Battery drain after plugs, air and fuel filter change?
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
e46 BMW
Battery drain after plugs, air and fuel filter change?
Bought Cintoman's 2005 C230 in early January for my son and he's loved it.
We've tackled some minor updates/upgrades (shocks, headlight washer, summer tires) and just replaced the fuel filter, air filter and spark plug this past Friday (intermittent rough starts) to prep for him leaving again for his summer internship in NJ.
Took a little to get fuel line clamps that I was happy with, so left the car on the ramps from Friday to Sunday. Car wouldn't start when finished, but took a jump and then ran beautifully. Stopped and started it a few times and I thought we were fine.
My son went to start it this morning, 15 hours or so after running in yesterday, and it won't start.
I gave it a cursory look after work this afternoon assuming I'd see some interior light on, but I don't see anything obvious.
I checked the battery with the voltmeter and I'm only showing 10.4 to 10.5 volts, so it seems that something is drawing current.
Does the work I did make anyone thing of any potential complications I might have created or an obvious draw to check?
Battery is 4 years/≈30k miles old, so I don't think that that's a factor.
I DID read where an overhead fan can cause drain when the door-locks are not turned on. This is the first few nights, since we've owned it, that it has been left UNlocked.
I just plugged in a trickle-charger and locked the doors...
My dad is a retired Ford Master Tech with a particular expertise in electronic gremlins. He's willing to do some diagnosing, but I thought I'd shake this tree first (or solicit this group for suggestions).
Any advice or insight would be appreciated.
We've tackled some minor updates/upgrades (shocks, headlight washer, summer tires) and just replaced the fuel filter, air filter and spark plug this past Friday (intermittent rough starts) to prep for him leaving again for his summer internship in NJ.
Took a little to get fuel line clamps that I was happy with, so left the car on the ramps from Friday to Sunday. Car wouldn't start when finished, but took a jump and then ran beautifully. Stopped and started it a few times and I thought we were fine.
My son went to start it this morning, 15 hours or so after running in yesterday, and it won't start.
I gave it a cursory look after work this afternoon assuming I'd see some interior light on, but I don't see anything obvious.
I checked the battery with the voltmeter and I'm only showing 10.4 to 10.5 volts, so it seems that something is drawing current.
Does the work I did make anyone thing of any potential complications I might have created or an obvious draw to check?
Battery is 4 years/≈30k miles old, so I don't think that that's a factor.
I DID read where an overhead fan can cause drain when the door-locks are not turned on. This is the first few nights, since we've owned it, that it has been left UNlocked.
I just plugged in a trickle-charger and locked the doors...
My dad is a retired Ford Master Tech with a particular expertise in electronic gremlins. He's willing to do some diagnosing, but I thought I'd shake this tree first (or solicit this group for suggestions).
Any advice or insight would be appreciated.
Super Member
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 571
Likes: 92
From: New England! :-)
2005 C230K Sport Coupe
The power seat controller is notorious for dying and drawing power.
Do a search.
Also, yank the fuses one by one, to see which circuit is drawing power.
NOTE: NEVER EVER EVER disconnect the battery, or yank fuses, with the key in the ignition. You've been warned!
Also see:
http://benzbits.com/w203/fuses.html
Good Luck!
Do a search.
Also, yank the fuses one by one, to see which circuit is drawing power.
NOTE: NEVER EVER EVER disconnect the battery, or yank fuses, with the key in the ignition. You've been warned!
Also see:
http://benzbits.com/w203/fuses.html
Good Luck!
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
e46 BMW
Had my dad test it and he found a draw of about 11-12 milliamps, without much variability. I had read that the draw should be between 3 and 9, but wasn't able to share that with him when he was testing (my son drove over and the two of them worked on it while I was at work).
Started fine this morning and we're in the midst of loading it for him to take to his internship tomorrow and noticed the dash screen indicating an error with the right mirror directional. This is a problem we've been trying to work through on both sides with limited luck.
Anyhow, I think that the issue might be that he hadn't acknowledged/cleared that error and that that screen was staying on.
I took the side mirror off and tried to deform the pins a little to get better contact. Both LED directionals are new and I think that this issue is simply an inconsistent fit to that plug.
Put it back on the trickle charger and we'll see what happens.
I'd be open to any thoughts including, but not limited to...
1. Does the draw of 11-12 seem too high?
2. Does the lack of acknowledging/clearing the message seem like a logical conclusion of what's drawing power?
3. Any advice on getting a better connection with the mirror directionals? Again, LEDs are new.
4. Any recommended independent shops near Piscataway, NJ if he heads down to his internship and has power drain issues?
Started fine this morning and we're in the midst of loading it for him to take to his internship tomorrow and noticed the dash screen indicating an error with the right mirror directional. This is a problem we've been trying to work through on both sides with limited luck.
Anyhow, I think that the issue might be that he hadn't acknowledged/cleared that error and that that screen was staying on.
I took the side mirror off and tried to deform the pins a little to get better contact. Both LED directionals are new and I think that this issue is simply an inconsistent fit to that plug.
Put it back on the trickle charger and we'll see what happens.
I'd be open to any thoughts including, but not limited to...
1. Does the draw of 11-12 seem too high?
2. Does the lack of acknowledging/clearing the message seem like a logical conclusion of what's drawing power?
3. Any advice on getting a better connection with the mirror directionals? Again, LEDs are new.
4. Any recommended independent shops near Piscataway, NJ if he heads down to his internship and has power drain issues?
