Hi, Do you have the meter cables connected the correct way on the meter & selected to 10amp DC?
Hoggy.

 

Hi, Do you have the meter cables connected the correct way on the meter & selected to 10amp DC?
Hoggy.

Cables are connected black to cable, red to battery terminal, cables plugged in to multimeter, red into input black into COM, my meter is a AstrolAI DM6000AR.

 

This is the meter

 

Nice little Youtube from the Humble Mechanic -

The BEST Way TO Perform a Parasitic Draw Test

Just curious; how old is your battery? If it's more than 10-years, it's time for a new one. I just replace my original factory battery last year as I was constantly having to put a CTEK on the old factory battery.

 

Nice little Youtube from the Humble Mechanic -

The BEST Way TO Perform a Parasitic Draw Test

Just curious; how old is your battery? If it's more than 10-years, it's time for a new one. I just replace my original factory battery last year as I was constantly having to put a CTEK on the old factory battery.

Not even a year old, I changed it last year after I had an issue with battery drain due to the siren horn going duff, how do I stop the alarm going off when I remove the negative cable ??

 

Hi, Do you have the meter cables connected the correct way on the meter & selected to 10amp DC?
Hoggy.

Cables are connected black to cable, red to battery terminal, cables plugged in to multimeter, red into input black into COM, my meter is a AstrolAI DM6000AR.

Hi, Should be Black into COM & Red into 10 amp & select A on scale.
Hoggy.

 

Hi, Do you have the meter cables connected the correct way on the meter & selected to 10amp DC?
Hoggy.

Cables are connected black to cable, red to battery terminal, cables plugged in to multimeter, red into input black into COM, my meter is a AstrolAI DM6000AR.

Hi, Should be Black into COM & Red into 10 amp & select A on scale.
Hoggy.

Yeah I have done that now but alarm keeps going off.

 

I'm guessing the batteries in your Alarm are dead or have corroded the PCB which may be the source of the problem.
Have you run a fault scan?

FAQ - Audi TT (8J) H12 Alarm Siren Fault Code 01134 & Chirp
https://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... &t=1836515

 

. Yeah I have done that now but alarm keeps going off.

Hi, Is there a fuse in the meter that may have blown?
Hoggy

 

I'm guessing the batteries in your Alarm are dead or have corroded the PCB which may be the source of the problem.
Have you run a fault scan?

FAQ - Audi TT (8J) H12 Alarm Siren Fault Code 01134 & Chirp
https://www.ttforum.co.uk/forum/viewtop ... &t=1836515

I replaced it last year, and surely if the siren was dead or corroded the alarm would not sound ??

 

Have you replaced the head unit or added any retrofitted electronics; puddle lights, etc.?

Not sure if you have VCDS, but if you run a fault scan and don't shut down the scan correctly, it can leave some systems live ever after your turn off the ignition. I killed my battery once doing exactly that.

 

Have you replaced the head unit or added any retrofitted electronics; puddle lights, etc.?

Not sure if you have VCDS, but if you run a fault scan and don't shut down the scan correctly, it can leave some systems live ever after your turn off the ignition. I killed my battery once doing exactly that.

Not got vcds, I'll have to get carista again and do a scan, nothing new fitted.

 

The alarm should only go off when the battery is disconnected if the car is locked/armed. There is a hidden backup or capacitance somewhere that allows for this. I was actually quite shocked to find this on my other car when one day I decided to disconnect the battery but wanted the doors locked and, of course, the alarm went off :lol: Presumably it can only go for so long before the backup dies, but I'm not sure how long that would be.

You can probably disable the alarm features using VCDS, etc. Not sure about Carista but it may have the feature--may want to look into that, disable the alarm, then go from there.

Only other thing I can think of (if there's nothing wrong with the meter or you didn't pop the fuse) is there's too much resistance in the meter connection, in which case you may have to use thicker leads.

 

Hi, Is there a fuse in the meter that may have blown?
Hoggy

Hoggy.

