Can a fitted tracking device rain my battery?

[DessyParkerWigWam]

When i leave my T6 Cali Ocean stationary for 5 days - my Main drive battery (not leisure) goes totally flat - It's a new battery and a new alternator - and charges fine everything else ok - I make sure everything is turned off and unplugged - had it into VW and they have said that it is the tracking device I had fitted from a very reputable tracking company (Fleetsmart), that is draining my battery. Ive heard mixed reports 1. It's the easy way out for VW to blame a third party device - and there is no way a tracker could place such a drain. 2. Others said that it is feasible. 3. Others have talked about a more lily cause being something called a 'battery monitor module'

I don't think I've any choice other than get the Tracker removed - and then see what happens - but really interested to know if other people have experienced similar problems with battery running flat in less than a week of standing idle - and if this has been linked to tracking devices?

PS I am technically and mechanically incompetent - so I'm not able to do anything other than very basic 'have a look' without proffessional help. : )

 

[dspuk]

Technically, possible. A tracker has to draw something, else it will not be on. It all depends on the draw on your main battery from the tracker. Personally I would find it hard to believe that a tracker would draw that much to drain in 5 days.

Some have had an issue recently as the OTA updates stuck and that caused a constant drain and there is always the possibility that it is something else causing a current draw. The easiest way is with an amp meter and seeing what is happening to the battery at rest, with and without the tracker.

Trackers generally go into "standby" mode and then only use milliamps, so it is also possible yours is not going into standby for some reason. It is also possible the tracker has been wired wrong.

 

[Baldrick]

Have you got roof mounted solar by any chance? Or are you considering it?
That might just be an option. Get it reconnected to your leisure batteries. Twice the capacity and charging even on the darkest of days. You’ll also be able to find out whether VW were correct on the battery drain.
However it plays out, I hope you get a solution that works properly without loosing the tracker. There are other deterrents, steering lock, Ghost Immobiliser, moat and drawbridge, inflatable Trump dummy…

 

[dspuk]

Have you got roof mounted solar by any chance? Or are you considering it?
That might just be an option. Get it reconnected to your leisure batteries. Twice the capacity and charging even on the darkest of days. You’ll also be able to find out whether VW were correct on the battery drain.
However it plays out, I hope you get a solution that works properly without loosing the tracker. There are other deterrents, steering lock, Ghost Immobiliser, moat and drawbridge, inflatable Trump dummy…

Roof solar in the main only does your leisures. While you can use for starter you tend to only get a 1A trickle and it’s quite variable when that kicks in. OPs issue is starter battery.

 

[Baldrick]

Roof solar in the main only does your leisures. While you can use for starter you tend to only get a 1A trickle and it’s quite variable when that kicks in. OPs issue is starter battery.

Indeed hence ‘get it changed to your leisure batteries’

 

[WelshGas]

When i leave my T6 Cali Ocean stationary for 5 days - my Main drive battery (not leisure) goes totally flat - It's a new battery and a new alternator - and charges fine everything else ok - I make sure everything is turned off and unplugged - had it into VW and they have said that it is the tracking device I had fitted from a very reputable tracking company (Fleetsmart), that is draining my battery. Ive heard mixed reports 1. It's the easy way out for VW to blame a third party device - and there is no way a tracker could place such a drain. 2. Others said that it is feasible. 3. Others have talked about a more lily cause being something called a 'battery monitor module'

I don't think I've any choice other than get the Tracker removed - and then see what happens - but really interested to know if other people have experienced similar problems with battery running flat in less than a week of standing idle - and if this has been linked to tracking devices?

PS I am technically and mechanically incompetent - so I'm not able to do anything other than very basic 'have a look' without proffessional help. : )

Why don’t you talk to Fleetsmart?
Tell them that VW say it is their technology causing the problem.
I’m sure they would be very keen to check out the installation.

 

[dspuk]

Indeed hence ‘get it changed to your leisure batteries’

Ah, missed that part. Not sure they could hook it into the loom for that but they will know better than me. If it was causing a drain (which I doubt, if fitted correctly) I wouldn't want it on my leisures any more than the starter.

 

[DessyParkerWigWam]

Technically, possible. A tracker has to draw something, else it will not be on. It all depends on the draw on your main battery from the tracker. Personally I would find it hard to believe that a tracker would draw that much to drain in 5 days.

Some have had an issue recently as the OTA updates stuck and that caused a constant drain and there is always the possibility that it is something else causing a current draw. The easiest way is with an amp meter and seeing what is happening to the battery at rest, with and without the tracker.

Trackers generally go into "standby" mode and then only use milliamps, so it is also possible yours is not going into standby for some reason. It is also possible the tracker has been wired wrong.

Thanks for the helpful response - by way of update - VW told me the tracker is drawing 0.14 and in their opinion this is what is making the battery run flat ... They would not remove the tracker for me or look beyond the tacker for other causes as they said it was third party devise ... I'm having it taken out on Wenesday - and then taking it back to garage for further investigation

 

[DessyParkerWigWam]

Have you got roof mounted solar by any chance? Or are you considering it?
That might just be an option. Get it reconnected to your leisure batteries. Twice the capacity and charging even on the darkest of days. You’ll also be able to find out whether VW were correct on the battery drain.
However it plays out, I hope you get a solution that works properly without loosing the tracker. There are other deterrents, steering lock, Ghost Immobiliser, moat and drawbridge, inflatable Trump dummy…

Thanks - Ive not got solar - sounds like it is worth me investigating. The Tracker is being removed on Wednesday - so lets see what happens

 

[PeteS]

You could ask them just to remove the fuse to the Tracker and then they can measure the current drain. You could also see if the battery goes flat over the same time with the fuse removed. If it still goes flat then the Tracker is not the issue. I leave my dashcam on most of the time and have never had a problem with it not starting and I would have thought that a dashcam had a similar drain if not more that a Tracker.

 

[DessyParkerWigWam]

Just for an update - i had the tracker removed - and as expected that was not the issue draining my battery - the battery is now draining very fast - within 24 hrs. I'm booked back in at the garage so they can investigate more - from a bit of googling - I suspect it could be the battery monitoring system - Does this seem logical to others? But I don't really know - it's worrying that VW Van centre have not been able to identify this - they seemed incapable of looking beyond the Tracker - but now its not there it has removed their easy solution - hopefully they can work this out

 

[PeteS]

Now that the tracker has been removed the fault now lies somewhere in the vehicle. I think sometimes it is easier to blame a 3rd party device for a fault.
Hopefully the van centre can now investigate the fault and get to the bottom of it. I know you said the battery was new was it coded to the vehicle. To me it seems like a battery have you had this tested.