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Known Fiesta Parasitic Battery Drains?

Messages
64
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10
Location
Monterey
#1
I am working on a lithium battery project and am wondering if anyone has isolated or discovered the fiesta parasitic drains on the battery outside of the obvious memory systems like radio presets. Any help or direction would be greatly appreciated.
 


Sekred

1000 Post Club
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1,395
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401
Location
Mid North Coast
#2
I have been running a Lithium battery for about 12 months now without any problems. 720cca, 45ah, 3.2kg. System parasitic drain is around 0.1amps.
I monitored it closely when I first installed it, voltage drop is about 0.01 volts per day when my car is not driven.
 


OP
TheCartDesigner
Messages
64
Likes
10
Location
Monterey
Thread Starter #3
[MENTION=62]Sekred[/MENTION] That is a huge help, thank you. My largest concern was the key entry system, but unless it is sitting in a busy parking lot for a week, I couldn't imagine it would be an issue. Do you mind if I ask what battery you are using?
 


OP
TheCartDesigner
Messages
64
Likes
10
Location
Monterey
Thread Starter #5
Thanks, I will keep an eye on exchange rates. A long time ago I burned myself on a Haltech because I wasn't paying attention to exchange rates.
 


borborpa

Member
Premium Account
Messages
115
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63
Location
Central PA
#6
Can't be too much of in the way of parasitic drain, mine sat for 10 days at the airport in below freezing temps and started right up with no issue.
 


Messages
206
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39
Location
Indianapolis
#8
My car has sat for more than 3 weeks (over Christmas break) without being started. It started right up. My car also has extensive audio upgrades still using the battery that came with the car from the factory...
 


Intuit

3000 Post Club
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Location
South West Ohio
#10
The purpose of the following story is not to give you an answer. The purpose of the story is to help you find your own answer.

Just had to troubleshoot a battery drain issue on a 1996 Saturn SC2. Battery would be dead after a 2.5 or 4 week sit. Connected volt-meter in between one of the battery terminals and cables. (amp mode not voltage mode) The meter only has a 10amp limit so obviously you can't do anything stupid, like insert the key in the ignition. But since are sleuthing a slow battery drain, that doesn't matter. Saw a 0.060 current draw. This changed if any (except hood) entry way was opened. The trunk was especially sensitive - having to only turn the key to get a reaction. The reading reliably returned to 0.060 after closing each entry way. At some point, just milling around I noticed it went down to 0.006. This was a fluke. I opened and closed an entry way and it went back to 0.060... and again stayed there, regardless of passage of time. So that points to some possible intermittency. Beginning under the hood, started pulling single fuses and relays, noting the change with each one. Most were (of course) no change while some were either very tiny changes like knocking off only 0.010-0.030 or (of course) killing all drain (like the instrument panel fuse). Same for the passenger compartment fuse center, save for one fuse, which consistently knocked it down from 0.060 to 0.006. Looked at the manual to find out what was on that circuit except, the Haynes manual didn't have that circuit at all. [scratch] To cut the story short, removing and replacing, removing and replacing the fuse would generate a noise that sounded a lot like a relay; coming from the rear of the vehicle. There simply ain't much back there capable of generating a mechanical noise like that. I unplugged the wire harness from the rear trunk release latch. A minute later, all entries closed (except hood) the voltage would drop to 0.006. Repeated the test over and over with the same result. It seems the trunk release was preventing the system from going into standby. Note, opening the trunk, like other entry ways would generate a lot more amperage than 0.060. When you closed that entry way, it would immediately drop to 0.060. After a minute, that *should* drop to 0.006.
 




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