byrdman454

My '84 Euro seems to have a battery drain. I have isolated it to the fuse/system for the sunroof, window regulator, door locks. This car does not have a sunroof, so it must be the locks or regulator. Isn't the door locks like any other switch, no power applied until completing the circuit? Where is the window regulator?

I have another problem with the door locks that may be related. Both sides work perfectly if locking or unlocking using the key from the outside. The problem I am having with them is that I cannot turn the **** on the door panel as I exit the door to lock them. The **** will not turn in the lock direction.

Thanks for the help.
Mike

WallyP

You can't lock the doors when they are open...

byrdman454

Wally,
I can lock them when they are open in my '88 S4. Is this something they changed?

What use would the ***** be if you cannot use them with the door open?

Thanks

AO

Wally is, of course, correct. You cannot lock the doors when they are open.

If you want to try locking them with the door open you have to rotate the latch with a screw driver. However, i doubt this is the cause of your battery drain.

Can you give some more information on the symptoms you are experiencing, and how you tracked it down, etc? Also, how old is your battery?

byrdman454

Does this mean something has been done to allow my S4 to lock the doors using the panel ***** with the door open?

My battery has been dying. It is a brand new battery. I tracked the bleed down by disconnecting the positive cable and hooking a test light between the + cable and the + battery post. I pulled every fuse until the light went out. Two fuses lit the light. One was from the clock, so I unhooked that and the light went out. The last remaining drain is the circuit containing sunroof, door locks, and window regulator. This Euro does not have a sunroof. Where is the window regulator located? I figured since my S4 locks the doors when they are open there was a problem with the Euro. Maybe not.

Thanks

AO

Mike-
The test light probably is not a good enough indicator. I'm not an electrical guru (Alan is), but I think you want to check for draw. I believe total draw should be less than 50 miliamps with key out and all lights off. You can check this at the battery terminals. If it's more, then you'll have to go to the individual fuses to locate which one is drawing more. Your problem could be a bad battery. Wouldn't be the first time.

As to the door locks, I'm not sure how the locks prevent you form locking them when the door is open, but I would say the S4 is teh odd one. Both my old 82 and my GT do not allow the lock to be rotated when the door is open (by key or by ****).

byrdman454

I do not think it is the battery. My old battery kept dying as well until finally it would not hold a charge. It was the POs battery and was getting old. My new battery is pulling down as well. Hopefully some electrical gurus will respond with the right way to check it. Thanks

What are the ***** on the door panels used for if you cannot turn them with the doors open? You cannot reach them if you are sitting in the car with the doors shut. Any ideas? Just curious?

AO

You should still measure the draw... that'll help. One thing that comes to mind are the little red door lamps. The door pin switches are notorious for failing. It could be that your lights are staying on... just something to check.

They are there to annoy people like you!

Alan

You probably need to dig some more into the exact curent drain you are seeing.

However - the symptoms you have described so far suggest that window circuit switches may be staying active. Do your interior lights work from the door pin switches?

If either or both pin switches are inoperative you will not switch off the maintained supply for the windows when you exit the car... this creates some extra current drain in the window/sunroof controller..

It may not be this because you ony gave some brief details ... but if it is it could be an easy fix.

To test fo this - turn ignition on - turn off, open a door - do the window switches still work? they should not.

Alan

abbzer0

Plastic backing of the ignition switch was cracked on mine, and a diod broke off in the alternator. Hope you are luckier than I was.

Mrmerlin

Hi Just curious find your igntion relay it is (# V on and 88 S4)and pull it our see if the current draw goes away the relay is a # 53 it is the same as the horn try swapping, let me Know, Stan

Mike LaBranche

It could be your window relay. Tracing a drain in my 84 I kept hearing a 'click' from the relay panel when I'd turn on the meter while in series with the battery. Turns out the window switches were always hot and I could raise/lower the windows without the key in. Relays are notorious failure points.

byrdman454

Andrew-Both pin switches seem to be working. The interior lights and the little red door lights all go out if I hold the switch in.

Alan-I have not yet checked whether or not the windows work with no ignition. What would be the cause of this?

Stan-I do remember the ignition relay clicking non-stop when I pulled the fuse in question (window reg/door lock/sunroof). What are you thinking?

The car is down right now due to a gas leak. I will check the rest of your suggestions hopefully next week.

Thanks

abbzer0

This may sound strange, but when you have your key in the ignition and turned to the on position -- does the key feel warm when you remove it?

byrdman454

Ok,
I have finally been able to check my car over with the suggestions you guys had.

1) I pulled the fuse for the window reg and the one for the clock. I still had a battery drain coming from my test light. It turns out it is the ignition relay. I already swapped it with a new relay, but it is still showing hot. If I remove the relay there is no battery drain.

2) If I leave the ignition relay out and the clock fuse, and reinstall the window reg fuse, I have a drain. I checked the windows, and they are going down without the key! I pulled the appropriate relay, and the windows and went dead. I replaced it with a brand new relay and the windows still go down. WTF?

Can anyone explain why my windows are working without a key and why there is a battery drain with the ignition relay installed?

Thanks