Dead Battery
10-14-2020, 03:18 PM
#1
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Memphis, TN 1987 S4
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Dead Battery
Hey gang,
I just put in new Buru wires and new coils into my 89 S4. Never had an issue with battery drain prior to change. Went to crank after a week sitting idle and now the battery seems dead. Battery is less than a year old. Could this be a result of new parts or just coincidence?
I just put in new Buru wires and new coils into my 89 S4. Never had an issue with battery drain prior to change. Went to crank after a week sitting idle and now the battery seems dead. Battery is less than a year old. Could this be a result of new parts or just coincidence?
10-14-2020, 07:23 PM
#2
Coincidence. But it will be fun to watch those that will twist themselves in to knots to try to link the two.
10-14-2020, 09:38 PM
#5
Electron Wrangler
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The link is probably somewhere in all the things you touched to do this job - but largely still coincidental. Review everything you touched....
Alan
Alan
10-14-2020, 10:05 PM
#6
10-15-2020, 01:55 AM
#7
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I read somewhere old clocks draw more than they should once, dont know if that is true or not.
It was weak, but started, was out of town for 4wks at one time last winter. 1wk is a problem, 2 should still start.
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10-15-2020, 09:41 AM
#9
Team Owner
the easiest thing you could do is open the CE panel cover, and the parcel tray,
connect the battery and go drive the car,
then put the windows down and park the car,
wait for 15 mins then come back and shoot the CE panel relays, without opening the doors,.
NOTE look into the doors to verify that the door edge lamps are off.
Any warm relay is one thats stuck on.
connect the battery and go drive the car,
then put the windows down and park the car,
wait for 15 mins then come back and shoot the CE panel relays, without opening the doors,.
NOTE look into the doors to verify that the door edge lamps are off.
Any warm relay is one thats stuck on.
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SteveG (10-15-2020)
10-15-2020, 10:09 AM
#10
RL Community Team
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I leave all my non DD cars on Battery Tenders when parked. No need to regularly deplete a battery, even if not to the point where it won't restart the car. My battery life with this protocol is phenomenal.
Changed the one in my 914 after 12 years (yep, 12 years not a typo). The one in my 997 (harder on batteries than a 928) is now 7 years old, and the one in my wife's 997 is 6 years old. The one in my 928 is 5 years old. These are all Optima AGM batteries BTW.
Changed the one in my 914 after 12 years (yep, 12 years not a typo). The one in my 997 (harder on batteries than a 928) is now 7 years old, and the one in my wife's 997 is 6 years old. The one in my 928 is 5 years old. These are all Optima AGM batteries BTW.
10-15-2020, 06:40 PM
#11
Chronic Tool Dropper
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I'm all in on maintainers when not being driven. In our current environment none of the cars get regular use, so they are all on maintainers. The battery in the 928, a Walmart Maxx, is almost eight (8!) years old right now. Per the SPG test I probably should have replaced it for this driving season, but the restore/recover function on the maintainer bought me at least another year it seems. But we aren't addressing the OP's question...
When I replaced the wires on my car way-back-when, the KS-2 front-of-engine harness was unplugged and un-bolted from the jump post, and the clamp came off the lift bracket to make access a lot easier. Restoration demands that those things get reconnected. Did you disconnect that stuff as I did? If so, check your restoration effort. If you didn't, accessing the right side coil wires requires some, uh, disturbance of the primary connection at the jump post. If your KS-2 is original, the insulation has turned from red to brown, and has self-ventilated itself to let the copper inside breathe. The lug for the jump post may be loosened on the copper too. Having that connection loose means low or no current flow available to CE panel power clients. Looks just like a dead battery when you try and start the car.
If you do as I and many others do, and disconnect the battery before diving into major projects near primary wiring, you might want to re-check the connections you opened. I lift the battery ground strap on the rear apron, tool cover removed. Is it tight again?
Annual electrical system maintenance includes battery terminal cleaning and cable/connection inspection. Ground strap OK?
Last now but would be early on my list after revisiting everything I disconnected and put back, I'd check the battery voltage right at the battery posts, and follow along to the other connections if the battery shows OK but symptoms show not. My trusty Fluke DMM is to me as a hammer is to a carpenter. Where the carpenter might see everything as a nail, so do I see every problem as electrical, with a logical test and diagnostic process available for any symptom.
When I replaced the wires on my car way-back-when, the KS-2 front-of-engine harness was unplugged and un-bolted from the jump post, and the clamp came off the lift bracket to make access a lot easier. Restoration demands that those things get reconnected. Did you disconnect that stuff as I did? If so, check your restoration effort. If you didn't, accessing the right side coil wires requires some, uh, disturbance of the primary connection at the jump post. If your KS-2 is original, the insulation has turned from red to brown, and has self-ventilated itself to let the copper inside breathe. The lug for the jump post may be loosened on the copper too. Having that connection loose means low or no current flow available to CE panel power clients. Looks just like a dead battery when you try and start the car.
