Access to Vauxhall technical Bulletins?

A radio alone couldnt flatten a battery overnight.

That is exactly what my reaction was which is why I went back to the garage that fitted a new ACDelco battery and asked them to check it. Then I was told about a Vauxhall Technical Bulletin with number "1979" on it that describes customers complaining that the CD30 was switching on overnight and flattening the battery. Vauxhall have also listed every CD30 model made by Blaupunkt since 2004 that is affected. That is why I need a copy of the vauxhall document as Lookers do not know what to do. I thought they could access the details and it should be on the system as a recall to replace whilst the car is in warranty. I have removed the 20A fuse for the radio and the car is now starting first time and no more flat batteries - exactly as described in the Technical Bulletin. If I get a copy I will post it for you to read as this is something being kept quiet by Vauxhall and the dealerships such as Lookers.

"Appollo" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

If this technical bulletin exists, a main dealer will certainly have a copy of it. Since they've issued a technical bulletin to all dealers, Vx can hardly be accused of "keeping it quiet".

Have you tried suggesting to the dealer that you're aware of tech bulletin 1979, and they may wish to check up on it?

I tried that and politely suggested they could ring Vauxhall Motors or look on their computer. The person I spoke to wanted the date it was issued and who by etc, which I don't know. They did offer to book the car in and keep it overnight to diagnose it but at a cost. So it would be £65 approx to tell me about the fault I know exists. Plugging their computer in will not show it. The only thing to do is remove the radio and see that the serial number is within the batch that Vauxhall advisd are faulty in the bulletin. I'm getting nowhere with Lookers. I have no objection to paying part of the cost for replacement and have told them.

Overnight = about ten hours. Radio = less than 1/10th of an amp at sensible volume levels. Unless its also running a big HIGH POWERED sound system that would wake all the neibourhood.

If it took ten times this it would still take 50 hours to send the battery flat assuming a 50 ah battery..

Look elsewhere.

"Appollo" gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

"Since 2004, by Vauxhall. Isn't the sodding reference number enough?"

So try a different Vx dealer.

I've had a stereo flatten a battery overnight (or at least flat enough not to start the car). You sure 0.10A is correct? I'd reckon it'd be a fair bit more than that personally, especially in a modernish car with a 4+ speakers, maybe a sub etc.

So that's a maximum of 12V x 0.5A = 6 Watts. 1.5 Watts absolute max available for each channel, not allowing for screen backlighting, efficiency losses etc.

They must be very very efficient speakers to be 'fairly loud' with only

Katie's 156 flattened its battery whilst parked up during the day in the station car park, because I'd not changed the wiring back to 'Alfa wiring' after replacing her Panasonic head unit with an OEM Alfa head unit.

But the bit you didnt allow for is the fact that its an average of 1.5 watts per chanel. The average bit of music only averages low level. Its short peak transients like drums that go higher. Much higher. My old hi fi is pleasantly loud at an average couple of watts. Sound is logrithmic. It takes 100 watts peak to sound massively louder. An average 6 watts - (your figure) in a car is loud enough to hear in your drive easily.

Not really accurate but accurate enough.

What they do though is that they average the current. So drum beats and "loud bits" dynamic range allowing, wont be seen. These short transients can easily be ten times higher.

I used to have a car head unit in my workshop for music and another in the dyno trailer. Both ran off a deep cycle battery of 75ah for many days at a time before recharging. Many workshops do the same thing with any old car battery they have laying about.

Doesent seem any problem there. Unless you have add on amps, etc.

It might of been changed, but broken again anyway...? To be honest, I think this will be a right hassle, and even then, they probably won't back down - certainly not any time soon :-(

We used one of the Ebay repair things on my Dad's Mondeo, it was one of those Ford stereos that took 6 CDs, and you just post them all in the same slot. Anyway, poor old bloke put a 6th in once, and it didn't like it... The repair service was quick, miles cheaper than a 2nd hand replacement and as you say, dealer prices for head units which are often crap anyway if you're not spending big money on the car in the first place are just madness. Anyway, we sent it off, it came back working perfectly and has been fine since :-)

I had one of those 6 CD things - 6006E IIRC - off ebay for much cheapness compared to main dealer prices. Put a home-made compilation with a sticky white label on that it seemed to take offence to, so I took the stereo out, got my screwdrivers out, took it apart, removed the offending CD, it worked again no problems. I'd managed to put the label on slightly wonkily and it ended up with a bit of a lump/crease - enough to confuse the thing. Worked fine after that anyway.

Yea we did that with dad's, but it still didn't work after we'd taken the CD's out. Although the radio still worked :-)

contact vauxhall customer care

they will sort the dealer out and get it put right

should get 100% towards the repair as its a known issue

I can't be bothered, let the OP who has the problems do it.