Fuse box dilema (trying to disable Monsoon amp)

[Jeff2]

My daughter's '05 NBC has a drain on the battery when it sits, and from searching this site I thought it might be the Monsoon amp staying on. So, I searched (online) some more and found a fuse diagram that said fuse 37 and fuse 42 were both "Radio System". I figured I'd pull them and see if the drain went away.

Well, the car won't start with both fuses pulled.

I found that by putting fuse 37 back and leaving fuse 42 out that the radio doesn't seem to be getting power. But, I'm not sure if that includes the Monsoon amp as well.

Is there anyone here who as dealt with this issue with their NBC? Is the fuse diagram I found correct? Which fuse goes to the Monsoon amp?

Thanks in advance!

[Jeff2]

Update:

After a weekend of sitting in the driveway, the NBC started right up. So, I'm 90% sure that it's the Monsoon amp (or radio) causing the drain on the battery. Next step will be to buy a Bentley repair manual since, for the life of me, I can't seem to find the amp in this car.

[swelch23]

Originally Posted by Jeff2

Update:

After a weekend of sitting in the driveway, the NBC started right up. So, I'm 90% sure that it's the Monsoon amp (or radio) causing the drain on the battery. Next step will be to buy a Bentley repair manual since, for the life of me, I can't seem to find the amp in this car.

What about adding a simple on/off switch to the power wire on the amp? It would allow you to keep the fuse in place and you can easily get to it. I have had power draining issues on so many amps that i have owned over the years that I started adding these on vehicles that are not driven consistently.

[Jeff2]

Originally Posted by swelch23

What about adding a simple on/off switch to the power wire on the amp? It would allow you to keep the fuse in place and you can easily get to it. I have had power draining issues on so many amps that i have owned over the years that I started adding these on vehicles that are not driven consistently.

Actually, I figured I'd do one better. I've got a Bosch style relay in my "junk box", so I figured I'd wire that into the amp's power wire and engage the relay only when the car is running by wiring the coil on the relay to a circuit that's only "hot" when the ignition is on. I've done this in other cars too.

The problem is, I can't seem to find the stupid Monsoon amp in the car. I don't have a Bentley manual, so I searched online and asked at this site and pulled every panel off the inside of the trunk looking for it, yet didn't find it.

What I'd really like is a picture (not a drawing) showing the amp in a New Beetle Convertible. I've searched online and can't seem to find one.

[Smileybug]

I thought it would be in the trunk...you sure you have a Monsoon system?

[Toad]

its either under the plastic surrounding the spare tire well towards the rear of the car, or it's mounted to the top of the trunk behind the rear seat like in the jetta. if it's mounted on top, it will be inside a black box-bracket thing on the driver's side

[Jeff2]

Originally Posted by Smileybug

I thought it would be in the trunk...you sure you have a Monsoon system?

From what I could tell, the manual that came with the car seems to indicate it does. Plus there are the extra speakers in the dash that I thought were missing from non-Monsoon systems (unless the convertible is different).

I fed the car's options codes to the options decoder here: VW Group Option Codes Decoder

The only option related to the radio says:

8YL = Radio with CD player

I just checked this file (http://vag-codes.info/files/vag-option-codes.pdf) and the Monsoon code listed there is "9VG".

I'm now thinking that I can't find the Monsoon amp because it doesn't have the Monsoon system. Perhaps the "radio with CD player" is draining the battery.

[Toad]

when you turn the radio on, does it say monsoon on the display?

if not, it's not monsoon. also all convertibles have speakers in the dash with the tweeter grill completely missing form the a-pillar

[pencilneck]

Fuse S237 is for the ECM.
Fuse S247 is for the radio, amp and sat. radio module.

Have you hooked up a DMM to check for draw on the battery yet?

[Jeff2]

Originally Posted by pencilneck

Fuse S237 is for the ECM.
Fuse S247 is for the radio, amp and sat. radio module.

Have you hooked up a DMM to check for draw on the battery yet?

Since I don't have the Bentley Service Manual (yet), I don't know how those numbers relate to the numbers stamped on the fuse box and on the little white card on the fuse box door.

I've not yet checked for a draw on the battery. I borrowed a meter from a friend at work, but have not yet had time to try it out. I plan on measuring the draw with fuse 42 (hopefully that's S247) pulled and with fuse 42 in place to see what the difference is.

Once I get my tax return, I'm going to order the Bentley Service Manual for this car. It would end a lot of my frustrations.