power consumption

HI all

Does anyone know what the power consumption is of the following items

Clifford Avantguard 5.5
When in standby....
When Armed.....
When Triggered

Clifford Callguard
When in standby
When Active

DEI 530T
when in standby


battery is going flat in under 3 weeks of inactivity

Do a parasitic draw test on the electrical system using a DMM. Start unplugging stuff till the draw goes away. Start with the items mentioned .      As a rule of thumb .05A is normal

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If i Can't Install it    I Don't need it   Joe

I have done an overall draw test on the system and it seems high when armed but i have lots of after-market electrical in there so was looking for key items to start with and then work back from that unplugging etc

The UK versions don't provide power consumption, the 5.5 is the UK Cat 1 version of the US market 5.1.
Alarm 20ma standby , 30ma armed (the LED accounts for most of it, since on UK spec units there's passive immobilisation, hence the LED still flashes).
Triggered about 2.5 amps max.
Callguard: most trackers use about 30ma. Never had to measure it!
530t NIL
I/Start V if fitted, NIL
3 weeks of inactivity? wth do you expect!!
What car?
How old is the battery?
Assuming no poorly wired amps, and short of a parasitic draw test as mentioned above plus a drop test I'm guessing your battery is going home.
NO battery will last more than about 10 days, even new with that load on top of the normal draw.

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Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

Toyota sealed for life batteries don't like that anyway, they aren't deep cycle batteries.

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Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

Cranking batteries are never deep cycle batteries!

FYI - 2 different sorts of battery construction.
FYI (cont'd) And for deep cycle AGMs that are good crankers, they aren't - all AGMs provide high currents (compared to wet cells) due to their lower internal resistance. Hence they may be good at providing cranking currents - but that doesn't mean it is good for the AGM battery.


And not that 20mA LEDs should consume anywhere near 20mA (they should be pulsed for lower power consumption), and whilst 12mA is what "S&L" Bosch alternators draw when not charging, a few weeks of that is more than many vehicles tolerate.
Think of it as 1/10th to 1/20th of a dome light, and many vehicles only handle that for about a day.

I think you got the wrong end of what I was saying Peter.
I borrowed Idiot's crystal ball and guessed it may be a Toyota/Lexus.
In the UK (where this alarm combo is sold) they use sealed batteries from new.
This battery because it keeps running flat is being used effectively as a deep cycle, hence damaging it.

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Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

I was worried it would read like that.... (sorry!)
It was meant as agreement with some added useless-factoring.
(ie batteries are EITHER deep-cycle ELSE high-current)

I added the AGM FYI in case "sealed" meant AGM/VRLA as opposed to GelCel or "semi-sealed" or nee-no-maintenance now known as low-maintenance (at least in countries with Consumer Protection).

Not that AGM or wet makes any difference to how long it will hold under load...

Its running on a non standard battery its a varta E44 77ah battery

oh battery was about a month old purchased due to old one going flat

What a waste of a battery! (For the sake of a cheap DMM.)

At least you didn't buy an expensive AGM of similar AH thinking it would last longer. (From what I've read, logically they'd flatten faster because they "supply voltage quicker or faster than the higher-resistance wet cells. )   


I've just gone through half of Bill Darden's BatteryFAQ. It's amazing how much of that he covers. (I mean re battery checks - that "faster" bit comes from Forums!) Concisely too - though many would probably miss the detail.
It reminded me of my omissions re changing voltage to suit the batteries (eg wet-cell vs. AGM), and thence the mixing of AGMs & wet-cells in dual-battery systems because most don't change voltage. Plus it often does not matter (depending on the combination).

My only worry was I'd criticise his jump starting "negative post last" (because of sparks), but not so - it's "negative connection last" (to the chassis etc).
Funny how that is so misinterpreted!!

But the first poster is missing all the points here.
Engage your brain and find a way to trickle charge the battery.
The answer is simple charge the effing battery!

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Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.

If only someone could invent a self-car-start car charger!

(That's in jest. But I may add it to my $200 2.5kW AC generator with 12V@10A output as a POC.)


PS - I linked Bill Darden's BatteryFAQ in charging agm battery - 5th Reply, December 08, 2010 at 10:06 AM. I though it was in this thread....

i dont think im missing the points here i have asked for advice and all advice is being taken on board.

With regards to charging the "effing Battery" i had hoped a new battery would last more than the 3 weeks has i was working out the country for this period of time so to come back to a flat battery was a little surprising, its all good and well saying charge the "effing battery" but i had no idea a new one would only last 3 weeks when the battery in my other car lasted longer than that and started on the button no problem.

i have a Solar charger on the dashboard trickling in but guess thats not enough so have invested in a trickle charger, still doesn't explain why the battery is going flat though so there must be a drain somewhere so weather permitting all items will be metered at there respective fuse positions to obtain current readings.

The topic was started to identify the power consumption of major components in the car which have now been answered, so i will combine those readings and cross reference with the readings i am getting.

So you transferred all your components from the other car...
Which also had the same parasitic draw and battery size?
That is interesting.

But if the above isn't true, then the draw from this new vehicle is higher.


If a battery loses charge, it is either a faulty battery or there is a current drain.
Usually the latter is checked before replacing the battery - unless you can test the battery itself.
The other check before buying a new battery is the charging system in case the battery is being undercharged and hence failing.

Both the current drain and the charging voltage can be checked with a multimeter. They are a worthwhile investment and much cheaper than replacement batteries.


Finding the drain is a matter of working down the flinks & fuses from the battery (ie, remove & replace; see when the drain appears/disappears).
The draw of individual components may not be that relevant assuming your battery is supposed to last with those components - ie, many vehicles with certain alarms and systems will NOT last more than a week or 2.
It may be a leak or a faulty component your are chasing in which case equipment ratings are irrelevant (until the drain is located).


BTW - many reckon a 5W solar charger is ok. I find that surprising considering the float current for a typical car battery is 1A - ie, 12W. Add to that a 50% solar cycle and over 20W is required.
But 5W - no way! 5W will only prevent discharge of a ~400mA load during sun time.
I suspect 5W panels are sold for their profit and because there is no need for a voltage regulator. Anything that did charge a battery must be regulated - ie, limited to ~14.5V.

All I was trying to state, rather obvious if you tot the power consumptions up is that the LED ALONE will do in the average battery in about 10 days!
I think that's your problem. If you want to take it further, see Oldspark's last post.
Any amps or audio fitted and incorrectly wired?

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Amateurs assume, don't test and have problems; pros test first. I am not a free install service.
Read the installation manual, do a search here or online for your vehicle wiring before posting.