 | Home > Technical > Puma current consumption when running |
 
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| ZeDefender Member Since: 15 Sep 2011 Location: Munich Posts: 4731   
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Anyone know how much current a 2.4 Puma consumes when running, lights off (does it use any?)
Also, does the AS10 etc. use much when the vehicle is left standing? I'm trying to figure out how the hell my AGM battery went flat 
Cheers for any info, Matt Tell someone you love them today because life is short. But shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing... |
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4th Apr 2014 7:30am |
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| ZeDefender Member Since: 15 Sep 2011 Location: Munich Posts: 4731
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Many thanks.
Thanks for the current figures 
I'm a bit reluctant to disconnect the battery as it's a PITA with all the double battery / BlueSea stuff in there: [URL=]  Click image to enlarge[/URL] However, if the battery voltage drops much overnight I'll be doing it. The inductive clamp thingy sounds good though - is it really accurate enough? I'll go on eBay now though - never can resist a new bit of kit (once I figure out what it's called in German )
Matt *Edit* presumably I could measure the current at the positive terminal too? Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated  Tell someone you love them today because life is short.
But shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing... |
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4th Apr 2014 10:22am |
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| Cupboard Member Since: 21 Mar 2014 Location: Suffolk Posts: 2971  
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if you don't want to disconnect the battery or want to measure a higher current then it's worth looking at a clamp meter. I have a relatively cheap one but it's come in handy on a number of occasions. My car uses a scary amount of current when it's running.
Anyway, this is what I have: http://cpc.farnell.com/tenma/72-7224/clamp...dp/IN05110
They're £30 including VAT but they do often come up on special offer, I think I paid £20-ish for mine. |
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4th Apr 2014 12:35pm |
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| Grey110 Member Since: 20 Jun 2012 Location: Delft Posts: 35 
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In German they are called Stromzange. Martin
Previous 2003 Defender 110 Hardtop TD5 2004 Defender 110 Station Wagon TD5 - Libyan Sand 2005 Discovery 3 - V8 - Black |
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4th Apr 2014 1:12pm |
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| ZeDefender Member Since: 15 Sep 2011 Location: Munich Posts: 4731
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Cheers guys - I've found almost exactly the same meter on German eBay (same price too).
*Cupboard - can yours differentiate between, e.g. 0.3A and 0.6A? Matt Tell someone you love them today because life is short. But shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing... |
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4th Apr 2014 1:22pm |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20626
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Matt you mean 30mA (MilliAmp, it's more of an accurate reading) etc etc. easiest way IMO is to use a multimeter. Just remove one terminal and take your reading from between the neg battery terminal and the negative clamp.
Has to be an open circuit obviously. The above estimation for the MA draw is about right as a rule IMO. Are you sure you have no relays or more importantly their coil constantly energised? That would be a current draw that is low but enough to flatten the battery. |
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4th Apr 2014 3:10pm |
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| Cupboard Member Since: 21 Mar 2014 Location: Suffolk Posts: 2971
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you can differentiate between 300mA and 600mA. I've just done some tests with mine, my variable power supply and a fat 100R resistor (maximum of 30V so 300mA through that resistor because it was the only suitably fat one that came to hand) and at 0.3A the meter showed 0.3, 0.1/0.1 etc.
I wouldn't be confident at all with 0.03A/30mA. It does display a 10mA digit (on the 40A range it's 0.00A) but you're really at its limit of accuracy there. You do have to be careful to pass the cable through fairly straight, if you have it seriously wonky then it reads wrong. If you want dead on accuracy or very low currents then you need an invasive meter. If you want a rough "about 0.6" or "about 0.4" or need higher currents then the clamp meter works well. It can differentiate on my car between ignition off, ignition on, glowplugs on, door open/shut, radio on/off etc. One of my other meters is an autoranging one that will accurately range from single digit milliamps up to 10A which has been extremely useful for a project I'm working on which is a radio receiver idling at 4mA then driving a motor at 4A. My non auto-ranging meters just read 0 on the high range, and blew the fuse on the low ranges (ask me how I know...) |
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4th Apr 2014 3:27pm |
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| ZeDefender Member Since: 15 Sep 2011 Location: Munich Posts: 4731
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Thanks Cupboard - I may get one anyway for measuring larger currents
Steve - I don't think anything's on except the 10AS and the reversing camera on standby. The only changes I made in the past few months is the new headlight harness (has its own relays but they shouldn't draw without load?), a 12V to 24V stepper for the LEDs (shouldn't draw without load?) and moving the OBD socket. I have disconnected the stepper for now I've just tested current at the battery and it's 0.33A 
This corresponds to what martinfiattech says above but isn't it a bit high? Tell someone you love them today because life is short. But shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing... |
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4th Apr 2014 3:48pm |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20626
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Try a process of illumination and testing, that way eventually you'll find your culprit.
I had the same issue before but with a relay, where the relay coil was energised permanently by the battery! 
Not my wiring but as I bought it.. |
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4th Apr 2014 3:54pm |
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| ZeDefender Member Since: 15 Sep 2011 Location: Munich Posts: 4731
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So do you think 300mA is pretty high?
Just remembered the tracker... power supply has output of 1000mA at 5V - therefore input could be as high as 300mA? About to go and disconnect the lighting harness and tracker power supply. Wish me luck. Thanks, Matt Tell someone you love them today because life is short. But shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing... |
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4th Apr 2014 4:04pm |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20626
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Tracker shouldn't be a problem if it's working as I have mine on all the time.
300MA is very high, but 30MA is acceptable if still maybe a little high. I can't recall what a standard Defender should pull at rest. Anyone got better info on that? It's over two or three years ago I sorted this issue out now. Once the culprit was found there was no further issue, what ever it is it's drawing power when it shouldn't either because of incorrect wiring or malfunction. |
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4th Apr 2014 4:37pm |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20626
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The tracker would pull some power but only when charging, which isn't often as it has it's own battery.
It's specially designed not to draw too much. |
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4th Apr 2014 4:39pm |
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| ZeDefender Member Since: 15 Sep 2011 Location: Munich Posts: 4731
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Brilliant - just spent a while throwing cables around and here are the results:
In 1st place... reversing camera with 130mA 2nd... Scangauge or BAS plugged into the OBD with 70mA 3rd... Tracker charger with 20mA Total 220mA (250mA was the total) SO unplug the reversing monitor when not in use and... WTF with the OBD socket? It seems to work normally but could I have mis-wired it (I checked twice!). I don't really want to solder that lot again unless necessary 
If only... someone else could check the increased current when their SG or a remap box is plugged in 
Thanks Steve for pointing out the bloody obvious - it's just so hard to get off my derriere and do the awkward stuff
*Edit* I had Scangauge plugged in permanently Tell someone you love them today because life is short. But shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing... |
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4th Apr 2014 4:49pm |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20626
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Just try removing the camera just for now and see how that goes.
Just relay switch it on a switch which you can turn on when you need it. Or wire it to come on with reverse as well as manual. |
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4th Apr 2014 5:13pm |
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