 | Home > Puma (Tdci) > Parasitic battery drain query |
 
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| ScarboroughSeadog Member Since: 21 Jul 2022 Location: Scarborough Posts: 110   
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Got a slow drain on my 2.2 Puma double cab. Can’t find anything obvious but the battery drains to very low over a week or two. After two weeks immobile it’s often too low to start. Battery is nearly new (quality brand). Where to start looking for the circuit with the problem? Any hints about most likely culprit, how to test for the faulty circuit, and how to rectify?
Thanks |
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30th Oct 2022 1:54pm |
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| LandRoverAnorak Member Since: 17 Jul 2011 Location: Surrey Posts: 11324
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Does it have any extras such as a tracker, non-factory alarm or USB outlets? Any non-standard wiring would be the first thing I'd check. Darren
110 USW BUILD THREAD - EXPEDITION TRAILER - 200tdi 90 BUILD THREAD - SANKEY TRAILER - IG@landroveranorak "You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!" - Princess Leia |
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30th Oct 2022 2:55pm |
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| ScarboroughSeadog Member Since: 21 Jul 2022 Location: Scarborough Posts: 110
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 Click image to enlarge Not sure if the alarm is original or not….. Did have a VHF radio and roof lamp but wiring disconnected at battery. Everything else original spec. Last edited by ScarboroughSeadog on 30th Oct 2022 10:47pm. Edited 1 time in total |
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30th Oct 2022 3:17pm |
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| spudfan Member Since: 10 Sep 2007 Location: Co Donegal Posts: 4695 
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If I leave the 1992 200 tdi sitting for over two weeks it will not kick. It'll need a booster jump then all is fine. 1982 88" 2.25 diesel
1992 110 200tdi csw -Zikali 2008 110 2.4 tdci csw-Zulu 2011 110 2.4 tdci csw-Masai |
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30th Oct 2022 4:18pm |
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| BogMonster Member Since: 05 Feb 2008 Location: Stanley Posts: 400  
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Battery drain can be checked with a multimeter. A vehicle with an alarm etc should be only taking about 30 milliamps out of the battery if all is well. If you see a bigger drain, say 0.1-0.5 amps or perhaps more, there's a problem.
A bad diode in an alternator is not uncommon (generic comment, not Puma specific) and something amiss in the radio is another one I've seen a couple of times. Finally, a wiring harness chafe is a possibility. With everything turned off (including the interior lights) take a battery terminal off and secure it so it runs through a 10 amp multimeter. This gives you a starting point for battery drain. If anything is excessive, then pull all the fuses one by one watching the meter. Somewhere along the line it will drop, or go right to zero. Your problem is on that circuit. Then depending on what and where it is, either unplug components, substitute them, or check for other issues such as harness chafe. You just need to be methodical. If there is nothing more than about 30ma and your battery is still going flat in 2 weeks you probably just need a new battery... bear in mind that some of the harness chafes (particularly in the front wing and the chassis) can move around so sometimes they short and pop a fuse, sometimes they drain and sometimes there doesn't seem to be a problem. --- 2006 Defender 110 SW 300Tdi • 2011 Ford Ranger XLT crewcab • 2015 Defender 110 Station Wagon Utility TDCi |
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30th Oct 2022 4:46pm |
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| ScarboroughSeadog Member Since: 21 Jul 2022 Location: Scarborough Posts: 110
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Great stuff- thanks. Will investigate on that basis. One terminal off, then multimeter between that terminal and the battery post it came off, yes?
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30th Oct 2022 10:54pm |
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| Dinnu Member Since: 24 Dec 2019 Location: Lija Posts: 3418  
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Correct, that is how you measure current, with the meter in series with the circuit. 1988 90 Hard Top, 19J Diesel Turbo, Shire Blue - Restoration ongoing
2012 90 CSW, 2.2TDCI, Santorini Black |
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31st Oct 2022 5:04am |
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| macfrank Member Since: 05 Nov 2015 Location: somewhere in the north Posts: 1081  
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To measure currents without disconnecting the circuit I'd recommend a clamp meter such as UNI-T UT210E. This model measures DC currents and also low currents as low as 5mA. Not many cheap ones do that.
