BATTERY DISCHARGING QUICKLY : ELECTRIC SEATS

[tonycharente]

The battery on my LHD 2005 4200 CC coupe (MY2006) was discharging quickly.

I decided to try to find the source of my rapid discharge - measure the discharge rate with a multimeter on amperes in series between the battery and the ground cable, then remove one fuse at a time, one after the other, until I found the culprit.

Leaving it long enough for all systems to ‘go to sleep’, I had a discharge rate of 0.30 amps. It's MUCH too much, enough to completely drain the battery in a week or two. I know that modern cars discharge quickly, and that the Maserati are perhaps among the worst, but being unable to start after a few days seemed excessive to me.

After removing several fuses, "bingo", by removing fuse number 29 (AKA “F22”) ("Ceiling lights, ceiling light timer, electric seats, luggage compartment and fuel flap opening controls") : drop from +/- 0.30 amps to +/- 0.01 amps.

Then, with the fuse number 29 back in place, I disconnected one of the multi-pin connectors under the driver's seat and again: drop from +/- 0.30 amps to +/- 0.01 amps.

My driver's seat is has the memory option.

I know (from the forums) that the seat ECU can cause problems, but I don't want to replace it unnecessarily.

Do you have any ideas, please?

Many thanks

Tony

 

[ChrissGT]

Had similar issue, turned out the first of the memory buttons was stuck in the pushed down position. I only noticed it after i already started pulling the seat to replace motors. So my advice would be to check the memory buttons and they are all in the correct position (ie not pushed in or stuck halfway).

 

[tonycharente]

Hello ChrissGT,
Thanks for your helpful reply My car is away having a transmission problem fixed at present but I will certainly check your suggestion when I get it back. Was your car rapidly discharging because of this, please? How many amps?
Cheers
Tony

 

[tonycharente]

Hello all,
Well, Coronavirus has certainly not been beaten, but I did eventually manage to get my car back.
It has been suggested that my problem might come from a sticking seat switch. I certainly have a sticking "back and forth" seat switch - to the point of being dangerous if I try to move the seat forwards a fraction whilst driving as it can sometimes stick and want to push me right up to the steering wheel! So I'll try to if I can free it up - or buy a new switch if need be.
New question (please) : do I have to remove the seat from the car to remove the "back and forth" seat switch or can I remove the plastic moulding that it sits in somehow - and how ?
Many thanks
Tony

 

[FIFTY]

Hello all,
Well, Coronavirus has certainly not been beaten, but I did eventually manage to get my car back.
It has been suggested that my problem might come from a sticking seat switch. I certainly have a sticking "back and forth" seat switch - to the point of being dangerous if I try to move the seat forwards a fraction whilst driving as it can sometimes stick and want to push me right up to the steering wheel! So I'll try to if I can free it up - or buy a new switch if need be.
New question (please) : do I have to remove the seat from the car to remove the "back and forth" seat switch or can I remove the plastic moulding that it sits in somehow - and how ?
Many thanks
Tony

Take apart the switch and clean it up it could be that it is gunked up... you need some electrical contact cleaner and a copper brush

 

[Navcorr]

New question (please) : do I have to remove the seat from the car to remove the "back and forth" seat switch or can I remove the plastic moulding that it sits in somehow - and how ?
Many thanks
Tony

The moulding is held in place with 3 push pins at the top and 2 screws at the bottom - underside. You may be able to fashion a screw driver using a ratchet - otherwise not so much seat out but seat fixing bolts out & raise the seat a few inches. The switch module is also screwed from the rear - you can make up your own joke.


Maybe worth reading too:

https://www.sportsmaserati.com/index.php?threads/easy-entry-passenger-seat-problem.25799/#post-696029

 

[tonycharente]

Thanks to all for all your help. I've managed to find a brand new N.O.S. AUDI switch on UK eBay with exactly the same part number for the switch itself (4A09597665A for the left side).
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Audi-A8-...e=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
The design of the AUDI switch "buttons" is slightly different, and this particular one is a 4A0959765A E82 where E82 means it's "platinum" coloured (as opposed to a 4A0959765A 7PE that would have been black, but at £38.60 for brand new switch that you can't see once in the car I was happy to snap it up. I live in France, so it'll be a while before it turns up. Once it does I'll see about getting at the old one - and let you know if it solves my problem.
Thanks again,
Tony

 

[tonycharente]

The moulding is held in place with 3 push pins at the top and 2 screws at the bottom - underside. You may be able to fashion a screw driver using a ratchet - otherwise not so much seat out but seat fixing bolts out & raise the seat a few inches. The switch module is also screwed from the rear - you can make up your own joke.

Hello again,
My new switch finally turned up and aside from the colour it looks to be a perfect straight swap.

Today I've set about trying to swap it with the old one, following the above kind advice.