If you do as I and many others do, and disconnect the battery before diving into major projects near primary wiring, you might want to re-check the connections you opened. I lift the battery ground strap on the rear apron, tool cover removed. Is it tight again?
Annual electrical system maintenance includes battery terminal cleaning and cable/connection inspection. Ground strap OK?
Last now but would be early on my list after revisiting everything I disconnected and put back, I'd check the battery voltage right at the battery posts, and follow along to the other connections if the battery shows OK but symptoms show not. My trusty Fluke DMM is to me as a hammer is to a carpenter. Where the carpenter might see everything as a nail, so do I see every problem as electrical, with a logical test and diagnostic process available for any symptom.
10-17-2020, 10:20 AM
#12
Rennlist Member
I'm all in on maintainers when not being driven. In our current environment none of the cars get regular use, so they are all on maintainers. The battery in the 928, a Walmart Maxx, is almost eight (8!) years old right now. Per the SPG test I probably should have replaced it for this driving season, but the restore/recover function on the maintainer bought me at least another year it seems. But we aren't addressing the OP's question...
When I replaced the wires on my car way-back-when, the KS-2 front-of-engine harness was unplugged and un-bolted from the jump post, and the clamp came off the lift bracket to make access a lot easier. Restoration demands that those things get reconnected. Did you disconnect that stuff as I did? If so, check your restoration effort. If you didn't, accessing the right side coil wires requires some, uh, disturbance of the primary connection at the jump post. If your KS-2 is original, the insulation has turned from red to brown, and has self-ventilated itself to let the copper inside breathe. The lug for the jump post may be loosened on the copper too. Having that connection loose means low or no current flow available to CE panel power clients. Looks just like a dead battery when you try and start the car.
If you do as I and many others do, and disconnect the battery before diving into major projects near primary wiring, you might want to re-check the connections you opened. I lift the battery ground strap on the rear apron, tool cover removed. Is it tight again?
Annual electrical system maintenance includes battery terminal cleaning and cable/connection inspection. Ground strap OK?
Last now but would be early on my list after revisiting everything I disconnected and put back, I'd check the battery voltage right at the battery posts, and follow along to the other connections if the battery shows OK but symptoms show not. My trusty Fluke DMM is to me as a hammer is to a carpenter. Where the carpenter might see everything as a nail, so do I see every problem as electrical, with a logical test and diagnostic process available for any symptom.
When I replaced the wires on my car way-back-when, the KS-2 front-of-engine harness was unplugged and un-bolted from the jump post, and the clamp came off the lift bracket to make access a lot easier. Restoration demands that those things get reconnected. Did you disconnect that stuff as I did? If so, check your restoration effort. If you didn't, accessing the right side coil wires requires some, uh, disturbance of the primary connection at the jump post. If your KS-2 is original, the insulation has turned from red to brown, and has self-ventilated itself to let the copper inside breathe. The lug for the jump post may be loosened on the copper too. Having that connection loose means low or no current flow available to CE panel power clients. Looks just like a dead battery when you try and start the car.
If you do as I and many others do, and disconnect the battery before diving into major projects near primary wiring, you might want to re-check the connections you opened. I lift the battery ground strap on the rear apron, tool cover removed. Is it tight again?
Annual electrical system maintenance includes battery terminal cleaning and cable/connection inspection. Ground strap OK?
Last now but would be early on my list after revisiting everything I disconnected and put back, I'd check the battery voltage right at the battery posts, and follow along to the other connections if the battery shows OK but symptoms show not. My trusty Fluke DMM is to me as a hammer is to a carpenter. Where the carpenter might see everything as a nail, so do I see every problem as electrical, with a logical test and diagnostic process available for any symptom.
The positive clamp on the battery end of the cable...just...fell off. It was OE. Pep Boys to the rescue. All is fine now.
10-17-2020, 01:20 PM
#13
Chronic Tool Dropper
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Jeff--
Can't tell you how many cars I've found with "emergency repair clamps" that have failed with time and exposure. Never on a 928, though. Treat them as a temporary patch, replace with good cable when you have a chance soon, especially if she's relying on the car.
Same advice for others who have used temporary terminal clamps. They are temporary. The jacket gets cut back and the copper core is then exposed to corrosive battery fumes especially if you haven't plumbed the vent to outside the well. Cable corrodes up into the insulation and causes lots of little electrical gremlins.
Can't tell you how many cars I've found with "emergency repair clamps" that have failed with time and exposure. Never on a 928, though. Treat them as a temporary patch, replace with good cable when you have a chance soon, especially if she's relying on the car.
Same advice for others who have used temporary terminal clamps. They are temporary. The jacket gets cut back and the copper core is then exposed to corrosive battery fumes especially if you haven't plumbed the vent to outside the well. Cable corrodes up into the insulation and causes lots of little electrical gremlins.