Common cause of battery drain.

[mjheathcote]

Thanks Miles.

 

[CatmanV2]

Hi Mike, All installations are logged. The tracking company has changed ownership at least once since the equipment was first fitted (now owned by Cobra), but the records are in place.

This is the web-site... http://www.cobravehiclesecurity.co.uk/cobra-home-.aspx

Re-starting the service is no more than making your enquiry and paying the subscription, as the equipment is activatable whether it's drawing it's power from it's own battery (unlikely) or the car battery. If you don't have the tabs (you get two) they'll send you new ones.

I've contacted them to ask how much to re-enabled.

Thanks (again) Miles. The 4200 is my daily driver, when I can get it out of the drive (or I trust NCP to have done something to the local car park) so I'm not expecting *too* many issues, but clearly, if it can lunch its battery, and I do a number of trips out of the country every year, it's worth making sure I have the tools in place to ensure the battery is looked after. The CTEK was cheaper than a new battery, and I expect it to outlast several of them

C

 

[CatmanV2]

Gonna be breaking some Maserati lore here

<quote>
Dear Mr Matthews,

Neither the chassis nor the registration appear on our databases.

Did you receive any proof of fitment when you bought the vehicle? We were not fitted as standard on 02 reg cars so it may be a different company's device in your car.

Regards,

Greg D'Abbadie

</quote>

Very efficient service, however.

C

 

[Brendan]

I contacted Maserati and trackers were not standard on 4200

 

[Parisien]

I contacted Maserati and trackers were not standard on 4200

Good to know......can't remember if mine had one when I bought it


P

 

[rossyl]

I think a few posts on forums have gone unnoticed on here.

See this: http://www.sportsmaserati.co.uk/showthread.php/9427-Starting-problem?p=202921&viewfull=1#post202921

and this: http://www.sportsmaserati.co.uk/showthread.php/5119-NavTrak-Info?p=107184&viewfull=1#post107184

If you are sure that the Navtrak is causing your battery drain, phone up Navtrak and they will disconnect or remove (your choice) the Navtrak - FOR FREE The telephone number can be found on the post I've linked above.

Further they have a list of all trackers that they have installed by the Reg Number.

 

[Fran]

On my 2003 4200 the Navtrack, looking the same then the one in the pics on page 1, was in the footwell under the passenger carpet. Clerly the batteries were dead. Not sure if mine was fitted originally or an aftermarket. I have the Navtrack contract but it is not clear when it was installed. I removed it. My insurance, Admiral, fitted a new GPS alarm for free. One little box the size of a sigarette packet, which I suppose use much less energy.

Fran

 

[npaskin]

I haven't seen any mention of this “common cause of battery drain†in relation to later models (QP, GTS) on the various threads. Anyone know if it only affects the 3200/4200/GS? I contacted Cobra (as in earlier posts in thread, I found that they were very helpful). Here's what they told me about my QP:
“Your car has a NavTrak ADR5 device installed…With regards to your battery drain query, we have never had a confirmed case of battery drain from a device of this type.â€
I haven't had any issues, just wondering if the car is still too young to show any effects, or if indeed they have redesigned in some way to avoid the problem.

 

[cobratwin]

check one of you light bulbs is not constantly on i found a bit of battery drain on my 159 only to find out the glove box light bulb was on ALLL the time

 

[Brendan]

This is what Navtrak said when I suggested the tracker could be draining the battery...



I heavily recommend that you have an approved technician check your vehicle as it is unlikely it is our device causing any drain on your vehicle battery. The technician would check the fuses to see where the drain was coming from. Once they identified the correct fuse, they would then see which devices depended on that fuse and eliminate each device in turn.

Should a technician go through this process and find that the NavTrak is indeed at fault, then please give them our details for further instruction.

 

[jamesc69]

This is what Navtrak said when I suggested the tracker could be draining the battery...



I heavily recommend that you have an approved technician check your vehicle as it is unlikely it is our device causing any drain on your vehicle battery. The technician would check the fuses to see where the drain was coming from. Once they identified the correct fuse, they would then see which devices depended on that fuse and eliminate each device in turn.

Should a technician go through this process and find that the NavTrak is indeed at fault, then please give them our details for further instruction.

I contacted Navtrack end of last year as I was worried about battery drain during winter. They sent a technician out without question.
The tech removed the orignal tracker and installed the latest version. He showed me the unit he had removed from my 2005 GS. It looked old tech to me powered by what looked like 3 x "D" or "DD" standard alkaline batteries.

The new unit was much smaller and powered by mobile phone type lithium battery.

I would insist that Navtrack swop out the unit as a precaution.

James

 

[CatmanV2]

Also the solution would rather depend on know what fuse the tracker is on. In fact, would you even want it fused? Strikes me as a bit easy to disable if it is.

C

 

[Brendan]

I contacted Navtrack end of last year as I was worried about battery drain during winter. They sent a technician out without question.
The tech removed the orignal tracker and installed the latest version. He showed me the unit he had removed from my 2005 GS. It looked old tech to me powered by what looked like 3 x "D" or "DD" standard alkaline batteries.

The new unit was much smaller and powered by mobile phone type lithium battery.



I would insist that Navtrack swop out the unit as a precaution.

James

I think as i am not subscribed to Navtrak they are unlikely to remove it FOC, or they would of said in the reply. Went to Bill McGrath today and the guy did not think there was an excessive drain on the battery. He said the battery was weak and said it was not possible to test it unless it was fully charged. He suggested doing this and see how it goes.

I am probably going to return the battery as its under guarantee. Unfortunately this will involve returning the battery and waiting for the manufacturer to test it. Meanwhile, I will be Maseratiless for a week!

 

[2b1ask1]

Mine had a loop with a blade fuse in it and that was just behind the battery isolator. Removal of the fuse wouldn't disable it if the backup battery is ok...

 

[CatmanV2]

Ahh good call, Newton, yes, of course. Equally, the fuse wouldn't be in the fuse box, so unless the feed was taken from a fuse, you're back to square one.

And if it *was* taken from the fuse, the technician wouldn't know that the tracker was connected to that fuse....

C

 

[2b1ask1]

The backup battery on mine was a gel lead acid 12v like a radio control model one 8" x 4" x 1 1/2" and had broken free of it's cable tie mounting and was crashing about in the near side wheel arch, dangling from it's wires!!! Dead as a dodo it killed the main battery so it had to go...

 

[Specialized]

Hi all I am facing since summer a battery drain causing the total loss of my brand new S6 power within 7 days!
After examining carefully the reason for that we discovered yesterday that when the info center is connected to the cable the drain is enough for our problem! I have a second used info center system and tried it on thinking of resolving the drain but no lack! So I now think is not the devise causing my battery drain. Does anyone know which might be the reason? Would that be the NIT cable? Or the NIT itself? My mechanic is thinking of maybe connecting the NIT cable to ground would you believe of that giving the solution?

 

[rossyl]

Have you still got a tracker? Of so that is the most common problem for battery drain.

Otherwise try disconnecting the Info Centre completely and see if it cures the problem.

 

[Specialized]

I 've read in here about the Trackers but the Greek imported cars had never trackers on!
Yes I tried the info center(s) disconnected and the drain is 0
That's how we ended up it's not a device issue.

 

[alfatwo]

My old late spec 3200GT dosen't have a tracker fitted...Shiltech checked It all out,but it still runs the battery flat in two weeks if I don't use it or turn it off...
Suppose It's all these stand by system ECU's..mates brand new Jag XF battery was flat as a pancake at Heathrow after only five days away!

Dave