Having scoured the forum it seems that a continual battery drain on these cars seems not uncommon.

I do have a ctek charger which keeps me out of serious trouble but that only masks the situation rather than fixing it. I'm sure one day I'll be away from home/forget/whatever and I'll come back to a seriously depleted battery and/or it won't start.

I invested in a DC clamp meter and see that I have a continuously large draw - alternating between 100 and 250mA once I've waited for the various modules to shut down. It doesn't take long at that rate to pull the (brand new) battery voltage down.

I've switched off the auto lights and auto wipers and have locked the car - on the one button press mode. I've latched the tailgate so I can read the meter without waking everything up again.

Does anyone know of a regular culprit for this condition or do I need to try every circuit in the car? I do have the workshop manual and that seems to suggest using the current probe "around individual junction box leads" - is there a map/diagram of where these junction box leads are and/or any preferred order of doing them?

Any other ideas that might be useful please?

Thanks

 

Do you know if there is a tracker fitted?
Is there anything plugged into the OBD socket?
Any aftermarket electrical equipment fitted?
Does the alarm chirp sound when locking the car?

Try double locking the car.

 

Hi Jim - thanks for getting back to me.

I don't know about the tracker - I suspect it might be "yes" as I've found some wiring and one component that didn't seem factory. I'm not sure what the approved tracker looks like, nor where it would be fitted. If you know, I'd appreciate a PM to advise.

Nothing in OBD socket, I do have a dash-cam but this has been unplugged at the fuse box for this exercise. The alarm makes a bit of a sad chirp if I push the button twice - seems to come from the mirror area? The indicators also flash twice. It doesn't make a sound when set with just one push.

I have just double pushed it now although I suspect I'll set the alarm off if I access the boot to read the clamp meter (I've latched the boot whilst testing)

 

With the car locked the alarm will not sound if you access the boot as long as you have the key in your pocket.

The alarm chirp should be crisp and clear and if not may be indicative of the internal battery failing which has be known to cause a drain.

Everything you describe as to how the alarm sets is correct.

When you finish your testing please remember to unlock the tailgate before you physically close it.

 

Thanks again Jim - perhaps I was a bit unkind about the chirp - it's a bit more like standing on a mouse - just a bit timid for our fire breathers!

I will see if I can find the alarm sounder. The manual suggests rear right of the engine bay but I've yet to track it down.

It seems that the K100 service action might not have been completed - this would be a further contributor.

Selling Dealer advises they did fit a tracker - but are a bit vague about where this might be.

I'll plug in the ctek in the meantime - until it stops raining.

Thanks again.

 

Is the car paid off? Maybe they think they might have to track it down if you default on payments?
Or maybe their business model is to sell the car, wait awhile, track it down, steal it, you collect insurance, and they resell it, with a huge profit margin.

 

Lol, OP lives in N Yorkshire, not anywhere like the badlands of New Mexico

i have a dashcam and tracker fitted as well as heated wheel/ screen and a ashtray display unit plugged in permanently and no problems with power drain.

Owners should never know where the tracker is fitted, neither will the dealer, only the fitter and the tracking company will know. So get them to have it removed and your problems should go away as sounds like some dodgy wiring.

 

Gulp - now that you mention it. I'll bolt it to the floor when I park it from now on.....

Love the look of the temperature gauge.