Bobster999

Just a little update for anyone that has an interest.

Ok, I felt my Grom unit and it was warm even after sitting for about 4 hrs. I unplugged it and recheched mt battery draw and it went from about 580 mA to 480 mA. So that sucks to be drawing 100 mA for the unit.
I unplugged the the 4 connectors to the body ecu (mpx) and the draw went unchanged. I then moved over to the ECU and unplugged it and rechecked with no change to current draw.
I will be feeling around for warm relays etc... underneath the dash etc... in time

salimshah

Accessories and add ons are typically the culprit. Do you have anything else ,,, looking for an another 100ma drain.

Salim

Bobster999

the only other add on is i installed all new speakers with components up front using a crossover unit. i will feel it today for heat.

angkorthom

I never got mines resolved, i tried doing a draw test but it seems useless because i'm not even sure what i'm looking about. I need to take it in to some electrical shop again, maybe with better luck this time. Should i take it directly into the dealer? They charge by the hour for electrical issues. Sorry for the long lay off i haven't had time to come on.

Bobster999

Im not going to spend any more time messing with it. I just wont let it sit for over 3 days without driving it.

salimshah

$5 battery tender would be the easiest and cheapest way.

Salim

Bobster999

where is a good $5 tender ?

salimshah

Not sure what your level/expectation of 'good' is. I bought mine from Harborfreight with a coupon for less that $6 and it is good enough for me.

Salim

shark13

Ok, my attempt at humor in the title at a what seems a common issue. I've noticed many threads regarding draws (shorts) in the systems of RX300 owners which ultimately cause their batteries to go dead. What is not concrete is the following. What is a normal amount of draw for a healthy RX300, both voltage and amperage.

So I am attempting to take a poll as to what the average voltage and amperage draw is for a normal running RX300.

I know this would be really helpful for myself and for many other RX300 owners as well (past, present, and future. My hope is that as many users as possible will participate in this poll.

If you are interested in advancing the knowledge base of RX300 owners everywhere please do the following.

1. Shut all your doors.
2. Turn of all your lights interior and otherwise.
3. Make sure the headlights are set to off (not auto).
4. Wait for your interior lights to go off.
5. Take the negative lead off the battery.
6. Set your device to read voltage. Attach the red lead of your device to the negative battery cable (black) and the black lead of your device to the negative battery post. Note the result.
7. Set your device to read amperage (minimum 10amp). Do the same with the device leads and note the result
8. Post the results on this thread.

Thanks in advance for your participation.

Bobster999

you wont find many to participate. because its not causing an issue for them so they wont put forth the effort. sadly i spent all day trying to trace my draw down. Im over 400 ma. its like a ghost protocol...

salimshah

The thread existed.

Shark13, just for you we will give it the title you desired

BTW draw is not short ... short is when a circuit draws more than the fuse in the path and it pops the fuse.

Salim

Bobster999

I have been dealing with a phantom draw for a while now. I think i finally just caught it. IMO, here is the best way to isolate the circuit. All you need is a decent digital volt meter. Raise the hood and force the hood latch closed with a large screwdriver etc... Open the drivers door and use a screwdriver to latch the door to fool the ecu-b computer and it turns off the drivers door light. Wait awhile and come back and do a voltage drop test for each fuse. Start under hood. Take each lead of the the meter to the top of each fuse. There is 2 very small metal points on top of each fuse. Make sure to move it slightly to be sure you have good contact so the meter can read the voltage if there is any. Do not unplug or disconnect the battery or any fuses. When you measure 0 volts for the ecu-b fuse and the dome fuse then the car is asleep. Mine sleeps within minutes. After checking each outside fuse, go inside and remove the small tray on dash near your left when sitting in drivers seat. Now perform the same measurements on each fuse there to find the guilty circuit. When you get a reading, which you will, you now can translate the small mV reading to find how much current that translates to by comparing the voltage to the included chart I uploaded. Its very accurate and handy.

shark13

Hello Bobster999,
What setting did you have your voltage regulator on (2, 20, 2000, 200)?

salimshah

I assume you mean Volt Meter. Which can be a VOM set in reading voltage.

Bob's reading are showing mv -> millivolt.

I would have made the measurement by setting the meter in 'current mode' but that requires putting the leads in series.

Salim

Bobster999

I set mine at 4 cause thats as low as mine goes on the voltage scale. If i had 2 i would use it. The worst case is if the voltage is higher than that, your meter will show "OL" then you just raise up the scale and retest.