jserio

Do yourself a favor and pull the b attery and have it checked. If you have a dead cell or 2 then there you go. A soft battery will make the car run like **** or even die eventually. That would be my guess.
Clean the ground points to WYAT.

Bill 86.5 928s

Cayman...If you have a multimeter (volt/ohm meter) start the 928 and check the voltage at the battery. With the 928 running the charging circuit should be producing 14-14.5 volts at the battery terminals.Chassis grounds are very important so look out for corrosion at those points and that the connectors at the battery are clean and tight.Some maintainence free batteries are not maintainence free, it should be checked once in a while as the fluids can boil off exposing the cells. Not a good thing.
Good-luck.............

WallyP

Sixty amps is not enough for an '89. The alternator is probably the main problem, but you need to clean all of the battery connections anyway.

The main power wires from the alternator run to the starter, where they hook to the main battery cable. A smaller cable runs from there to the jump start terminal, where the main feeds for the Central Electric Panel are attached.

Cameron

Cayman,

Was your S4 subject to the rising waters from the hurricane last fall?

heinrich

I think you're barking up the wrong tree with the alternator. If the shroud is missing it WILL fail, but it is working. Replace those relays Rich was referring to.

CaymanIs.928s4

The battery is brandnew, and the car didn't get any flood water, the car was at a high location on the Island, the water only got up to about 2-3" up the bottom of the wheel

Garth S

Does the starter spin as it should with a strong battery? if not, a load test ( or CCA test) on the battery may still be in order - even new batteries can have shorted or weak cells.

CaymanIs.928s4

Garth, with a new battery the car starts and drives as it should , but it will drain the battery till it can no longer can supply the car with power it takes about 3 days or so, then the battery is stone dead.

CaymanIs.928s4

Allright Guys,
This is the problem found, after trying Bill's test on the battery to see if the car is self charging, the car is not self charging, the volt reading at the battery with the car running is 11-12volts, now which relay is responsible for the car self charging from the Alt,
My feelings are as follows, with a good battery the car starts and drives with no problems,for the exception of it killing the battery in a few days, can I bypass everything by running a wire from the Alt direct to the battery so it will keep on recharging it self, or will this short out something else?

CaymanIs.928s4

More food for thought,
I have found and printed out complete wiring diagrams for a 1990 S4, I realise that the fuses and relays are set up differently, but can I use the wiring diagram as a direction of what to look for or is the wire coding different as well. Does anyone know where I can get a complete service manual or a complete wiring diagram fo my 89 S4

Steel Warrior

I had a similar problem once. Took apart and cleaned where the battery ground strap is bolted to the car and everything was fine. It didn't look dirty before I cleaned it

Garth S

You're pretty close now! Go back and read posts by Bill and Wally.
I'd start by checking voltages on a running engine: easiest is the jump start post on the passenger side fender - you should see ~ 14v. If you do, the problem is between the starter and the battery. If you only see 12v, work back to the starter and then the alternator Remove the back cover to access the B+ terminal). If you find only 12v, either the voltage regulator is gone or the brushes are not in contact. ( very remote, but the belt could be loose ).
What does the dash voltmeter say? Does the red charge light come on when first turning the key on - then go out after starting?

CaymanIs.928s4

It's about 7.30p.m here now, so tomorrow I'll start testing again, Thanks alot guys for all your inputs on this issue.

CaymanIs.928s4

One last thing my owners manual says the Alt output is 1610W / 115AAC now doe's this mean that the Alt output is 115 amps? , if so my New rebuilt Alt has issues of it's own

Randy V

Here ya go Cayman - this might help some:

http://www.autohausaz.com/porsche-au...l-systems.html

Hey - what's your first name?