OK. so this is doing my head in. I've seen numerous posts about FL2 dead batteries. Current battery is a Varta F19 replaced around 2 years ago on my 2008 FL2 GS. Battery is OK and starts no problem if I use the car a couple of times a week. But if it's left unused for more than a week then the battery is almost dead. I've removed the radio fuse F6 for now hoping that might stop the drain but I need to be sure. So I'm trying to measure current drain when then vehicle is idle and narrow it down to one of the many circuits by removing each fuse in turn etc. The problem is measuring any current drain at all whether the car is in sleep mode or not.

I've tried a meter in series to measure the current but it shows nothing not a bean. Both on the positive side and the negative side I can't measure any current draw at all even when the battery is fully charged? Am I missing something?  08 FL2 GS TD4 Auto, Stornoway Grey, Adaptive Bi-Xenons, Ebony Leather, Heated Front Windscreen/front seats

To measure parasitic draw you need to connect a multimeter in series between the negative battery terminal and the neg lead..i.e disconnect the negative lead, set the multimeter to measure amps, connect in line with the neg terminal and neg lead(10a setting best) then lock the car.

Obviously if the bonnet is open you'll need to put a screwdriver or similar in the hood latch to pretend to the car that everything is closed..same with the doors- latch them with a screwdriver whilst open if you need access to the fusebox.


then single lock the car(so you can go inside if you need to without setting off the alarm) and wait 35mins for it to shut down (12mins if its double locked which you won't be doing cause of alarm)


Should read no higher than 23.6 ma drain when locked (see chart)

Don't try and start the car or use any electrics whilst measuring, it'll blow the fuse in the multimeter..been there and done it myself..

more info here https://shoptoolreviews.com/automotive/dia...ain/34587/

or just google measure parasitic drain for some videos.



hope that helps

How does one lock the car while the negative is disconnected?
Do you do this while the ammeter is connected/bridging the terminal and the negative cable?
Is it not possible to perform this test by first locking the car and then disconnecting the negative (and wait for 35 minutes before measuring)?

I think when he said connect it inline to the negative terminal and negative lead it should lock ?
Also when leaving the car normally do you double lock it ?

It varies, sometimes single sometimes double..
My concern is around using the ammeter as a bridge - I may need to get a stronger one, the one I have says 'max 10 seconds when using 10A setting'..

A current tester like this can help.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261107871862?ha...BMuKHHlfBi

rambling rollie wrote:

How does one lock the car while the negative is disconnected?
Do you do this while the ammeter is connected/bridging the terminal and the negative cable?
Is it not possible to perform this test by first locking the car and then disconnecting the negative (and wait for 35 minutes before measuring)?

Good evening ptbalfour, I had this very unfortunate experience with my car where over a short period of downtime the battery was so dis charged sometimes it took quite a while to fully charge, having done the multimeter tests so many time I then realised the battery drain was sporadic, so looking at the wiring diagram in the Heynes manual traced where possibly the culprit was.
The heating system has a quick warm up system a type of heating element which directly connects to the battery but is monitored by the thermostat, so on a cold morning the heater warms up the coolant in the heater which then helps either the windscreen and interior a warm environment.
What I found with mine that on rare occasions the thermostat would operate this heating element which subsequently discharges the battery, I only noticed this on a very cold night, plus working nights on call the windscreen had demisted slightly when the car was locked up and had stood a few days. When using my company car not the freelander.
So I removed the lower front tunnel trims to access the heavy cabling and mounted an isolator switch inline with the heater cable, After six months of usual downtime I never experienced discharged batteries plus a frozen/damp screen.
Sorry for the long explanation!

The PTC heater shouldn't come on at all without the engine running, as it will discharge the battery in a few minutes. If was was coming on, it suggests some electrical gremlin is triggering the relay. It also shouldn't come on without the heater fan being on, or it can overheat causing fires, as it did in the Vauxhall Zefira.
Oh it only heats air, not the coolant. 2009 Rimini Red SE TD4. Soon to be sold.
Hyundai Ionic 5 Ultimate on order.
Gone. 2006 Tonga Green i6 HSE.

Hi Nodge, yes your quite correct it heats the air but also assists with the coolant which aids quicker warm up in cold weather, the fault with mine was either the cabling or the thermostat, fitting the isolator disconnected the heater where the fault never returned plus never had a discharged battery.
I replaced the thermostat housing which includes the temperature sensor. Another story.
Like I say the battery never discharged ever again.

Interesting about the PTC abnormal heating. Its controlled by the ATC unit and takes input from ambient air temperature, Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) and Heating request.

page 1739 in JLR workshop manual.

It appears to be situated above the heater coolant matrix and I cant see how it will heat up the coolant directly as the warmed air will be blown away from the matrix. . I suppose that less heat will be lost to the cabin from the coolant when the PTC is on and so it may have an indirect effect in speeding coolant warming up time, though I think it would be marginal compared to the heating of the coolant by the engine itself. Jules

If you have a clamp meter & the cable is long enough, or add a temporary section.

You can loop the cable through the clamp say 4 or more times, then divide amp reading by the number of loops.

Great for measuring very small currents. Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

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