Quiescent current

[emax]

Does anybody know what the quiescent current of the Grenadier is?

I mean, motor off, no ligths or other loads on, car locked.

 

[JohnHeagney]

Does anybody know what the quiescent current of the Grenadier is?

I mean, motor off, no ligths or other loads on, car locked.

According to my Tracker, mine that has been locked since yesterday morning is spot on 13v

 

[Tomdoc]

So very little current draw at rest?

 

[emax]

According to my Tracker, mine that has been locked since yesterday morning is spot on 13v

That's the voltage. I mean the milliamps flowing continuously from the battery.

 

[Tomdoc]

Wot he said

 

[emax]

I don't understang what you mean.

Voltage is not current. And voltage tells you nothing if you don't know what the battery voltage was when the car was shut off and if you don‘t know the battery's capacity. If there is a second battery, the current was probably twice as high as in a one battery system - if they started at the same voltage.

Current is the only thing which tells you how long it takes to kill your battery.

 

[DaveB]

I don't understang what you mean.

Voltage is not current. And voltage tells you nothing if you don't know what the battery voltage was when the car was shut off and if you don‘t know the battery's capacity. If there is a second battery, the current was probably twice as high as in a one battery system - if they started at the same voltage.

Current is the only thing which tells you how long it takes to kill your battery.

Correct

 

[Arkaig]

Am I not being too simple by suggesting connecting an ammeter to the negative battery terminal with the motor off, no lights or other loads on, and car locked?

 

[emax]

No, exactly what I would do.

For a first try a clamp meter will do if it allows measurements of small currents. So you don't have to disconnect the cable.

 

[emax]

One thing to be aware of: If you shut off the car and lock it, the current will not immediately go down to real quiescent current. Usually, it takes a while before all units "go to sleep". So it's a good idea to come back after an hour or two for a measurement.
There is however one problem: If you unlock the doors and/or open them to get to the battery you don't know what will happen (electrically). Some device might wake up. And the interior lights will likely go on.

An ideal solution would be to connect the clamp ammeter and let it rest in the car, and to look at it with a torch from the outside without touching the car (think of the anti theft system ...).

Perhaps with a window gap open to look inside if you have privacy glass.

Modern cars are not so easy to trick.

 

[DaveB]

One thing to be aware of: If you shut off the car and lock it, the current will not immediately go down to real quiescent current. Usually, it takes a while before all units "go to sleep". So it's a good idea to come back after an hour or two for a measurement.
There is however one problem: If you unlock the doors and/or open them to get to the battery you don't know what will happen (electrically). Some device might wake up. And the interior lights will likely go on.

An ideal solution would be to connect the clamp ammeter and let it rest in the car, and to look at it with a torch from the outside without touching the car (think of the anti theft system ...).

Perhaps with a window gap open to look inside if you have privacy glass.

Modern cars are not so easy to trick.

To open the door you will have to turn off the alarm.

 

[acwiltshire]

One thing to be aware of: If you shut off the car and lock it, the current will not immediately go down to real quiescent current. Usually, it takes a while before all units "go to sleep". So it's a good idea to come back after an hour or two for a measurement.
There is however one problem: If you unlock the doors and/or open them to get to the battery you don't know what will happen (electrically). Some device might wake up. And the interior lights will likely go on.

An ideal solution would be to connect the clamp ammeter and let it rest in the car, and to look at it with a torch from the outside without touching the car (think of the anti theft system ...).

Perhaps with a window gap open to look inside if you have privacy glass.

Modern cars are not so easy to trick.

All the science is there now, but why not just sleep in your beloved new grenadier and wake up every few hours to check. Those of fortunate to have a car will happily do this

 

[DCPU]

Is there a motion sensor, there's certainly a tilt sensor?

 

[emax]

If I had a Grenadier, I wouldn't sleep inside but attach my Fluke 289. It's a multimeter with data recorder.

But I haven't my car yet ...

 

[Eric]

Is there a motion sensor, there's certainly a tilt sensor?

Is that why it is not That. cat 1 approved, no motion sensor?

 

[Arkaig]

Is there a motion sensor, there's certainly a tilt sensor?

There are movement sensors internally, such that can be deactivated if say leaving a dog in the vehicle.

 

[DCPU]

There are movement sensors internally, such that can be deactivated if say leaving a dog in the vehicle.

Excellent, I can't find anything about that in the Owner's Manual ~ do you have any further details?

 

[Arkaig]

Excellent, I can't find anything about that in the Owner's Manual ~ do you have any further details?

This is the reply I received:

Please ask the Customer to double lock the vehicle by pressing the lock button twice. This should deactivate the movement sensors internally.

Beyond that apparently agents are being directed to print out a Portal Bulletin regarding the alarm system for customers.

 

[Eric]

If I had a Grenadier, I wouldn't sleep inside but attach my Fluke 289. It's a multimeter with data recorder.

But I haven't my car yet ...

Man with a Fluke 289 needs to meet like minded person with a Grenadier.....

Posted by the ETM Dating Agency

 

[DCPU]

This is the reply I received:

Please ask the Customer to double lock the vehicle by pressing the lock button twice. This should deactivate the movement sensors internally.

Beyond that apparently agents are being directed to print out a Portal Bulletin regarding the alarm system for customers.

Excellent. Thanks ~ I've troubled my agent enough for at least the rest of the week, so anyone else going to volunteer to ask for said document from their agent and post it up on an alarm thread here?

I also seem to recall my old Discovery had a ferry mode for the tilt sensor?