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I fixed a parasitic drain on my car in 408 days

davidmuller.github.io

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Re: I fixed a parasitic drain on my car in 408 days

#311

Post by rapjr9 »

Scoundreller wrote: post #235
zwieback wrote: post #81

Not just for highly computerized cars, I have a 97 Ranger where literally everything is manual and I don't even have a dome light anymore. There's a parasitic drain I can't quite figure out so I just make sure to start it every once in a while. Since I'm a year round bike commuter the truck can sit around for a long time, especially in winter when there's no house and garden projects. I've considered adding a manual…

Solar panel? Depends how big the draw is.

After the pandemic started I was using my car about once a month or two and the battery was getting drained enough that the car would not start. This solar panel fixed that problem:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Y5TKMZ4

It is powerful enough to actually charge the battery instead of just maintain it, and it has a charge controller so it won't overcharge the battery. It did fail me once when we had a couple months of rain and overcast weather, but kept the car going otherwise. Eventually replaced the battery with an AGM battery and that plus the solar charger has worked very well.

Re: I fixed a parasitic drain on my car in 408 days

#312

Post by owenmarshall »

Nifty3929 wrote: post #214
jobead wrote: post #201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe this means that the part's computer has the vehicle's VIN loaded into it with a computer that can only be purchased/used by a certified technician. If he was to buy a new part, it would have a blank VIN; and if he pulled one from a junker, it would have that car's VIN. (edit: should also say, I think a VIN mismatch would cause the ECU to refuse to work with that part and shut down)

Well that's dumb. I've never heard of that before. But I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Thanks!

It gets even more fiendish than that - you can have entire linked dependencies of locked modules. My old Saab’s key was locked to the security computer, to the column immobilizer, then to the engine computer.

Lost one key? Bummer. Lost all your keys? $2500, several hours of reprogramming time at the dealer, and a bunch of new parts shipped over from Trollhattan.

Thankfully the hacking scene has managed to bypass lots of this as Saab no longer exists to make parts. But this was the state of the art in 2003. I’m sure it’s even worse now.

Re: I fixed a parasitic drain on my car in 408 days

#313

Post by weq »

Mechanics are pretty big on youtube, i learnt this type of diagnosis from https://www.youtube.com/@JimmyMakingitwork . He posts daily videos of life in the workshop, so the OP would of saved himself some time if he viewed!

Repairing your car is just like programming, mechanics come in many varieties too.

Re: I fixed a parasitic drain on my car in 408 days

#314

Post by weq »

toxik wrote: post #101
jeron wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you like watching amateur YouTubers rip out their hair chasing electrical problems, I recommend checking out Tavarish and Samcrac. It turns out cheap flooded auction cars have tons of those

Pine Hollow Auto Diagnostics South Main Auto Watch Wes Work musty1

Jimmy making it work!

https://www.youtube.com/@JimmyMakingitwork

lol @ Tavarish and Samcrac mentioned here, they are TV entertainers who are more concerned about drama. If you want to learn how to repair stuff, these guys are where its at ^

Re: I fixed a parasitic drain on my car in 408 days

#316

Post by thehours »

sizzle wrote: post #281

I had parasitic draw from a 12v phone adapter that wasn’t powering down when the car was locked, took me forever to realize that cheap Amazon gadget was causing issues!

My issue is related to a 12v charger as well, except a little different. Sometimes the car won’t start (engine doesn’t even turn) _until_ I unplug the 12v charger. Then it starts right away. No idea why, but would love an explanation from someone knowledgeable!

Re: I fixed a parasitic drain on my car in 408 days

#318

Post by dmuller »

sizzle wrote: post #277

Why couldn’t he just pull a fuse sending power to one of these systems instead of dismantling the dash to get to the wiring harness?

Hello, author here. I did do as you described first---I pulled the ROOM fuse and the draw also went away. But, at the expense of more interior features (e.g. my stereo).

Re: I fixed a parasitic drain on my car in 408 days

#319

Post by newjersey »

jopsen wrote: post #218
peteradio wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Dude's been tending his issue for a decade, I bet he'd have at least those like him as a customer. In a metro he might have a pretty lucrative business. On the other hand in the metro there is probably someone who already does this work, but they are very hard to find!

How do potential customers find your specialized shop? Most people will give up, stop researching and buy a new car when the dealer tells them it can't be fixed.

Ford lied to its own dealership when my coworker went to them about a transmission slip with his 2012 Ford Fiesta.

He had the people at the dealership drive the car. They acknowledged the problem and got on a call together with Ford. Ford refused to even entertain the idea there was a flaw but less than a year later they came up with a "software patch".

Pete would bring it up with anyone he met. Do not buy a Ford Focus / Ford Fiesta with automatic transmission.

Re: I fixed a parasitic drain on my car in 408 days

#320

Post by dmuller »

chemmail wrote: post #274

This guy should look into replacing the fuse/relay for that module. Sometimes the relays can get stuck. Thats what happened to my leaf as it would get a TCM error and drain the battery every 3-4 days. Finally figured it out after a year too lol.

Hello, author here. I edited the article a bit for brevity. But, yes I started by checking all the fuses and relays. I didn't find any bad relays. Unplugging the ROOM fuse also fixed the problem, but at the expense of other interior features (like my stereo).
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