fltechpilot

Hey guys,

I'm home on vacation and have been playing around with my parents' 1988 S4. They recently mentioned a clicking noise from the brain/CE panel area. The first couple times I drove the car, I did not hear anything, but today I heard the clicking. To me it sounds like a relay clicking, but I noticed a corresponding change in the voltmeter reading when hearing the click.

The voltmeter would stay at 13v +/- .5V but I would hear *click* and see the voltmeter move, then on the next *click* the voltmeter would move back to where it was.

My next step is to open up the CE panel and run the car in the garage with the hopes of having it do it again, but I was wondering if anyone would have any ideas from this description.

Thanks!

Mrmerlin

once you find the clicking relay , and identify that it is the correct relay for the location
see how hot it is getting,
it might be tome for a Deoxit 100 spray application,
and you may have to replace the clicker

fltechpilot

Thanks for the advice! Any chance this could be symptomatic of a failing fuel injection brain? My Dad had previously stuck his head in the area when it was clicking and thought that the sound was coming from the brain. However, he didn't take the cover off the CE panel. So I'm hoping he just heard it in that general area.

davek9

Failing EZK "clicking" sound usually comes for the Injectors clicking open&closed, not a relay.

I would first just try with Ignition on 1st position and listen for sounds w/ CE cover opened, then Position 2, then start the car with exhaust pointing out and door opened

fltechpilot

Huh interesting that a failing EZK sound comes from the injectors themselves. This clicking is definitely coming from the CE panel/ brain area. The problem is that the clicking is intermittent. Intermittent sounds should be internationally banned!! I tried the ignition position 1 idea briefly with no clicking. I'll give it another go for a bit longer.

Thanks!

Mrmerlin

you will have better chances of finding the noise if you remove the parcel tray and the top CE panel cover

MainePorsche

^^ This, and do you note any particular dysfunction(s) in the car ?

fltechpilot

Have not noticed anything wrong with the car. Runs beautifully. It is on a battery tender when not running due to a drain that we haven't been able to put our fingers on yet. But that has been the case since my parents picked the car up about a year ago. More pressing stuff has been on the to do list since that time.

MainePorsche

Maybe the drain and this faulty relay are related.
Get the CE cover off and when the clicking re-emerges localize the particular relay. These two birds might be dealt with one stone...

dr bob

Check your power window motors and switches. Make sure that the switches aren't stuck. The motors have thermal overload protection that offers the symptoms you describe. If a switch is stuck and the window is already at full travel, you'll get the symptom you describe. Otherwise there aren't common-function relays that make cycling noise and affect voltmeter readings without other symptoms.

fltechpilot

Great suggestion! I noticed that the window switches seem a bit on the sticky side. I will keep an eye on that. Have not been able to replicate the sound again.

granprixweiss928

Also check the louvers in the front air intake for the rad. If they are broken or stuck the relay keeps clicking on and off while the car tries to run the motor and adjust/move the louvers. My 88 that I had last fall did this. the relay got real HOT, and the battery would drain. unplugged the relay and that solved it