Battery woes - empty after only 1 week parking!!

[sam2019]

Many people have reported problems with prematurely empty batteries. Yes, lead acid batteries do have certain self depreciation but that usually takes multiple month to get to the point where the starter motor will not work any more. With the Hima this problem can occur after one week in extreme cases.

Recently RE Europe has issued a memo regarding this and identified the gear sensor as the culprit which pulls 7mA because it originally is connected to battery plus at all times but should be only when ignition is on. They apparently issued a replacement cable that will facilitate this change of contact point - however my dealer has never heard of this so here is a self-made solution for those who feel confident to fiddle with the electrics.

It should be mentioned that Hima cables are too thin IMO and usually also very short so one needs a soldering iron and some extra cable.

I will quote from the German technical fb support group verbatim where Stefan Scholz has thankfully provided this solution:

Under the seat / tank is the alternator regulator in an aluminum housing, with 3 connection groups.
3 yellow wires is the AC current from the alternator .
2 black to ground and to the negative wires. (Chassis as return line would lead to electrochemical corrosion on the steel frame because minus is ground).
2 red wires to F1.
At the connector to the red wires is an adapter cable, which leads into a rubber bell, where the actual connector for the controller output cables is located. Pull it out on both sides, and plug the controller connector directly into the coupling in the rubber bell.
You could now nibble off the insulating tube layer from the short bridge cable, take out the naked cable leading to the controller, cut it off and solder on a longer cable. Connect this somewhere to PLUS after the main switch.
I have the horn (which is switched against minus) at the connection side behind the fuse tapped, and a cable led under the seat to control a relay, which switches the USB sockets and accessory connections. From this horn PLUS I then also fed the gear control circuit. I have left the intermediate cable in position, and connected to it by means of a 6.3mm flat connector the corresponding connection leading to the control unit.
Relatively simply would be to get switched PLUS at the brown cable of the diagnostic plug under the seat. I don't like it, because in the event of a short circuit, the power supply to the ECU fails. A horn failure on the other hand, is not as bad.