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31st Oct 2022 5:56pm |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20418
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Tracker, head unit wired incorrectly, or an activated relay coil incorrectly wired and enters Ed from permanent live is all possible culprits.
You’ll need to test each circuit for mA (Milliamp) drain, if you’ve got spotlights with a relay or any other accessory I’d be checking that first and as mentioned you’ll need to check this inline in series. Removing the fuse and using multimeter probes to do so is ideal. You should be seeing much above 60mA with battery at rest. Around 15 - 45Ma is fairly normal and includes alarm etc. I think mine is around 24 - 40mA draw at rest, the higher the figure the more draw there is and will reduce the time time between restarts. A 120 - 145mA relay coil will deplete the battery in a couple of days. $W33T $0U7H3RN $UG4R 🇬🇧🏴🏴🏴🇮🇪🇺🇸⛽️🛢️⚙️🧰💪 |
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31st Oct 2022 9:24pm |
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| bear100 Member Since: 22 Mar 2010 Location: South Wales Posts: 1917  
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 Top tip wait for the defender to calm down after making the last connection, mil amps will be high until the interior lights and alarm module resets itself, also don't be tempted to turn the ignition on! 2016 Range Rover Autobiography 4.4 TDV8
2010 110 XS Utility 2.4TDCI 2010 Range Rover Sport TDV8 (gone) 2007 Discovery HSE TDV6 (gone) 1993 110 csw 200 tdi (gone) 1994 90 HT 300 tdi (gone) 1994 discovery 300tdi (gone) 90 hybrid 3.5 v8 (gone) Range rover bobtail 3.5 v8 (gone) |
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2nd Nov 2022 7:30am |
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| ickle Member Since: 22 Jul 2010 Location: South Vendee Posts: 1785  
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To resurrect this thread, I have a very heavy drain on the battery it seems to be getting worse as well.
I originally thought it was me forgetting to disconnect the parking cam but have discounted that. With my Fluke clamp meter on the earth I put the ignition on and glow plugs etc pull 70 - 80 Amps for 10 seconds, then it drops to 15 Amps for a few seconds and then steadily drops down to between 3 and 5 Amps. I have pulled every fuse individually, even the mega fuses and every relay with no change. Diodes in the alternator? Is there an easy way to disconnect the alternator as it's not easily accessible? Can the diodes be changed, it is only a couple of years old and is a genuine Hella unit. Thanks in advance Keith |
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17th Mar 2024 8:18pm |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20418
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When you say heavy drain, are you meaning with ignition on or at rest not running aka parasitic drain and then causing it to be difficult to start? $W33T $0U7H3RN $UG4R
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17th Mar 2024 8:48pm |
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| mjallum Member Since: 23 Mar 2022 Location: Berks Posts: 5
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My 2.2 will only stand around 2 weeks in the winter.
I changed the battery and only get marginally more out of it. I put it down to alarm and other items that can not be switched off . I have a double din system and if I disconnect the battery it loses some of its memory so it must be using power when stood idle. |
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18th Mar 2024 10:53am |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20418
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Alarm and head unit pull some drain but shouldn’t be much more than 45mA.
I found I had it once from water in the interior lights, to the rear water gathered and that was causing drain I only knew because it’s one of the things I knew was permanent live. Manually checked it and there it was, wet on the electrical tracks. I put some silicone grease on the tracks now, so that’ll resist it a lot from building up again. Or another fitting could be used, but it was simply from built up condensation behind the head lining. $W33T $0U7H3RN $UG4R 🇬🇧🏴🏴🏴🇮🇪🇺🇸⛽️🛢️⚙️🧰💪 |
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18th Mar 2024 4:07pm |
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