Battery drain

[WRC9OLF]

Hi, I'm still having problems with the battery drain on my 2008 gt sport. I have been told that it is the rns510 radio. This has now been disconnected and a new battery installed.

I have also taken out the 15a fuse for the radio I the engine bay so it is totally isolated. The battery only lasts for 2 days! I have done nothing to the car apart from installing the rns510 2 yrs ago.

If I bought vagcom will this point me in the right direction if it throws a fault? Has anyone had this kind of problem?

Please help.

 

[ClassicRbt]

you need to update your canbus module. I believe the headunit is still putting a load on some part of the circuit.

try your old headunit and see if you still get the drain.

 

[WRC9OLF]

Still drains with the old head unit.

Thought it could be a light left on when locked. The glove box light is mega hot. Have unplugged the light loom to that and have had the fuse out of the radio circuit for 2 days and is still draining the battery.

It's going back to the garage tomorrow as when taking out the rns510 the destroyed the dash and plug for the radio! No respect!!

I believe the can bus is the updated version so I am stumped. Now the garage can sort it out.

Is there anyone near Wiltshire, uk that has Vagcom?

 

[WRC9OLF]

After the garage has had it for the last 2 days, I have now been told it's not the radio but the cooling fans. This is going to set me back £500 and may or may not be the cause of the battery to drain. There is a fault log permanently on stating a 'stiff' fan. The drivers side fan is not as free as the passengers and have checked with another Golf which is smoother running.

I think that I will replace the fan myself as should be easy enough. Anyone else had this problem? Or is the garage a bit short on bonuses this year?

 

[j_audio]

As you said, it isn't the radio if the fuse is out and you still have power going somewhere. "Where" is a process of elimination. If the fan is bad it would probably kill your battery.

 

[WRC9OLF]

Sorry to bring this subject back into the lime light...

After 11 weeks, 2 garages and a bill of £630 so far... I may get it back sometime this week.

With no radio in it is still draining the 2 month old battery!

They have now narrowed it down to the climate control panel. But at £580+VAT I really hope it is going to be sorted.

Has anyone on this forum had problems with their climate control and if so was it this expensive?

 

[WRC9OLF]

Turns out it was a combination of the climatic control module and the RNS510 Version C with H:03 SW:2720 causing the battery drain.

At a total bill of over £900 I hope I never have this problem again!!! For a car that is less than 4yrs old this is quite appalling.

 

[DkN]

That's unbelievable, you can buy yourself another RNS-510 for that.

I always found it ridiculous that RNS-510 with older firmware works fine without battery drain on older CANBUS. This means they either made a conscious decision to break compatibility or they were simply too lazy to fix it.

What was your final solution?

 

[Eddie-NL]

It should be noted that a modified firmware to prevent battery drain will not allow a camera to work, and is not suitable for the newer versions

 

[WRC9OLF]

The dealers solution was to remove the rns510 unit and install a rcd300 unit that came with the car. Also charge me a small second hand car for a new climatic control module. Now I have the rns510 out of the car gathering dust.

Can someone tell me if this software has been installed after factory or can you get this version c with H:03 SW:2720?

I'm trying to find out what canbus version I have, but this has been in the car for 2 yrs previously with no problems.

 

[Eddie-NL]

Find someone near to you that has VAG-com


I would suggest that the firmware on the sticker may be different to what is actually installed on the unit

 

[DkN]

You say that you had the RNS-510 for two years without issue? Have you left the car without running it for a few days before?

Also if you removed the radio fuse and there was still battery drain I really doubt the RNS-510 is the culprit.

It's fairly easy to install the head unit yourself, perhaps you should try putting the RNS-510 back and see if there still is battery drain, after the climatronic module replacement.

See instructions here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ea8nos5SbLw

Not to mention that the dealer should have the proper trim removal tool so there is no excuse for destroying your dash. I removed mine 5+ times with a screwdriver and my dash is still fine.

 

[WRC9OLF]

I have left the car for 3 months with no problem.

I'm thinking VW dealers don't like to retrofit items in their cars. So when things have a problem it's the first thing they say is wrong as it is 'not factory'.

I've had the unit out several times as I put the old unit back in and still had the battery drain problem, which is why it went back to the dealer.

 

[DkN]

If it is as you say then I'm not following the logic - how is it the RNS-510 or the CANBUS Gateway's fault, if pulling out the radio fuse and refitting your old unit does not stop the battery drain?

And since the replacement climatronics unit, has the battery drain been fixed? How did it suddenly start draining the battery after years of usage?

 

[WRC9OLF]

This started 11 weeks ago. It now seems to be fixed but haven't left it long enough to be really satisfied. I drove about 100miles left for 4 days, no problems. then drove 200miles, left for 2-3 days and starter motor turned over but not enough for it to start. After jump starting it was OK for the day. Next day same problem. After driving through heavy rain for 3hrs I turned of the ignition for about 10mins. Restarted OK but climatic panel had no lights or power. 1 mile down the road the fans kicked in and power was restored to the panel.

When taking it to the 2nd garage for the battery drain problem, they said it was draining by 3amps and that the RNS was the problem. After removing the RNS unit there was another drain . This was to be the Climatic control panel, so was replaced. The unit is now out and I am trying to find out why this now is supposidly the initial problem as it was in the car for 2 years previously.

As said in previous posts I believe it has H:03 and SW:2720. This is what is on the original factory sticker. I want the unit back in so I am trying to get as much info so I can get it back in to the car. I am thinking of buying VAGCOM myself as my Dad also has a VW.

Sorry for the long story. Thanks for all the info