Anybody got ideas as to what might be draining my battery?

[Shubz8p]

Hi all, this is my first post here. I picked up my first audi (8p 1.9tdi e) about a month ago and fell in love witb the car very quickly.. Until a week and a half ago.

My battery was going flat every morning - And I mean *flat* like unlock the car with the doorlock kind of flat. I’ve been jumpstarting it every morning and the hazards would come on as soon as the battery got a lick of charge, and the hazards wont go off until I pressed the unlock button on the fob, which tells me that something is setting the car’s alarm system off? But the car doesn’t make any noise. The confirmation beep doesn’t work either, and I’m pretty sure they both use the same unit to play sound.

a week ago, I was on the motorway and suddenly my glow plugs light started flashing (It’s kind of relevant I promise) and the car went limp too.

On the dial switch for the headlight settings, the led that lights up the icon for each setting is very very dim.

Yesterday I called over an autoelectrician, who ran a scan on my car and found short circuits all over the place (scan log attached).

The glow plugs, the alarm system, the dial switch, etc

The man concluded that my priority is the glow plugs and the alarm siren need replacing.

This morning, when I jumped my car (I know I should be disconnecting the battery at night at this point) my headlights came on as soon as I jumped it! I checked inside and the dial was set to off.

Now, I’m planning on replacing the glow plugs anyway, but as for everything else - Sometimes these kinds of problems are caused by one thing rather than it being everything individually failing, and I’m ready to accept either outcome. But just before I go all in, I wanted to ask if anyone has any ideas?

Also, I am aware that the turbo over boost error in the log is probably why the car went limp that one time but I just think it’s a bit convenient that the glow plugs are shorting too.

Log-AUDI A3 2009 1.9TDI RJ09XYN-WAUZZZ8PXAA019845-200800km-124771mi.txt

[cliffcoggin]

Before you do anything or buy anything get the battery professionally tested, because a dying battery can cause all these problems. If the battery is more than five years old don't bother getting it tested, just buy a new one and get it coded to the car.

[Shubz8p]

4 minutes ago, cliffcoggin said:

Before you do anything or buy anything get the battery professionally tested, because a dying battery can cause all these problems. If the battery is more than five years old don't bother getting it tested, just buy a new one and get it coded to the car.

I feel like an idiot for not having mentioned this already, but I have changed the battery already since the problems arose.

[cliffcoggin]

That's a good start. Was it coded to the car?

[Shubz8p]

9 minutes ago, cliffcoggin said:

That's a good start. Was it coded to the car?

No, I didn’t know youre supposed to do that

[Steve Q]

I'd bet that's the reason. 

[Shubz8p]

7 hours ago, Steve Q said:

I'd bet that's the reason. 

Well, the issues started occurring before I changed the battery. I changed it because I thought the battery was the culprit. The battery going flat only started happening about a week and a half ago, and the battery was changed just under a week ago.

Edited March 1 by Shubz8p

[cliffcoggin]

Siyab.

Watch this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJAScg6JrYI

 

[Shubz8p]

5 hours ago, cliffcoggin said:

Siyab.

Watch this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJAScg6JrYI

 

Hmm, I think I’ll have to get my hands on a ross-tech. I’m going to get the battery coded in regardless now that I know it something that should be done.

However, I’m still doubtful as to whether this is the source of my problems. I’m deathly scared that there’s a messed up wire somewhere that will take forever to diagnose.

[Shubz8p]

Battery has been draining very quickly, 8 hours is enough to kill it on full charge.

First thing I did when the car went flat in the morning 3 days in a row was fit a new battery

I had an auto electrician come down. He ran a scan on vcds and then tested the fuses in the engine bay and couldn't find one that was drawing. The vcds scan found a short circuit in the alarm siren (which doesn’t work understandably), glowplugs (have been replaced now, no change) and the dial switch for the headlights (specifically, the led’s that illuminate the icons for each setting are very dim/flicker). Finally, a short circuit in the rear right speaker.

The autoelectrician suggested I just replace everything thats shorting, and maybe I’m just ignorant, but I have a feeling that it just isn’t it.

What do you guys think?

autoelectrician’s VCDS scan attached

Log-AUDI A3 2009 1.9TDI RJ09XYN-WAUZZZ8PXAA019845-200800km-124771mi.txt

[Magnet]

Hello Siyab,

You have a drain of around 8amps - can’t really call it parasitic!

I would think that your auto electrician’s advice of sorting out the shorts is sound.

I would also disconnect the alternator plug, since current loss through this is a possibility if a diode has gone. 
Kind regards,

Gareth.

 

[Shubz8p]

No I fully agree I need to sort out the shorts and I plan to, but I was unsure as to whether its the parts themselves that are shorting or the wiring going into them

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m under the impression that the wires for different components eventually join together which could cause problems with the other components which would then mean, the location of the short would be quite vague?

 

[spartacus 68]

Did the electrical clear all the errors, or is that VCDS list after it's been cleared? That's a huge list of electrical faults. I see there's errors for the radio and sound system. Any recent work?

[cliffcoggin]

I have merged this topic with the original from Siyab to maintain continuity and provide all the relevent information.

[Shubz8p]

4 hours ago, spartacus 68 said:

Did the electrical clear all the errors, or is that VCDS list after it's been cleared? That's a huge list of electrical faults. I see there's errors for the radio and sound system. Any recent work?

I can only assume he cleared them because I didn't pay close enough attention, as well as the fact that I’m unfamiliar with VCDS as I’ve never used it before.

Aside from the battery I changed it seems completely stock original headunit, speakers, no footwells or ambients etc

It seems so weird that there’s just loads of individual little short circuits going on I can’t wrap my head around it.

I bought the car only a month and a bit ago, maybe the previous owner did have some extra’s put in and messed up when removing them?

The plastic trimjust under the steering wheel creaks if you put a bit of pressure and there’s also creaking from the plastic trim when driving again from around or under the steering wheel (but above the pedals of course) which I cant locate the exact source of for the life of me. I get the feeling that he’s definitely had this area disassembled and put back together, maybe there’s something I can check in there?

I know for a fact that he did do SOME tinkering as the door panels have diy carbon fibre trim on it but somehow he’s missed out a clip on both the driver and passenger door (at least the carbon does look nice).

Hopefully there’s a clue in some of this?

 

[ertdes]

Did the autoelectrician check any fuses other than those in the engine bay? There's a second set of fuses on the drivers side edge of the dashboard (it's not near the steering wheel). If it's not been checked, would recommend checking all of them before investing in the individual parts. 

I've had a similar issue where the glow plugs, ABS and engine management lights were on simultaneously due to a blown fuse in that driver's side set.