I was like WTF mang?

Post by **VW337** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 10:09 am

So late last summer I replaced my alternator to an uber Bosch OEM replacement with an idle voltage of 14.2 and and 140 hot amperage.............

A month ago I replaced my battery with a Kinetik HC800.................

I went to start my car yesterday and nothing. No charge what so ever, not even a feeble attempt to turn over. It had only sat for two days with the alarm armed.

So I get out there and get it started and do some testing:
Battery voltage reads 13.6 which I think is good but then I remember the idle voltage.
The Alternator output at the alt is 14.2 with a meter.
The resistance from the alternator charge terminal to the battery + terminal is 1.6M ohm's...........holy crap.

So here within the next couple days I get to do upgraded charging wires and a second HC800 which I was gonna hold off on, but no way I am going to do all of the wiring and then do more later..............grrrr. Once that is all done I need to check for a current drain, which could be audio stuff, alarm stuff, or hopefully not a OEM component as most of that is all new.............

Yeah fun

Post by **Bfowler** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 10:15 am

fuckin VW's

i have a few 12-20 inch legths of black 1/0 if you want, they wont be used any time soon, so that way you wont have to cut anymore of yours

Post by **stipud** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 10:22 am

1.6M OHMS?????

Holy moly.

Post by **VW337** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 10:26 am

Bfowler wrote:fuckin VW's

i have a few 12-20 inch legths of black 1/0 if you want, they wont be used any time soon, so that way you wont have to cut anymore of yours

Thanks, but I have like 20 feet of + and - still, and I'll need 2 3' chunks of each. I'm picking up 20 1/0 rings and 2 VB200's today and will be crimping and soldering each and every connection, and bolting a ground directly to the chassis of the alternator.

stipud wrote:1.6M OHMS?????

Holy moly.

Yup, that is on the battery charge wire.................

brenzbmr@sb · Post by **brenzbmr@sb** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 11:53 am

sounds like your charge wire is no good or you have a bad connection
istill dont see why your car didnt start if the battery wasnt dead.
or maybe im reading this wrong.

also if you parked your car for two days and the battery is dead
you have on hellah parasitic draw going on.

dont tell me you have one of those big knight rider leds for your alarm

Post by **VW337** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 12:11 pm

No I only have 2 small blue LED's, I think my battery is being weakened due to heater ON, wipers ON-full, Headlights ON, Rear defog ON, Stereo cranked, and a shitty Charge wire so more was being used then replaced so the car was parked with a weak battery.............I have yet to check for a parasitic drain, that will be done once I get the wiring replaced.

brenzbmr@sb · Post by **brenzbmr@sb** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 4:00 pm

how do you like the kinetic battery?

let us kknow what you find.

Post by **VW337** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 8:50 am

UPDATE

Last night I was out in the rain until midnight working on this problem.

I now have 1/0 from the alt for both power and ground.
I now have a 1/0 chassis ground.
I now have dual HC800 batteries joined together with guess what 6 inches of 1/0.
All connections were done with a crimp on terminal which was crimped twice, then heated until glowing red by means of a brazing torch then saturated in solder, I don't think these connections will fail..........

This may all be a bit overkill but that's how I do it if I can.

Now-
The Idle voltage at the battery 14.33 volts.
The Idle voltage at the alternator 14.33 volts.

After all of this was accomplished I measured for the suspected parasitic current draw and the primary in vehicle electronics with the alarm armed registered a current draw of 0.3mA yes 0.3 milliamperes. I know that is very low so I really doubt that was the problem, I did not think to measure the audio power path at the time for a draw, but I will just to eliminate any issues.

I really hope this takes care of the problem because the damn thing will be parked for a week so I'll have time to verify............

Post by **Bfowler** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 9:04 am

pics or ban!!!!

how did you end up securing the batterys?

Post by **VW337** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 9:07 am

secure the batteries.............they have no room to move so they should make it as is for now, however I will be welding up a bracket when time permits.

Pics will come when I get it cleaned up a bit. Right now I am really not happy with it but it is functional.

Post by **VW337** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 9:11 am

Anybody have access to brass stock?

I need 3 pieces-
1' x 1" x 3/16" (qty 2)
6" x 6" x 3/16" (qty 1)

Mastiff · Post by **Mastiff** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 10:30 am

Post by **VW337** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 2:16 pm

Here's your pics though I am not happy with the end result as of now.

Post by **stipud** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 2:22 pm

Eh, it's no worse spaghetti than the rest of your engine bay.

Post by **VW337** » Thu Jan 04, 2007 2:37 pm

stipud wrote:Eh, it's no worse spaghetti than the rest of your engine bay.

Guessing that was a jab at VW?

Yes the engine bay is a nightmare, the underdash is worse; sadly the wiring is a cluster-fuck from the factory. I don't think VW learned what a proper wire loom was until late in the MKIII line-up and then still questionable.

Post by **VW337** » Mon Jan 15, 2007 12:15 pm

Okay get back from CES.............dead batteries.

The problem has been found however, My alarm is shorted somewhere somehow either in the brain or siren likely do to excessive humidity/moisture and the siren is constantly emitting a very low almost inaudible tone. I'll be replacing that sometime this week.