bananapeel

My battery has been going down to the last bar for some months now. It always replenishes itself when I drive it, sometimes not all the way to 100%, but it does replenish. Last night, I went to the gym and the comfort functions didn't work...couldn't unlock with handle, lights inside came on (normally have them set off), and lights outside didn't work when I pressed unlock on key fob. Today, I went to unlock with handle and it wouldn't work. I took the key fob out and it unlocked but wouldn't lock. I figured it was the battery being low, again, since the overhead light inside came on. So, I went to start up the car and it wouldn't start. Then, I could barely get the key out of the ignition (found out how to do so on here). I got it out and got it jumped. Then, my EPC light came on and the battery level would not go above first bar (let it run for a good 30 minutes).

My power steering belt snapped last week so I had to get it fixed. I'm assuming they disconnected the battery to do the belt so this could be the problem. The vag com code is as follows:

Address 01: Engine Labels: 077-910-560-BFM.lbl
Control Module Part Number: 4E0 910 560 J HW: 4E0 907 560
Component and/or Version: 4.2L V8/5V G 0010
Software Coding: 0007773
Work Shop Code: WSC 02313 785 00200
VCID: 285F4ED09BE83A9
1 Fault Found:

19509 - Starter Control; Returned Message
P3053 - 002 - 50 Short to Ground

Readiness: 0000 1000

mishar

Change your battery for the beginning.

K9COP

+1, my car threw all sorts of apparently unrelated codes while I has a sub-par battery. There's threads on here about recoding after the swap. I'd try that first....

K9

p.s. PM me if you get stuck....

bananapeel

Update: the mechanic got a look at it yesterday and he said it definitely isn't the battery. They closed at 5 and couldn't do a diagnostic on it or anything but said that something was drawing about 40 amps all the time and he had no idea at the moment bc of so many electronics in the car.

After I got the car back the battery began going back to 100%. I had a radar detector plugged into the back cigarette lighter and I also have a dension gateway 500 plugged into the fuse box on the right.

What happened last night after getting it back: I went out to dinner for about 2 hours and when I got to the car, it was fine, 100%. After that I went to the movies to see batman, 2.5 hours, and when I came out it was at the last bar again. The only difference between those two was that I unplugged my iPod from the connector in the glove box. I called a dealer who installs them and he said he's never heard of the gateway draining a battery but that if it was in the wrong fuse it could. I asked him what one to put it in and he was just like the top row (no idea what that means) and he couldn't really describe it any better. Here's a pic of the fuse box:

jakematic

If it isn't the battery now, it will be after all those high drain events.

Did the dealer you talked to install the Dension for you ?
If so, I'd go back and have them do the power connection properly - JMHO.

40 amperes is a hell of a lot of draw, 480 Watts on 12V.

bananapeel

No, he didn't install it. I'm beginning to think that it's not the real cause of the problem now since I unplugged my iPod today and it went down to the last bar again. I guess unplugging it last night had nothing to do with the real cause. The thing that made me think that it could be that in first place was that I kept hearing my speakers pop when the car was off and it seemed like the mmi was always on and ready to go...for example, sitting in the car for 20 minutes and I press cd and it starts playing automatically with no wait time (not sure if it's like this on everybody's car). I'm going to bring the car back to the shop on Monday to see if he can figure out the cause.

jakematic

MMI shuts down automatically, but can't recall exact time.
In fact it should give you a message that it's shutting down to preserve the battery if it has to.

Does the MMI display stay up/open the whole time ?
Was the radio or ignition on during the 20 minutes ?
Seems like very odd behaviour.

bananapeel

I get a message like 3 minutes from now mmi will shut down and it does. But, I still hear the speakers pop in the car. Sometimes, I'll sit in the backseat if I'm waiting for awhile and go on the iPad and the car will be off since I don't need it and I will hear the speakers pop.

No, the radio and ignition will be off. I just used 20 minutes as a random number...sometimes it could be almost an hour. It depends but something is constantly drawing power all the time, even when the car is completely off, iPod unplugged, radar detector unplugged, and it's locked.

mishar

40 A would drain perfectly strong battery in about two hours if it doesn't set car on fire earlier. That kind of current would melt any device if not seriously cooled. That doesn't mean that draining is excluded. Just amperage.

Try to take out some fuses. Start with radio and amplifier.

jakematic

Good point on the fuses.

Wasn't there a couple of posts lately with blown fuses on NAV causing "pops" in speakers ??