The good news is that using a compact cross-head screwdriver I was able to remove both of the two little screws at the bottom without touching the seat fixing bolts. I did this by raising the the seat base to maximum height / rearward tilt, which just about gave access to both screws. The bad news is that I've not then been able to release the 3 push pins at the top. I have tried tugging as hard as I dare on the moulding, and I have tried inserting the blade of a screwdriver between the moulding and the seat leather (protected...) and pulling (levering) pretty hard, but all to no avail.

Looking at the design of these 3 push pins at the top, (on the web as I can't even see them from under the seat : https://www.scuderiacarparts.com/part/196243/maserati/386900404/pin.html ), they look to have a sort of arrow head design such that once inserted they will not come out.
Is there a knack to releasing them please - or do I have to pull so hard that they either release or break off? (I'm afraid of breaking the moulding).

Many thanks
Tony

 

[Navcorr]

A few pics of recent seat disassembly exploits may be of use:



Said pin.



Said surround fixing point.

I'd hoped to be able to slide the cover off of the pins but they didn't want to play nice. There are three but two, unfortunately, oppose each other.
Just gave mine a good hard tug (wheeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyy heeeeyyyyyyy) and the surround & pins released without damage to either.
Started at the front end and working along gradually eased the pins out one at a time. Up to you, and do so at your own risk, but the pins appear to be quite sturdy.

 

[conaero]

Good work. The locked and lights shut down discharge rate you are looking for is 0.03 amps. Good luck

 

[tonycharente]

I'd hoped to be able to slide the cover off of the pins but they didn't want to play nice. There are three but two, unfortunately, oppose each other.
Just gave mine a good hard tug (wheeeeeeeeeeeeeyyyy heeeeyyyyyyy) and the surround & pins released without damage to either.
Started at the front end and working along gradually eased the pins out one at a time. Up to you, and do so at your own risk, but the pins appear to be quite sturdy.

Many many thanks - VERY helpful!
I gave the moulding a really hard tug starting from the front as suggested, and that pin came free. Ditto the second (middle) one. Then I managed to slide the cover off the third (rear) pin : Bingo ! One photo shows this "unclipped" stage. The other three photos show that original Maserati switch is indeed EXACTLY the same as the new AUDI one I bought, aside from the colour. Even down to the AUDI logo !!!!
More tomorrow when I've finished taking measurements and tested it.

 

[tonycharente]

Good work. The locked and lights shut down discharge rate you are looking for is 0.03 amps. Good luck

Many thanks! With the doors closed (but not locked) and things left to settle for a while my multimeter is alternating between 0.01 and 0.02 amps with the new switch connected, so I'm feeling quite hopeful. Tomorrow I'll see what reading I get with the doors locked.

 

[Navcorr]

Result. Nice. Just a thought, and maybe you're already thinking the same, assuming the new switch solves the problem, it might be worth looking at swapping the switch exterior over to keep the original appearance, etc. Haven't tried disassembling the switch but wouldn't think it'd be difficult.

 

[tonycharente]

Result. Nice. Just a thought, and maybe you're already thinking the same, assuming the new switch solves the problem, it might be worth looking at swapping the switch exterior over to keep the original appearance, etc. Haven't tried disassembling the switch but wouldn't think it'd be difficult.

It's a good suggestion, but I'd be afraid of damaging my nice new switch. I might try taking the Maserati one apart to see if it somehow just clips together, but I'm not too fussed about the colour. Once sitting in the car with the door closed you can't readily see the switch.

 

[Navcorr]

That's fair enough. Certainly worth trying the faulty switch and possibly repairing it. Found this which may be of interest:

There may be other video clips but haven't looked.

 

[tonycharente]

That's fair enough. Certainly worth trying the faulty switch and possibly repairing it. Found this which may be of interest:

There may be other video clips but haven't looked.

Thanks very much for the video link - very helpful. I decided I would give it a go but first I refitted the original switch to compare the drainage amps one last time. And to my surprise I got exactly the same (very low = very good) readings as with the new switch. A total mystery that I'm not sure I can blame on "Italian Electrics" given the switch is distinctly German... The only thing I can think is that the switch is no longer sticking at all - perhaps with so much trying of it.

Anyway in order to retain the right colour I've left the old switch in place - completed its refitting - and I'll see how I get on.

By the way, refitting the cover proved a little difficult as the rear-most pin was still in place (as per my "unclipped" photo) and proved impossible to slide back into the cover. I ended up having to tug that pin out too, with great difficulty, so it would no doubt have been better to have tugged that pin out at the outset too.

PS :
RE:
conaero said:
Good work. The locked and lights shut down discharge rate you are looking for is 0.03 amps. Good luck

Thanks again. With the doors closed AND LOCKED (with the alarm on, therefore) and things left to settle for a while my multimeter is still alternating between 0.01 and 0.02 amps , and this now with both switches. I'm wondering whether the alternating between 0.01 and 0.02 amps might be down to the time clock if my actual reading is very close to 0.015 amps (I only have two decimal places). Either way, I'm more than happy at this level of drain.

THANKS AGAIN TO ALL
Tony