dennislight1
Citan Undervoltage Errors Resolved
Summary of the thread
A 2022 Mercedes Citan experienced undervoltage errors, leading to poor starting, system failures, and weak lights. The initial suspicion was a charging system or voltage regulator issue. Suggestions included checking for a parasitic draw and assessing battery health, as a bad cell could cause undervoltage. Ultimately, the problem was resolved by replacing a defective and heavily discharged battery, restoring normal function.
Did this summary help you solve your problem?
4 comment(s)
dennislight1 (community.author)
Thanks for the quick reply I haven't checked for a parasitic draw yet, that's a good point How would I go about testing for that specifically Also, the battery is the original one, so it's probably due for a checkup anyway When checking the voltage with the engine running, what voltage am I expecting, what would be considered normal, and what would indicate an issue with the charging system
alinaschwarz4
Alright, so to check for a parasitic draw, you'll need a multimeter Disconnect the negative battery terminal, and then connect the multimeter in series between the terminal and the negative battery cable You should see a small current draw (usually under 50mA) for the car's computers and stuff If it's significantly higher, then something is draining the battery As for the voltage with the engine running, you should see around 13.5-14.5 volts, indicating the charging system is working If it's lower than that, the alternator or voltage regulator could be suspect Honestly, with all these symptoms, I'd recommend getting it checked by a qualified technician Electrical problems can be tricky to diagnose and mess with Good luck
dennislight1 (community.author)
Thanks, appreciate the detailed explanation Ended up taking it to a workshop Turns out the battery was indeed defective and heavily discharged, as suspected They replaced it, and everything seems to be running smoothly now Total repair cost was 290€ including labour Thanks for pointing me in the right direction about battery health, saved me time troubleshooting the charging system when it turned out to be a simple fix
rmh_community_comment_box_header
community_crosslink_scanner_headline
community_crosslink_scanner_intro
community_crosslink_scanner_title
community_crosslink_scanner_price
community_crosslink_rmh_headline
community_crosslink_rmh_intro
community_crosslink_rmh_title
community_crosslink_rmh_subtitle
community_crosslink_rmh_brand
MERCEDES
community_crosslink_rmh_model
CITAN
alinaschwarz4
Whoa, that sounds like a real electrical problem nightmare I had something similar happen once, and it turned out to be a parasitic draw draining the battery even when the car was off Have you checked for anything like that Also, how old is the battery Even if the terminals are clean, battery health degrades over time, especially with the kind of issues you're describing A bad cell could definitely cause undervoltage I am no expert, but, have you checked the voltage while the engine is running If its low the alternator might not be charging Fingers crossed you find an easy fix