Braun Pacifica Battery Drain Issue

[tarantella]

Wondering if anyone might have some insight with an issue I'm having with my vehicle. I have a 2020 Chrysler Pacifica with the Braun XT Foldout Conversion. About 30,000 miles. So I'm under both the Chrysler factory warranty and Braun's warranty. Woke up a couple weeks ago to a dead battery. Figured first stop should be the Chrysler dealership bc a new battery would be covered under warranty. After testing they said the battery was great. They kept it overnight and sure enough it was dead for them too in the morning. Tested it again and still came back great. They then further investigated trying to solve the problem but ultimately said it must be an issue with the conversion causing a parasitic drain on the battery.

After getting it home, I noticed that after turning the vehicle off, after about a minute I would hear an audible click coming from somewhere in the rear of the vehicle and the instrument panel lights would come on, and a message would display saying 'Ramp Deploying'. And then a message prompting me to start the vehicle by pushing the start/stop button. After about 30 seconds the lights and message would go out. Then 30 seconds later the same thing with the lights coming on and same messages. This cycle continues over and over. So that clearly seems to be what would be draining my battery with that happening all night long.

I took it to the mobility dealer and told them all of this information. I figured it was a bad relay or switch or something in the conversion electronics. But they called and said that there is a 50 amp fuse that can be removed to disable the entire conversion. They pulled the fuse and the problem persisted, albeit without the 'ramp deploying' message. And they said it actually quickened, with the lights coming on and off every 15 to 20 seconds. So they said it's a Chrysler issue and to take it back to the dealership.

So I am now planning on taking it back to the Chrysler dealership tomorrow, but I'm obviously concerned they can't figure this out. I'm hoping with the new information (they weren't even aware of the dash lights and message cycling on and off, and now they can pull that 50 amp fuse to disable the conversion) they can figure it out.

Has anyone experienced anything like this? Anyone with automotive knowledge have any idea what might be causing it? I hate that Chrysler can point the finger at the conversion, and the mobility dealer can point the finger at Chrysler. And I'm just stuck in the middle. I need a technician who is really good with diagnosing electrical problems. I am not knowledgeable regarding it but it sure seems like some issue with the stop/start button or ignition module. They said it keeps doing it even when the key fob was placed in a refrigerator to block all communication with the vehicle. Sure hope they can figure it out soon because I know this constant discharging of my battery isn't good for it.

[Rustyjames]

This sounds to me more of a problem related to the conversion rather than Chrysler. Agreed, the drainage is going to impact battery life.

[tarantella]

The mobility tech was pretty confused by it. He said it's like something is causing the ignition to 'wake up' constantly. He said things like door sensors, ignition modules, remote starter can all cause that but it's not throwing off any codes showing something like that. But he's certain it's not the conversion because he said it still does it after they pull that 50 amp fuse which supposedly fully bypasses all conversion equipment and basically returns the van to standard OEM equipment. I gotta say I just hate dealing with mobility vehicles. It never seems to be an easy fix and then I have no vehicle for days on end or even weeks. The bright spot with this is that I happened to call a different Braun dealer and the tech said he was actually working on a Pacifica right now with the EXACT same problem. Said he'd call me back when he discovered the solution. So that's more than a bit strange.

[cementhead]

All you can do is search search search. Look up technical service bulletins. Look on forums where people discuss the issues. If you have a friend that is willing to help buy a voltmeter to check every fuse circuit. If it’s a warranty issue do NOT let it go.
I did a quick search and found this forum.
https://www.chryslerminivan.net/thre...g-flat.132074/

[Rustyjames]

The mobility tech was pretty confused by it. He said it's like something is causing the ignition to 'wake up' constantly. He said things like door sensors, ignition modules, remote starter can all cause that but it's not throwing off any codes showing something like that. But he's certain it's not the conversion because he said it still does it after they pull that 50 amp fuse which supposedly fully bypasses all conversion equipment and basically returns the van to standard OEM equipment. I gotta say I just hate dealing with mobility vehicles. It never seems to be an easy fix and then I have no vehicle for days on end or even weeks. The bright spot with this is that I happened to call a different Braun dealer and the tech said he was actually working on a Pacifica right now with the EXACT same problem. Said he'd call me back when he discovered the solution. So that's more than a bit strange.

