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Hi the Teleaid module in my car is causing a parasitic drain and I would like to remove it completely. I have unplugged the physical device under the passenger seat (took a lot of work to unscrew the seat bolts and lift the seat up to get to the connector to unplug it) but now it keeps turning on the lights on my dashboard. I would like to get this coded in the system as TELEAID not present and also take out the coding under the SRS/Airbag connection part of the menu as per my reading of a number of forums - anybody in the Potomac, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Germantown area that can do this for me or recommend a local indie shop who has a STAR DAS console and can do this for me?
1. Battery keeps dying after a day or two of sitting. Has been replaced twice already this year and when it's running the DVOM shows 14.3V across the battery terminals and whenc switched off immediately after a 30 minute drive it shows 12.6V with engine off. As an example i checked the battery after parking the car in the garage on Sunday night at 12.4V. Yesterday morning after 15 hours of sitting in the garage the voltage had dropped to 11.5V. So I lost 1V with it just sitting in the car. I guess that points to a battery drain.
2. Current radio is aftermarket - it's a Soundstream VRCP-65 Android which was installed over a year and half ago and it works completely fine. I actually switched off the power switch on the radio on Sunday night to rule it out as a current draw consumer. The original COMAND+ Nav HU was also fine but didn't have Bluetooth hands free calling or Airplay which my son wanted since he was driving tha car so I switched it out and still have it.
3. Did not have the CEL light on before removing the Teleaid. I noticed a current draw on the Teleaid fuse which dropped after I took the teleaid connector off so I took it off but hen because the SRS and ABS lights came on I plugged it back in.
4. No the CEL light is not on.
For some further information since I just got the car back from my son this week, I noticed while driving last evening that the right flasher is blinking rapidly and both the front right turn signal lamp and the mirror turn signal lamp are not coming on - I will check the bulbs on that this afternoon. Do you think that could be pulling down the battery?
Additional information. I left everything in the car shut off last night and the doors locked. I just went and checked the battery again - it was at 12.6V last night at 7PM and now (at 1:00PM) it is at 11.8V. I had left the hood open so I could check the battery and the fuses in the morning without waking up the car by opening any doors.
I have an on/off knob on the battery negative terminal. I connected my meter leads in Amp mode to the two poles of my on off switch on the negative side and then opened the knob so that the current would now flow through the meter without disconnecting and reconnecting the battery.
Immediately saw that there is a constant 0.350 amp current flowing through the meter (it's a good meter - Fluke 72 Series). I started pulling the fuses in the engine compartment and pulled almost all of them and did not see it drop except when I pulled Fuse 13 and the horn just went off real loud and scared me because I was not expecting that. I removed my meter and put Fuse 13 back in. Don't know what caused that but there was no drop on either Fuse 21 or Fuse 40 (radio and sound fuses).
I am thinking it's either a circuit on the inside fusebox (passenger footwell) or it is a current draw from one of the non fused circuits in the car which may be hard to find.
Any help is appreciated, especially on why pulling Fuse 13 would cause the horn to go off loudly ...
Sorry - Yes it's the 2004 ML350. I pulled fuse either 13 or 15 but I know at least 1 issue - when I was pulling and testing the fuses I accidentally put the first Fuse in location 1 rather than 2 so I am thinking when I pulled the other fuse because the fuse was in position 1 and not 2 it could have caused it. I will check it again tomorrow with it still in the garage. Had it on the charger earlier this evening and right now battery is reading 12.67V and 91$ charged on my charger .
I fixed the fast blinking turn signal issue. It a was bad contact on the bulb in the front turn signal light. I replaced the bulb and voila no more fast blinking on the right turn signal.
Here is a copy of your DATA Card with all the code options.
The first thing you must do is get those fuses that you removed in their proper positions. STOP PULLING FUSES.
Then the next thing you must do is, with the key out of the ign., and with a multi meter or test light (preferred), test both contacts on fuse #10 (which is a 10 amp. fuse) for voltage. Yes or no?
Last edited by Maj. Dundee; 12-23-2020 at 09:26 AM.
