Scangage power Drain? - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

Doofus McFancypants · 11-29-2008, 04:07 PM

I went to go to Lowes today for some weekend project stuff..

I get into my car and i notice that the scangage is ON... i think to my self - that is really odd.. why would this be in - i have not put the Key in yet..

Well the battery was dead - I did not think to check the voltage on the scangage - and really should have.

So i connect up the BAT to my wifes car ( Scangage read 12 volts once connected - Took a few tries - but got the car started.

Drove to Lowes and a few other errands - no issue

Has any one ever had the scangage NOT shut down when car was off?
Never did that before - so i am kinda confused as to even HOW it could do that...

( my Brother says it is from all the EOC - but the battery is only 6 months old...)

I will see if it starts tomorrow...( i disconencted the Scangage - just in case)

Steve

dremd · 11-29-2008, 06:12 PM

I have had mine stay on several times. No apparent reason.
If I hit the bottom right button at any time it powers up also.
I've never had a dead battery that I could attribute to it though.
I *assume* that a SGII doesn't draw all that much.
How long was the car off before you were unable to start it?

Good test is to put an amp meter in line with the battery and turn on the SGII alone to determine draw with and without it "on".

Formula413 · 11-30-2008, 06:34 PM

I highly doubt the SG could kill a battery. Just pure speculation though.

I've seen my SG do some funny things. One thing I noticed is that sometimes when I'm walking up to my car and hit the unlock button on my remote the SG comes on. And it is a non-factory remote unlock system.

I have also seen the SG fail to come on when I have shut the car down at a red light and then restarted. I have to push the lower right button to wake it up.

The strangest thing I've seen it do involved my Firebird. Like most cars, when I turn the key to ON, the fuel pump primes for 2 seconds. When I have the SG connected the fuel pump runs for about 30 seconds. I couldn't figure out why, I even tried changing the fuel pump relay. Finally figured out it was the SG. No idea why.

Doofus McFancypants · 12-01-2008, 07:23 AM

i would not have thought it would draw enough either..
but it was probably in this condition for s full days at least ( had family in town and my car was "parked in".

I am also thinking that maybe it was something with the car - not shutting off acc's correctly. but the key was in OFF position and not in the car.

It was really odd.

I will check this AM - will be out of town a few days and the car will be Idle again.. will keep disconencted when out of car - just in case.

When i am back - i will check the actual power draw.. My current guess is that over 2 days it may be enough to cause start issues.

Steve

dichotomous · 12-01-2008, 11:15 AM

I'm starting to be agreeing with your brother. I have found that my car doesnt like to start as easily lately, and I am only EOCing a very little bit, but it doesnt like it, especially at night.

I think I am going to have to put up with the lower gas milage and not EOC. especially when its cold and I am not reving high enough to make a lot of power to the battery. or I could have a little bit here and there of driving spiritedly to revive the batt....

The Atomic Ass · 12-03-2008, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dichotomous

I'm starting to be agreeing with your brother. I have found that my car doesnt like to start as easily lately, and I am only EOCing a very little bit, but it doesnt like it, especially at night.

I think I am going to have to put up with the lower gas milage and not EOC. especially when its cold and I am not reving high enough to make a lot of power to the battery. or I could have a little bit here and there of driving spiritedly to revive the batt....

I would suspect a weak alternator or battery. Almost all alternators develop enough power at idle to charge the battery, in a fairly short period of time. My bike battery was handling it just fine, as long as I didn't run the headlights or my heated vest with the engine off.

Some DIY auto places offer free alternator/battery testing. No sense in putting off fixing something that could well leave you stranded somewhere.

Edit: And now I notice that your car is an '03, which means, if you still have the factory battery, it's between 5 and 7 years old at this point. Which usually is the point where car batteries start losing power. All the more reason to get it replaced.

dichotomous · 12-03-2008, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Atomic Ass

I would suspect a weak alternator or battery. Almost all alternators develop enough power at idle to charge the battery, in a fairly short period of time. My bike battery was handling it just fine, as long as I didn't run the headlights or my heated vest with the engine off.

Some DIY auto places offer free alternator/battery testing. No sense in putting off fixing something that could well leave you stranded somewhere.

Edit: And now I notice that your car is an '03, which means, if you still have the factory battery, it's between 5 and 7 years old at this point. Which usually is the point where car batteries start losing power. All the more reason to get it replaced.

I think it may have more to do with electronic power steering and headlights draining the battery during EOC, as well as I dont bump start (motor mounts are standard and I have a raceheader that bangs against the front swaybar under decel with the stock mounts, I have inserts waiting to go in that will stop most engine movement and eliminate the problem, till then though, I key on everytime) and its cold here, so all together and with the battery being like you said 5-7 years old.... I dont wanna chance it. plus I dont have the money at the moment to be replacing the battery, what with christmas and all and needing inspection and finishing up fixing the exhaust(raceheader was phase1 to replace leaking header and cat, phase 2 is a new muffler to deal with louder raceheader, then phase 3 is a high flow cat, which might have to happen sooner than later if I cant sneak though inspection. Oddly enough, all of that is cheeper than replacing the header and cat with stock or even reasonable aftermarket parts, and it gives me a BIG boost in power and milage, thought not at the same time)

Who · 12-15-2008, 04:19 AM

Mine flicks on with the factory remote when you unlock the doors. Maybe because the remote call process goes through the ECU?

cfg83 · 12-15-2008, 04:34 AM

Doofus M. -

I have one of those solar panels that are plugged into the cigarette lighter. At times I have noticed that plugging in the solar panel with the car key in the off position *seems* to activate my SG I. Maybe a different form of the same problem.

Sounds like a question for the SG dudes. They could fix this with a timeout.

Hrrmmmm, maybe this is an ATMOS thing. I would keep a window hammer in your car,

.

CarloSW2

Doofus McFancypants · 12-15-2008, 07:14 AM

I have been watching this all week ( making sure it shuts off when i turn the car off) and so far it has not duplicated what happened....

So it must have been an isolated situation - although still very wierd.

I have been watching the battery volts in the SG - and the AM it is at 12 before i start the car. Once the engine is on - the volts jump up to about 14. and when i am EOCing and Off at stop lights - the battery voltage is lower ( if i have lights and radio on - it looks to be about 11.2 - nothing is on it stays near 12).

So it seems like the battery / alternator are doing the job.

I don't know what it really was - but everything else seems ok