Volswagen Jetta problem

[MPS]

I have a friend that has a turbo Jetta. She will park it and if it sits more than a day the battery is dead. She has had it at several mechanics including the dealer and they can't figure it out. Something is draining power from it while it is parked. She has a warranty on it, but they just tell her they can't figure it out and it always checks out fine for them. She has to keep a battery charger on it every night in her garage.

Anybody have any ideas?

 

[AKSNOWRIDER]

mountain do this..get a simple test light and disconnect the positive battery terminal..now install test light between battery and terminal..light will glow bright ..now 1 at a time pull the fuses watching the light..when it gets dim or goes out you have isolated the circuit that is drawing down the battery..now figure out what is on that circuit and unplug one at a time till light goes out...you will show small draws (dim bulb ) for normal things like computer memory, radio memory and such...if you pull all the fuses and light still on try pulling power wire off alternator(they can stay turned on when car is shut off causing a draw)...good luck...

 

[MPS]

mountain do this..get a simple test light and disconnect the positive battery terminal..now install test light between battery and terminal..light will glow bright ..now 1 at a time pull the fuses watching the light..when it gets dim or goes out you have isolated the circuit that is drawing down the battery..now figure out what is on that circuit and unplug one at a time till light goes out...you will show small draws (dim bulb ) for normal things like computer memory, radio memory and such...if you pull all the fuses and light still on try pulling power wire off alternator(they can stay turned on when car is shut off causing a draw)...good luck...

Thanks!

 

[dangerfield]

I have a friend that has a turbo Jetta. She will park it and if it sits more than a day the battery is dead. She has had it at several mechanics including the dealer and they can't figure it out. Something is draining power from it while it is parked. She has a warranty on it, but they just tell her they can't figure it out and it always checks out fine for them. She has to keep a battery charger on it every night in her garage.

Anybody have any ideas?

The test light thing used to work good back in the day, but todays vehicles have to many electronics to figure out what's on what circuit when you pull a fuse. If it's on warranty, get them to fix it, it's obviously a major draw if it kills a battery in a day.

 

[PaverMaster]

we had a jetta tdi and the battery would go dead after 2 or 3 days of no use.
ours came with a solar charger deal that went in the front window and plugged into the cig lighter. That worked

PaverMaster

 

[Chubby]

Use a low amp probe, By far the best way.

 

[christian]

got a 06 TDI never seen this happen....find a new dealer...

 

[woodzy]

does "your friend" have sirius or xm radio that is always on??

 

[milehighassassin]

we had a jetta tdi and the battery would go dead after 2 or 3 days of no use.
ours came with a solar charger deal that went in the front window and plugged into the cig lighter. That worked

PaverMaster

That is a band-aid fix.



To the original poster... I will look into this for you a bit later. VW are known to have electrical gremlins.

 

[rmkboxer]

I was a vw tech, make sure that the radio shuts off when you pull out the key, the radio is usually the draw even if it shuts off but not always. I just had one that they said it would only start when you jumped it and we found the electrical portion of the ignition switch was bad and it would not crank intermittently. hope this helps

 

[milehighassassin]

I have a friend that has a turbo Jetta. She will park it and if it sits more than a day the battery is dead. She has had it at several mechanics including the dealer and they can't figure it out. Something is draining power from it while it is parked. She has a warranty on it, but they just tell her they can't figure it out and it always checks out fine for them. She has to keep a battery charger on it every night in her garage.

Anybody have any ideas?

Alright, I am going to assume it is a 2001-2009 Jetta, since you said turbo.

What motor? 1.8t(2001-2005.5) or 2.0t(2006-2009)?


You do NOT have an aftermarket alarm right? Do you have an aftermarket stereo?

Is it an auto or manual?

Does the horn work?


Brake light switch is a common problem with many of the MK IV VW's. There is a recall on it. Make sure that has been done.

 

[6Mile]

My guess is it may be the external electric water pump. My wife's audi TT has this thin malfunction and it would not shut off untill the batt was dead.

 

[MPS]

Thanks guys...it is a 2002 so I assume it is a 1.8 mile high, the horn works, it is the auto/manual with no clutch. It has an aftermarkert stereo, but it was put in after the problem started....no aftermarket alarm.

No woodzy she does not have xm radio.

rmkboxer, yes the radio shuts off when she pulls the key out and if the car sits too long she has to have a jump start if it is parked anywhere but her garage. Electrical portion of the ignition switch huh?

This problem is supposedly intermittent....that is why the dealer cannot find the problem.

 

[CO 2.0]

Have them check all the grounds on the car.

 

[Jaynelson]

They all do it to some extent....well, every used one we've ever had on the lot. If that's the only problem with it, I would throw a party