 

When checking current, your meter completes an otherwise open circuit. (think of your meter as a fused 'jumper' wire) So, with your negative cable off the battery your meter would go between the negative cable (that you removed) and the negative terminal of the battery jumping the two back together

As Hoggy pointed out your meter leads should be plugged into common and the 10A connection. The meter's rotational knob needs to be set to 'A' and the you need to toggle the select button to make sure you are measuring DC and not AC (DC designated by the 'straight line', AC designated by 'squiggly line) If your current reading is in the mA range you can safely switch the rotational knob to mA (be sure you are still measuring DC).

As Hoggy also pointed out, you will blow your meter's internal fuse if you try measuring current levels that exceed 10A. (i.e. don't try starting your car or turning on headlights, etc) However, you shouldn't damage your meter if you incorrectly plugged your meter leads into Com and Input (you just won't be able to measure current).

 

When checking current, your meter completes an otherwise open circuit. (think of your meter as a fused 'jumper' wire) So, with your negative cable off the battery your meter would go between the negative cable (that you removed) and the negative terminal of the battery jumping the two back together

As Hoggy pointed out your meter leads should be plugged into common and the 10A connection. The meter's rotational knob needs to be set to 'A' and the you need to toggle the select button to make sure you are measuring DC and not AC (DC designated by the 'straight line', AC designated by 'squiggly line) If your current reading is in the mA range you can safely switch the rotational knob to mA (be sure you are still measuring DC).

As Hoggy also pointed out, you will blow your meter's internal fuse if you try measuring current levels that exceed 10A. (i.e. don't try starting your car or turning on headlights, etc) However, you shouldn't damage your meter if you incorrectly plugged your meter leads into Com and Input (you just won't be able to measure current).

Thanks guys, done that, but my alarm keeps going off, I opened the boot and flicked the lock so the car thinks it's locked, did the same with the bonnet and drivers door, locked the car, left it 10 minutes, will the alarm go off because of the interior sensor as I was looking at the interior fuses on the side of the dashboard, if so anyway of stopping it doing that, really don't want to take it to an auto electrician because I know it's gonna be a huge bill.

 

Does turning these on or off make any difference?

 

Does turning these on or off make any difference?

I'll give it a try in the morning, thanks Swiss, forgot about them switches.

 

So

I managed to stop the alarm going off, I think I have narrowed it down to Fuse 35 inside the car, this indicates it's the Amplifier, now I had this repaired when I had the car because it had water ingress, im going to strip the boot next weekend when I have time and I'm going to check all wires and then unplug the amp and leave it a few days and if its OK that's the culprit, I had 35 milli amps draw resting, when the amp fuse was pulled it dropped to 12 milli amps, no other fuse dropped the reading.

 

my battery is draining over about a week

I had 35 milli amps draw resting

Hi, 35 mA is OK. With a new battery it will discharge this battery in 3,5 months.
It looks like your battery is dead.

 

my battery is draining over about a week

I had 35 milli amps draw resting

Hi, 35 mA is OK. With a new battery it will discharge this battery in 3,5 months.
It looks like your battery is dead.

Brand new battery mate, well lest than 12 months old, I was lead to believe that normal draw is about 15-20 mA.

 

Hi, 50/100mA can be considered normal, anything greater could be a problem.
Hoggy

 

Hi, 50/100mA can be considered normal, anything greater could be a problem.
Hoggy

So if mines only 35mA mine is classed as normal then, what's draining my battery then, when I tested the voltage on the battery with the engine running to see if the alternator was charging it said 14.4v which again I'm led to believe is fine, I'm really confused now :roll:

 

Hi L of C, Battery appears to be charging O.K. but it appears not to be holding it's charge.
35mA shouldn't drain a good battery so check current drain again.
It's either much higher than 35mA or battery is knackered.
Hoggy.

 

Hi L of C, Battery appears to be charging O.K. but it appears not to be holding it's charge.
35mA shouldn't drain a good battery so check current drain again.
It's either much higher than 35mA or battery is knackered.
Hoggy.

I'll give it another test, much appreciated guys.