I would appreciate any input on this. I have an SLK32, but everything should be identical on our cars.

About six months back I installed a Braille battery with no issues. Not long after that I installed some gauges (the JR Industries refaced variety, AFR narrow band and boost) and began having battery drain issues immediately. The Braille doesn't have a lot of back up capacity, so the battery would drop below 12V in less than 2 weeks. At first I thought the Braille was bad, but I didn't have time to deal with warrantying it so I bought a standard battery from AutoZone until I could get around to shipping it back to Braille. Problem seemed solved for while. I have since gone through a couple of times when I didn't drive my car for over two weeks, and the battery goes dead again -- it takes longer, but same thing. I know this battery is fine.

The gauges are tapped into the fuse box at the e-call fuse (no. 18) and the exterior mirror adjust fuse (6). The AFR gauge is tapped into the grey O2 sensor wire at the ECM. Are any of these connections problematic?

Thanks-- /C

 

I just had the same issue with the Aero. I put the JR gauges in last year and they have a line to the 12v hot all the time under the fuse box. I went out this morning to fire it up for the first time in about 3 or 4 weeks and it just went click click. This is the first time it has ever done this, but I usually also leave a battery minder connected to it when it sits. Guess I wont forget that again...

 

I do not know too much about these gages but some draw current all the time. Check at the battery to see if there is some parasitic current over and above the normal load. If so I would wire these gages to a circuit that is dead when the ignition is off.
Obvious I guess but .....

 

I have the exact same setup and the exact same problem! Battery is dead within 1 week. I don't drive it all that much so I just disconnect the battery.

 

well, there is an obvious draw from the hot connection...need an ignition connection....glad you all warned me before I install gauges...I'll use my volt meter to check connections while installing...

 

There IS a draw...it keeps the setting on the gauges...if you dont care about having to change the light color every time you turn the car on...a switched circuit is fine. I wouldnt have thought that the draw was enough to drain the battery for quite some time..... I guess I thought wrong...

Note to self; hook up battery minder.

 

This is the first time this has been mentioned. Can those having issues explain how you have everything connected, how often do you drive the car, how long does it sit between starts and if you have any other electronics installed.

I personally have never had a dead battery with these gauges but that is not to say people aren't experiencing it.

Thanks

 

Rudy,
According to the install instructions on line on the gauges goes needs to go to an always hot line and one to a switched line. The hot line keeps the electronic switch set for your gauge color setting(at least on mine). If they would come on something other than purple, I probably wouldnt care. I have the AFR, boost and oil pressure gauges. I dont drive the Aero very much. It has been sitting for about 3 or 4 weeks. Oddly, the SSB dosent have any issue sitting for weeks on end and then just starting right up.

 

I see, I don't think I want anything drawing on the battery, although I know there are things that do draw upon the battery...but adding another isn't what I would want...

 

pardon my ignorance but wont the dashdaq with the zt-2 setup have all these gages? or do i need these also when i get the dashdaq?

 

I would think you wouldn't need any of these gauges....

 

Where is everyone grabbing power for the sending units from? The current draw on the gauges is minuscule but the draw on a sending unit that has power all the time would probably be sufficient to drain the battery. I'll hook a set up on the bench and see how much current it draws in a weeks time off a fully charged battery and report back with the findings.

 

That depends. I will be putting gauges in my car some point here in the near future just because I want to be able to look with out really looking and see that everything is alright. Yes, I could look at the dashdaq for but you really have to look at it versus just see the gauges out of the corner of your eye. Kinda like coolant and oil pressure gauges. I never really look at them but I can tell you the second they're not where they're supposed to be, I notice it.

 

Well, as long as they contribute to the delinquency of my electrical system, I agree.

 

Have you had a chance to investigate this, Rudy?

 

I actually just started the car tonight to test something else out and it started just fine. I wired in three gauges and they have been in there since the 9th so I don't know what to think. It doesn't make sense that they would draw enough current since all it's doing is maintaining the state in memory for what color you had the LEDs set on. Sorry I don't have a definitive answer for everyone right now.

 

I installed an electric boost gauge from ProSport and a Nordskog IAT gauge without any adverse effect on my battery performance or charge life.

 

This is interesting. I wired in 2 gauges and tapped into a acc hot fuse (cant remember which one right now) as well as tapping in my rear fog light also from another hot acc fuse. After the instal I swapped out my stock battery for an odessy pc1200 which I had lying around for a bit. I use to put my battery tender jr on this odessy bat and it would show full charge imedently. Now that its in the car, which hasnt been driven in about a month (started up for a while but not long) when I hook the tender to it it takes overnight to show a green charged light. Pretty odd for an odessy to take this long.

Ive also got a diehard gp 35 laying around my garage and it shows full charge instantly same as my sportster and my riding mower