Kill Switch to fix Parasitic Drain

[MiddleEastZ4]

Gents,

I'm thinking of installing a kill switch to my battery to address my parasitic drain (something is drawing down on my battery as the car is turned off) - something simple like this directly in the car battery: http://www.amazon.com/Post-Battery-Master-Disconnect-Switch/dp/B001N729FS/ref=pd_sim_263_3?ie=UTF8&dpID=41Pylz9BnTL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_AC_UL160_SR160%2C160_&refRID=00G0CY04ES48438K9T3R

Does anyone have a better idea? Any ideas to run something to the cockpit of the car so I don't have to pop the trunk to use the kill switch every time?

Thanks all,

BMW Z4 2006 E85.

P.s. I connected a voltmeter and pulled all fuses, none of which reduced the current draw. Therefore, I'm pretty dumbfounded as to what is causing the draw... any ideas?

 

[markeg]

I wouldn't switch all the electrics off - car may go into transport mode, then you'll have a whole set of other problems. Use a trickle charger (or one of the solar chargers) whilst you find the problem.

When fault finding, have you fitted anything non-stock to the car? What sort of drain are you seeing - rapid or just a general drop in voltage?

 

[biojo]

if you killed all connection to the battery this means youve no alarm or central locking

do you have sat nav?

when you say youve tried all the fuses, is that all under dash ones and engine bay?

 

[MiddleEastZ4]

I wouldn't switch all the electrics off - car may go into transport mode, then you'll have a whole set of other problems. Use a trickle charger (or one of the solar chargers) whilst you find the problem.

When fault finding, have you fitted anything non-stock to the car? What sort of drain are you seeing - rapid or just a general drop in voltage?

I'm going to assume transport mode has been deleted from my vehicle. My car has died about 20 times in the past 6 months and transport mode has never kicked in.

I am getting about a 0.89 Amp draw. It dies within 24 hours of turning the car off. I'm guessing that a trickle charger therefore wouldn't work.

I have no after-market/non-stock items.

 

[biojo]

thing is its got to be something running on one of the circuits (fused)

so if you had all the car off and went through all fuses in cab and engine bay, one/ or more must eliminate it surely?

 

[simonlpearce]

As mentioned above how are you going to lock the car, plus how much of a ball ache is it going to be to re-set the radio and all other electrics every time you get in the car. Not to mention having to switch/unswitch the connection every time.

Get it to a decent indy and see what they say.

 

[Beetlegav]

Id guess there's something else going on with your car.. I have a lot of additional electrics in my car ontop of the nav, electric seats etc and have never had a flat battery

 

[MiddleEastZ4]

if you killed all connection to the battery this means youve no alarm or central locking

do you have sat nav?

when you say youve tried all the fuses, is that all under dash ones and engine bay?

No sat nav. Is there a fuse box in the engine bay? From all the research I've done the E85 Z4 only has a fuse box under the glovebox. Would love to be proved wrong...

 

[MiddleEastZ4]

As mentioned above how are you going to lock the car, plus how much of a ball ache is it going to be to re-set the radio and all other electrics every time you get in the car. Not to mention having to switch/unswitch the connection every time.

Get it to a decent indy and see what they say.

The radio actually holds its settings (who knows how) after the car dies. Having to switch, unswitch the connection every time will be a pain, but it's the only solution I can think of.

I live in the Middle East right now - so a decenty indy is non-existent. The BMW dealerships here are monopolized, so you're looking at about $1,000 USD just for the diagnostic. Short of it is, DIY is the way to go.

 

[MiddleEastZ4]

thing is its got to be something running on one of the circuits (fused)

so if you had all the car off and went through all fuses in cab and engine bay, one/ or more must eliminate it surely?

You would think so... I'll ask you the same question - Is there a fuse box in the engine bay. I'm only aware of the one under the dash (under the glovebox).

 

[markeg]

Yes - there is one at the top right of the engine bay. There are a number of fuses and relays in there.

 

[markplant]

Do you lock the car when you leave it, as in car unlocked but in a secure garage, was once told that not everything shuts down if car unlocked as it thinks you are due to imminently about to go out again, unless I've been fed another line if crap

 

[mr.tourette]

I wouldn't switch all the electrics off - car may go into transport mode, then you'll have a whole set of other problems. Use a trickle charger (or one of the solar chargers) whilst you find the problem.

When fault finding, have you fitted anything non-stock to the car? What sort of drain are you seeing - rapid or just a general drop in voltage?

I'm going to assume transport mode has been deleted from my vehicle. My car has died about 20 times in the past 6 months and transport mode has never kicked in.

I am getting about a 0.89 Amp draw. It dies within 24 hours of turning the car off. I'm guessing that a trickle charger therefore wouldn't work.

I have no after-market/non-stock items.

Dont see why a trickle charger wouldn't work, my motorcycle alarm /immobiliser draws a fair current and the charger just tops of the battery every so often

 

[BRC]

I presume you've established the current draw by putting an ammeter in series? If so could you not leave it so connected and then pull one fuse at a time to help try and identify the offending circuit. Just a thought.

 

[stupot67]

Hi,
Have you checked the current draw after the car has been switched off for more than 20 mins or so - A lot of the cars systems stay "Awake" for a period of time after switch off, opening doors or boot will also keep systems running.

I measured the current draw on the battery on my car a while ago, with doors unlocked, for the first couple of minutes (Until boot light went out) 1.6A, then down to about 750ma, until about 20 mins after switching the car off it dropped to a steady 20ma.

I'm assuming you've changed the battery at least once since this problems started, a battery thats gone flat that many times isn't going to be much use to you anyway.

Stu.

 

[Mike6]

I assume your boot light or interior light isnt staying on . They can be a big drain on power. I would try removing the bulb from the boot light and see whether that makes any difference. Also immobilisers can be a big drain so could you leave car unlocked as a test.

 

[Ewazix]

I'de have a read of these two threads which cover a lot of ideas for dying batteries and parasitic draws on the E85, let us know if you solve yours

http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=59475

http://www.z4-forum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=27784

 

[jimbo1958]

Do you have Gaptech fitted?

 

[Smartbear]

Do you have Gaptech fitted?

I doubt very much a gaptech could do this, its just a solid state stick path for the roof release circuit, its more likely to be a dormant tracking device with a knackered battery imho.
My car has a parasitic drain of aprox 2A & i know its got a ten year old tracker, i need to find it & kill it
rob