If the 50 Amp fuse is removed then that should isolate the two systems, but it's not. So something must be back-feeding to the conversion system. The van itself has a BCM (Body Control Module) which controls lights, door chimes, etc. It could be that or a bad ground somewhere, which will cause strange occurrences such as what's going on with your van. Sucks when you have to lay out all that money and you have go through this, and the aggravation of back/forth to the dealer(s).

[tarantella]

Yea it's frustrating. Sucks bc I'm trying not to let the warranty go, but both sides blame the other. Really at the point of wanting to do a parasitic drain test to see which fuse is drawing the amperage. But shouldn't the dealer be required to do that under warranty? Seems like they are just relying on the codes which aren't providing anything helpful and then blaming the conversion. And then braun says it's not the conversion bc the issue still exists after pulling the 50 amp fuse. But in the meantime I need a stinking vehicle so I'm ready to pay an electrical expert to solve this. I see I can buy a multimeter on Amazon for like 10 bucks but I don't feel very comfortable doing it myself.

[pfcs49]

the higher end multimeters have a min/max recording function which you can use in the current/amp function to discover what happens in the dark of night.
generally up to 10A can be done directly through the meter; higher draws will require an inductive ammeter accessory. Somewhat tedious, but doable, one night at a time-kinda like an AAer with insomnia
Having a spare battery would help if yours goes dead overnight, you could even run it on a sV/10
a small (12V/10Ah) wheelchair battery at night. One of them should be sufficient to last overnight when parasitic draw is normal (<40mA). You could jumper it to your battery cables and lift one (main battery) cable for your overnight investigations making it more manageable (you could leave the smaller battery always connected, just don't try turning anything on or starting while the main battery is disconnected!)
The "MAX" function on the meter will remember how much current there was at peak. My first gambit would be to use an inductive clamp on the battery cable to know what the fatal current was; this often is all you need. Once known, run through what functions of the lift you can cause, and see if you find a match.

Another gambit, figure out what fuses are needed for the thing to work and try removing one at a time each night until the culprit is found, although this isn't fool-proof. It may be more complicated.

[Patrick Madsen]

I own a 2019 Pacifica with same conversion. For me it was theStop/Start llight always coming on. on their computer it said it was the driver door lock showing it was open or unlocked. They changed the lock two times and the complete wiring in the dashboard two times. Finallly they called Chrysler who wrote a program for it. Also told me I have to open and close the driver door before starting or the comp. gets confused and light comes back on. I've done that and the light stays off for awhile and then recently started acting up again. this time I took it to my mechanic. He tested the batteries and said they were okay as that's usually what causes the problem. After he took off the responder that he attached to the plugin under the dash, the light went off again. Came on again a few days later and he tried to check again. He said it may need reprogramming at the dealership.

Could be yours need reprogramming along with the updates. I have never hated a van more than I hate this one. I should have kept my 2000 Limited and just rebuilt the conversion part. All these dang computers they install now are useless. Like why do I need a computer to tell if the drivers door is open or closed. Dreading the day I have to take it to the dealership or worse the Braun dealership just cause its so far away and hours waiting for the work to get done.

[tarantella]

Patrick, thanks for the reply. I remember that you have that issue because it helped me when I was having the same exact problem. I noticed that very soon after I brought it home brand new. Fortunately thanks to you I avoided any trips to the dealer bc of that start/stop light. I've just basically ignored it for the 2 years I've owned the van. Whenever it pops on I open the driver's door several times and it goes away. After a while it will come back and I repeat. So not sure if it's related to this but I don't think so because it's done that for 2 years without this new problem. But heck if I know...maybe it is related.

I've really liked my Pacifica until this. But what a pain when something goes wrong. With all of the electronics it's really difficult to pinpoint the problem. My next step is to try a different Braun authorized dealer. I feel better after talking with the service guy there. He's been doing this for 40 years and I'm hoping his experience will help figure this out. And he told me that he can work collaboratively with the Chrysler dealer close to him. Between them he said they'll figure it out and it will be covered either under the Chrysler warranty or the braun warranty depending on what's causing the problem. And he said to push braun to authorize a loaner considering the hassle I've gone through. That would be FANTASTIC and take a load of stress off while they fix mine.

[Gearhead]

I was once a guru in this issue. I could go into details how to diagnose but I would need to talk with someone who was aware with modern capacitance todays vehicles have. It can be fixed but good luck finding competent workers of any kind. The quick solution is to get a battery monitor/auto disconnect. They disconnect the battery when it goes below a certain volts. Resetting it allows you to start vehicle. Of course all memory settings will be lost but that's better than a no start situation, especially in an emergency. These devices were common on many show cars or rarely driven cars before the overly electronic equipped cars. I did a quick search & didn't find one but I'm sure they are still available.