Thank you for the Data Card. All fuses are back in the correct position. There is 0 Volts across each contact of Fuse 10. I measured with a meter with one lead on the fuse contacts and the other on the chassis ground and then repeated it with the other fuse contact. In both cases 0V. Key was not in the ignition and light switch was off. Battery reading across battery terminals right now was 12.12V so it dropped 0.55V (12.67-12.12) in about 10 hours which is consistent with the drop I am experiencing which is about 1.5V over 24 hours.
There are three connectors shown in the picture above. I read battery voltage on the first one (facing the car) and 0 on the 2nd and 3rd connectors. The 3rd looks to be ground since it is brown. The first one is red so I assumed that is correct - I just don't know about the middle connector - it read 0V. Key not in ignition.
There are three connectors shown in the picture above. I read battery voltage on the first one (facing the car) and 0 on the 2nd and 3rd connectors. The 3rd looks to be ground since it is brown. The first one is red so I assumed that is correct - I just don't know about the middle connector - it read 0V. Key not in ignition.
Why didn't you just test the middle one as it was clearly indicated?
Now open the hood, key out of ign. doors closed. You can watch the video from the beginning or go to 2:53 and just follow the instructions to test every fuse in the fuse box using a multimeter.
Ok checked all the fuses in the engine compartment using the technique in the video above. Fuse 8 (25A) is showing 0.7mV drop. All the others are 0mV. They jumped around a bit but all settled down to 0mV except for #8. That stayed constant at 0.7mV.
Ok checked all the fuses in the engine compartment using the technique in the video above. Fuse 8 (25A) is showing 0.7mV drop. All the others are 0mV. They jumped around a bit but all settled down to 0mV except for #8. That stayed constant at 0.7mV.
On the cover diagram does it say #8 transfer case/emergency system?
If so, remove relay K12 and put it aside. Then remove relay K21 and insert it in the K12 slot and recheck fuse #8.
Last edited by Maj. Dundee; 12-24-2020 at 05:39 AM.
Thank you for all your help Maj Dundee- this has been fantastic... The cover does say Transfer Case/Emergency system as you rightly pointed out for Fuse #8 but slight issue - my car does not have a relay in position 21 - actually none in 19, 21 or 23. Fuse 8 is still reading 0.7mV.
No change even after putting in relay from k27 into the k12 position. Still dropping 0.7mV. Don't know if it make a differnec or not, but on my car there is no wire on the X12/13 connector at all - the one I checked for voltage the other day. It's just an empty screw.
There are three connectors shown in the picture above. I read battery voltage on the first one (facing the car) and 0 on the 2nd and 3rd connectors. The 3rd looks to be ground since it is brown. The first one is red so I assumed that is correct - I just don't know about the middle connector - it read 0V. Key not in ignition.
I'm sorry I didn't realize it until I actually took the back part of the fuse cover off yesterday night - previously i just checked the voltages by sticking the probe into the little space between the fuse box and the back fuse cover - that's why I mentioned it this morning - attached is a picture I took this morning. Since the car has run fine since 2004 I am assuming not having a wire on X12/13 for Circuit 15 is normal for this VIN. How will it change our diagnosis or troubleshooting steps and since Fuse 8 seems to be the culprit is the emergency system on this circuit the same as the Teleaid system under the passenger seat - can we just remove that from the car somehow since it's non functional anyway and test it that way?
Yes, I am here - what test would you like me to perform on the kick panel fuse box - look for voltage on the 15 circuit? Again I assume no key in the ignition but the passenger door will be open for me to perform that rest - will that change anything or do I somehow have to trick the car into thinking the door is closed?
Yes, I am here - what test would you like me to perform on the kick panel fuse box - look for voltage on the 15 circuit? Again I assume no key in the ignition but the passenger door will be open for me to perform that rest - will that change anything or do I somehow have to trick the car into thinking the door is closed?
OK, when doing it, open the door & with a screwdriver, throw the latch all the way and see that the overhead lights go off. Then precede with the same test as before.
When finished, pull the outside door handle to release the latch.
12-21-2020, 01:55 PM
STAR DAS help needed in Potomac, MD
