jon928se

Do this test again from ignition switched on but engine not running with your jumper in place. Switch ign off, open drivers door, close it , don't get out of car, climb in the back, wait for interior lights to go out, connect meter, remove jumper, measure amps and keep watching for a couple of minutes - sometimes it takes a while for all the circuits ( I forget which ones) that should eventually be powered off to actually switch off.

ew928

Isn't it only the courtesy light circuit that stays awake on the '88. (His sig says 88 S4.)
The crazy smart window controller came in 90+, I think.


Why can't I see leaking electric juice?

Charley B

Thanks for the suggestions all. I'm working today and then trying to buy a house this evening, so I will be following these all up tonight and tomorrow.

jon928se

You don't get a pool of it under the car ?


I can never remember precisely which years do what plus the added buggeration factor of after market alarms/ice/phones. In one of my 928s a CD stacker that should turn off after about 3minutes (with the face plate left on the head unit) but doesn't about 25% of the time. Hence for the sake of a few extra minutes ........

SharkSkin

It can't be seen, but it can be tasted. Put your tongue across the leads instead of the meter.

Charley B

I'm now getting no reading on the 10A scale, but a reading of 1.37 on the mA scale. Is that still an excessive draw?

Bill Ball

What did you remove to get to this reading?

The goal is 30ma, so, no, 1.37ma, would NOT be excessive, but it indicates that a common component was removed.

the flyin' scotsman

Is there power left in the battery?

The meter has a uA position, interesting.

Charley B

The battery has been holding at about 12.7 amps for the last two day's. Mostly disconnected.

Bill, by common component, do you mean something that should normally be on line and drawing a little current?

The 1.37mA was without doing anything. I have since disconnected the Amp, remote start and remote door locks, but the reading remains the same.

If the two overhead lights are functional, is it safe to assume they are not an issue when they are turned off?

Bill Ball

Yeah, I'm not positive what draws 30ma, but it's probably the factory alarm system, armed or not.

So, the battery appears healthy.

Since you say you disconnected nothing, it's hard to explain why you had 2 amps draw before and the battery kept going flat. You may have to run the car, then retest to see if something latches and raises the draw. It's normal for there to be 150ma or so draw for up to 45 minutes after the car has been run due to the way the S4 fan controller operates. So, reattach the battery cables, run the car briefly, attach your meter, remove the cable, and wait 45 minutes.

Charley B

So, are you saying take a reading as soon as i remove the cable, and then again in 45 minutes?

Bill Ball

You don't need to hook up the meter and take the immediate reading as it's the one after 45 minutes that is the target, but I usually do it anyway just to know what's going on.

Charley B

I went and bought an analog meter to get a better idea of what was happening.
With the ignition off for at least 45 minutes and the meter set at DC mA, the needle goes to 175 and then immediately starts to alternate between 175 and peg with the rhythm of a clock ticking. The car clock is digital.

Alan

Charley - less than 2 mA is not a feasible reading... there is some issue in the measurement method - or somthing is disconnected. Minimum should be >>10mA with everything connected.

Don't run the meter when it ever pegs - you may damage it - switch to a higher range.

Alternate spiking may be the alarm LED's flashing - but it shoul dnot be a huge spike - see if this matches - and try without the alarm armed?

Alan

the flyin' scotsman

Be careful how your reading the analog meter.............your pic is 0mA and the range is at 250mA in the middle of the black numbers............look to the left/right and see the mA symbol scale.

Go to a higher scale to measure the 'pegging' value.