Aeroforce gauges killing battery?
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Aeroforce gauges killing battery? I have a weird problem, I have 2 aeroforce interceptor scan gauges and they are killing the battery when the car sits for several days. If I unplug them from the obd2 port, its fine. Leave them plugged in, battery dies. I don't know much about them, they came with the car, but I don't see how they can draw power with the car off?
Also, not sure if its related, but occasionally they will just shut off while driving and turn back on.
Thanks for any help
Also, not sure if its related, but occasionally they will just shut off while driving and turn back on.
Thanks for any help
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From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
If they are drawing their power from the OBD2 port then they are always powered. The port is on the same circuit as the cigarette lighter - it is constant (battery) power available regardless of whether the ignition is on.
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
You would have to rewire the gauges so that they get power from an ignition-switched source. That way they will draw no power when the ignition is off.
Joined: Nov 2003
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From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
Let's see... you leave gauges (or any accessory) plugged into the DLC port which has a constant power supply, it drains your battery, and it's GM's fault for bad design? The DLC port has battery power used to power a technician's scan tool. It wasn't designed to have something plugged in all the time. But yeah, I see how it's GM's bad design. 
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Let's see... you leave gauges (or any accessory) plugged into the DLC port which has a constant power supply, it drains your battery, and it's GM's fault for bad design? The DLC port has battery power used to power a technician's scan tool. It wasn't designed to have something plugged in all the time. But yeah, I see how it's GM's bad design.
I was thinking that too. That port is not intended to be a permanent power point. LS1 Tech Stories
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The gauges should have a jumper on the back to switch it from ODBII port powered to a user-selected power source.
As per the instructions PDF on the Aeroforce website:
"Connect 3 wire mini connector power if required*. Remove the jumper next
to the main connector if connecting to external power. This jumper is required
for OBD2 port power only. Connect separate red power wire, which exits the
middle of the 3 wire mini cable as shown in figure 1, to a switched 12v line or
circuit in the vehicle. These circuits are commonly known as “accessory” circuits
because they are only “hot” when the ignition is turned on."
...and goes on...
"If the gauge is not turning on or off properly on these or
any vehicle, you can force it on and off at the proper time by removing the
small 2-pin jumper on the rear of the gauge and connecting the red wire to
switched 12v as described above."
I would assume if you bought them new that your gauges would've come with that 3-wire harness. When I eventually get a pair of them, I was thinking to wire them so they were switched because I was pretty sure I wouldn't want them always on.
As per the instructions PDF on the Aeroforce website:
"Connect 3 wire mini connector power if required*. Remove the jumper next
to the main connector if connecting to external power. This jumper is required
for OBD2 port power only. Connect separate red power wire, which exits the
middle of the 3 wire mini cable as shown in figure 1, to a switched 12v line or
circuit in the vehicle. These circuits are commonly known as “accessory” circuits
because they are only “hot” when the ignition is turned on."
...and goes on...
"If the gauge is not turning on or off properly on these or
any vehicle, you can force it on and off at the proper time by removing the
small 2-pin jumper on the rear of the gauge and connecting the red wire to
switched 12v as described above."
I would assume if you bought them new that your gauges would've come with that 3-wire harness. When I eventually get a pair of them, I was thinking to wire them so they were switched because I was pretty sure I wouldn't want them always on.
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Not a shitty GM design ********, I meant Aeroforce. Why doesn't my scanmaster kill my battery? Same type of tool, same power source, but it won't draw power until the car is on. Its a shitty design, and could have been easily rectified in the design stages.
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From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
Oh, I get it now... the Aeroforce gauges come with a harness and instructions (as listed above) to allow the user to select external (switched) power or OBD2 (constant) power but the gauges tend to run down the battery when left constantly powered. That's a bad design. I'm sure glad you straightened me out about that.
Well, if you read down on page 22, under vehicle specific notes, there is the following note:
Pontiac: Testing has shown that most Pontiacs made from 1996 to 2003
require switched 12v power as described on page 4 of this manual. You can
try the gauge initially using OBD2 port power (simply plug the connector into
the OBD2 port), and test its ability to turn on and off properly. If the gauge
does not turn on, or does not turn off after the key is off and the driver door
has been opened within 30 seconds, you’ll need to remove the 2 pin jumper
and connect the red wire to switched 12v.
Now I wouldn't be surprised if that would apply to F-bodies in general (not just Pontiacs) since the Camaros were pretty much the same car in a different outfit.
But anyways, since it's important enough to note specifically but still works fine on dozens of other models using OBDII, I would think it's really not Aeroforce's fault for a "shitty design". It's not like they designed the gauges specifically for F-bodies and said "Who gives a **** if they kill batteries???" It's designed for universal application and even universal things won't be perfect for every vehicle.
Also, it may not even be make/model specific but dependent on each car, as they said to test to make sure. So I guess it's more a combination of things which make it a crapshoot?
Since it seems you need it, you can buy the 3-wire harness on Aeroforce's website for $6.50 if you didn't get that with the car.
So you can chill out, they're not faulty (at least, not in that respect) and there's a solution if you want to keep them. If you don't want them you can always send'em to me
Pontiac: Testing has shown that most Pontiacs made from 1996 to 2003
require switched 12v power as described on page 4 of this manual. You can
try the gauge initially using OBD2 port power (simply plug the connector into
the OBD2 port), and test its ability to turn on and off properly. If the gauge
does not turn on, or does not turn off after the key is off and the driver door
has been opened within 30 seconds, you’ll need to remove the 2 pin jumper
and connect the red wire to switched 12v.
Now I wouldn't be surprised if that would apply to F-bodies in general (not just Pontiacs) since the Camaros were pretty much the same car in a different outfit.
But anyways, since it's important enough to note specifically but still works fine on dozens of other models using OBDII, I would think it's really not Aeroforce's fault for a "shitty design". It's not like they designed the gauges specifically for F-bodies and said "Who gives a **** if they kill batteries???" It's designed for universal application and even universal things won't be perfect for every vehicle.
Also, it may not even be make/model specific but dependent on each car, as they said to test to make sure. So I guess it's more a combination of things which make it a crapshoot?
Since it seems you need it, you can buy the 3-wire harness on Aeroforce's website for $6.50 if you didn't get that with the car.So you can chill out, they're not faulty (at least, not in that respect) and there's a solution if you want to keep them. If you don't want them you can always send'em to me
