof LEDs automatically shut down when the roof is down. That is the only thing I can think of that could be responsible for my extra draw. It's raining at the moment so don't want to raise the roof to check, but if they are on they would have been on since October when we last camped!

 

[RichardH]

What a fantastic resource this forum is. My batteries had recently started to drain at 0.2-0.4A, having previously stayed on high charge for ages. Having just looked up "battery drain" here was this thread and, sure enough, removing my anti-mosquito plug-in from the inverter socket was all that was needed to bring it back to 0.0A. I'd ignored it before because the plug-in has its own switch and warning light (both of which were off) and there was no green light showing under the flap. In previous years I don't think there was a leakage of current (the plug-in has been there for 3 years or so). I didn't know about the micro-switch so presumably something to do with it has changed.