[pfcs49]

a McGuyver solution: Isolate the lift electrica, and put it on a 12v10Ah battery (they're cheap) through a relay. Trip the relay with the interior lights line (so the lift is enabled as long as a door is open). Unless the lights are spontaneously coming on in the middle of the night, the lift battery will be happy as long as it's charged. You could wire it up so it works when the ignition is on so it would stay charged but how do you turn the ignition off when you've loaded yourself into the chair?
If you entertained this option, first isolate the power wires to the lift and see if the vehicle battery stays charged with the lift disconnected, and if it doesn't, the trouble is in the vehicle and is dealer's responsibility.

And, good luck finding competent techs!

[tarantella]

Yes, the mobility dealer said that by pulling a 50 amp master fuse it took the lift out of the equation. And the battery still died. So they said it's not a Braun issue, take it to the dealer. But after doing more investigation, I don't believe that 50 amp fuse completely eliminates the entire conversion. So while I think it's a Chrysler issue, I am not certain. Chrysler has now looked at it twice without success. I am taking it to a new mobility dealer next week who can hopefully figure this out. I'm hopeful bc he's been doing this for decades. So hopefully he's the competent tech I need!

One other discovery I've made is that the ignition stops cycling when a vehicle door is open. I stayed in the vehicle for a few minutes without the ignition cycling, but the overhead lights didn't turn off. Does anyone know if they'll eventually go out when a door is open? Maybe after 10 minutes or longer? If they did, for the time being i could just leave a door open with the van in my garage overnight and that should keep the battery from dying.

[pfcs49]

Interior light (if incandescent) overnight would probably result in marginal or insufficient cranking power the next day.
Any reasonably new (?~2005^) vehicle should have modules that kill lights left on too long; interior lights shouldn't stay on very long. Try back in an hour to be sure.
"keep ignition from cycling" what do you mean?

Yes, devices that normally are big consumers, like your lift, usually will have at least two fused circuits (sometimes circuit breaker), one for the high current lift motor circuit, and another small fused circuit for the control circuits. (and sometimes even a 3rd or 4th if it is enabled in different conditions like <engine on, and <engine off but alarm not enabled, etc.)
I am curious. What other large consumers are there in the lift that could drain a battery overnight? (and are on the big fuse)

[Art454]

I had some problems and found out you need to open and close the drives door on a regular basis. Engine off open and close the drivers door. Then start it and drive it. When you get out threw the ramp and close eveything up go to the driver door and open it then close it. I didn't do that and always used the ramp side door to get in and out and never used the drives door. When you use the driver door you put things to sleep. Look at it as a normal person would always use a van the driver door to get in and drive it. I had wierd things happen till I did this. My stop and go started working after I did this the stop and go worked again. You may have to disconnect the battery over nite to reset things. Then reconnet the battery and open and close the driver door and wait 12 hours or so and see if it fixes it. Now when I get out I just go to the drives door and open it then close it after I get out threw the ramp side door. I try to open and close the driver door before I start it. Fixed my problems. 2017 threw 2019 they had a lot of problems. Worth a try. It took care of my problems. Before you get out of the van you can open and close the drives door then get out of the van threw the side door. This works to so you don't have to do this after you get out. I would do the first till it works then you can maybe just open and close the drives door after you shut off the engine. I sometimes forget. I think you can forget once in awhile but I pretty much trained my self to do it now. I would try what I did first before doing the battery thing and see if that makes a simple fix. Last try would be to disconnect the battery then clamp the positive and negative cables and put a towel down as you don't want the two to touch anything medal. You can use a wire with clips on each + and - if the won't reach. Leave it like this for about 2 hours to drain all the capacitor to drain out. It is called a hard rest. Make sure the battery cables are not on the battery or and medal parts of the van. I would use a https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WXFY7PT...roduct_details so that you do not discharge the capacitors to fast. The last I wrote would be at your own risk and would be my last resort. If its still under warrant and messes something you don't say what you did. Look up Scotty Kilmer channel on You Tube as he shows how you do it with video showing it done.

[Art454]

Here is the video on the reset.....https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tiCXAr-Uho