The Random / "Stupid" Questions Thread

[dietpeachfresca]

Neither of those should be a huge drain on your battery, i run dual always on dashcams no problem.
But i did buy a higher end gel battery

Yeah, my grocery-getter has hot 12v, and I often leave my phone charging all day when I am at work, no issues with that ever.

How did you wire your dashcam up? Did you go into the fuse box?

 

[NewGuy1]

Yeah, my grocery-getter has hot 12v, and I often leave my phone charging all day when I am at work, no issues with that ever.

How did you wire your dashcam up? Did you go into the fuse box?

Yea theyre just tapped into an open constant 12v fuse in my internal fuse panel.
Be careful when looking at a fuse diagram if its not your exact year and model.
When i looked at it before my fuse panel was very different from other mk6 GTIs

 

[dietpeachfresca]

Yea theyre just tapped into an open constant 12v fuse in my internal fuse panel.
Be careful when looking at a fuse diagram if its not your exact year and model.
When i looked at it before my fuse panel was very different from other mk6 GTIs

That's good to know about the fuse box, I'll have to spend some time in it to make sure I get the right diagram.

I just popped it in F34, that's either electric seats or lumbar support. It didn't have a fuse in there, and I don't think I have lumbar support. Plugged the tap in, and my phone charger (nothing hooked up to that), measured the battery, and I'll go check it in a few hours.

On the old battery, I had to jump it after less than 4 hours with a jumper on F35, so hopefully this one works out. But that battery did measure 12.28v when I replaced it a few days later.

 

[vdubnick]

That's good to know about the fuse box, I'll have to spend some time in it to make sure I get the right diagram.

I just popped it in F34, that's either electric seats or lumbar support. It didn't have a fuse in there, and I don't think I have lumbar support. Plugged the tap in, and my phone charger (nothing hooked up to that), measured the battery, and I'll go check it in a few hours.

On the old battery, I had to jump it after less than 4 hours with a jumper on F35, so hopefully this one works out. But that battery did measure 12.28v when I replaced it a few days later.

why not measure the current draw of whatever you are hooking up? anything over 20mA is a concern for long term life. but if you are using it frequently, you can pull a bit more and be fine.

 

[brat_burner]

What is a good constant 12v in the interior fuse box to tap?

A few weeks ago, I went into #35, there wasn't a fuse there, and was a hot 12v, but it was killing my battery in just a few hours. Not even with anything hooked up to the outlet that I added. I have since gotten a new battery, but I've been reluctant to plug the tap back in to that spot.

The fuse location doesn't matter here. If you had the outlet in place and nothing was connected, then something is wrong with the wiring or outlet. With nothing plugged in it shouldn't be drawing any power from the battery.

First I was trying to add an always on cigarette lighter into the glovebox so I could charge my phone if the car isn't on.

But I just ordered a dash cam, it has a motion sensor for when it's parked, but it needs constant power for that to work.

It's not a huge deal if I can't use that mode. But I already have the tap, and all the wires going under the dash to the glovebox, it's just not plugged in anymore.

Maybe you just had a shit battery. A regular quiescent current on a car is usually between 10-40mA. Those accessories shouldn't draw a lot but I wouldn't know without looking at specs or knowing what wattage charger you're using.

 

[dietpeachfresca]

The fuse location doesn't matter here. If you had the outlet in place and nothing was connected, then something is wrong with the wiring or outlet. With nothing plugged in it shouldn't be drawing any power from the battery.

Maybe you just had a shit battery. A regular quiescent current on a car is usually between 10-40mA. Those accessories shouldn't draw a lot but I wouldn't know without looking at specs or knowing what wattage charger you're using.

I had just gotten the golf, 2013 and still had the original battery in it. So yeah, shit battery for sure.

When the battery died, I just had a cheap little 12v tapped into the fuse, with nothing in the 12v at all.

 

[uglybastard]

I tapped (via add a fuse) the 12v in the center console for my hardwired radar detector. I also considered radio.

 

[dietpeachfresca]

How thick is the metal on the oil drain pan?

I got under the golf for the first time the other day, to change the oil. Everything looked good underneath, no rust at all, except a worrisome amount of rust on the oil pan.

I figured that I would put in a new pan next time I change the oil, but now I'm worried that if the pan is thin, I should try to do it pretty soon.

Also, do cars not use gaskets on the oil pan anymore? I can't really find any anywhere, not even on the parts.vw.com site. I've never been a fan, or had luck with the silicone gaskets.

 

[uglybastard]

How thick is the metal on the oil drain pan?

I got under the golf for the first time the other day, to change the oil. Everything looked good underneath, no rust at all, except a worrisome amount of rust on the oil pan.

I figured that I would put in a new pan next time I change the oil, but now I'm worried that if the pan is thin, I should try to do it pretty soon.

Also, do cars not use gaskets on the oil pan anymore? I can't really find any anywhere, not even on the parts.vw.com site. I've never been a fan, or had luck with the silicone gaskets.

its thinner than most would think. if its rusty its only a matter of time before you're risking a leak.

 

[dietpeachfresca]

its thinner than most would think. if its rusty its only a matter of time before you're risking a leak.

That's what I thought. I'll swap it out before I hit my next oil change.

 

[uglybastard]

That's what I thought. I'll swap it out before I hit my next oil change.

good luck . they make some composite ones that may be more durable.

 

[1ashchuckton]

Why not wire brush the surface rust off & hit it with some rust converter? When dry paint that bad boy. Pretty sure it can rust for a very long time before it will ever rust through. Sure wish we had plastic oil pans.

 

[Joe_Mama]

It's just surface rust they all get it and no it won't rust through your oil pan. Be happy it is a steel pan and not aluminum or composite

 

[dietpeachfresca]

Maybe I'll just hit it with some rust reformer. How does that stuff work? I wouldn't have to sand it down to the bare metal?

Also, unrelated, do these cars been when it drops below 40 degrees? I just got beeped at, and the temp on the dash was flashing. Scared me for a second.

 

[Phur]

Maybe I'll just hit it with some rust reformer. How does that stuff work? I wouldn't have to sand it down to the bare metal?

Also, unrelated, do these cars been when it drops below 40 degrees? I just got beeped at, and the temp on the dash was flashing. Scared me for a second.

Yeah, VW thinks that it is an awesome idea for the car to scream, “IT’S COLD!!!” every time that it hits 39F. It’s super helpful and totally doesn’t give you a mini heart attack every single time that it does it, even after being a VW owner for 12 years.