Battery Drain
06-21-2015, 06:10 PM
#16
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06-21-2015, 08:37 PM
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07-05-2015, 07:05 PM
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So I went through every fuse with nothing making a change in my reading. Also pulled the light delay relay with no change. What do I need to look at next?
07-05-2015, 09:42 PM
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It could be the cooling fan controller, radio head unit, amp, door end lights, underhood light... check them all (by disconnecting them...).
Alan
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07-06-2015, 10:03 AM
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07-06-2015, 12:20 PM
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Better to pull them (and then replace them...) one by one, so you can identify which might be feeding the leakage habit.
There are some regular offenders, most prominent of which is probably the interior lights wiring. Alan's guidance on pulling the fuses for those circuits is spot on. Next thing to look for is aftermarket or user-modified wiring. Telltales of this are usually pretty obvious, typically wiring hacks to support a stereo head unit and/or aftermarket amplifier. Remembering the age of the cars, some may include wiring for a cell phone. Depending on the talent of the installers, the wiring for these may or may not be secured and protected adequately.
In spite of the (for the time) extensive array of fuses in the CE panel, there are still more than a few circuits that are not protected by fuses. IIRC, the 'parking' circuit for the rear wiper has unfused current available, throuh wiring that's relatively vulnerable in the tool tray area and the trunk.
On the '87+ cars, the fan "final stages" module mentioned by others can 'leak', but that should be should be detectable by pulling the two fuses that feed it. The controller that feeds it, under the cover next to the passenger's seat, has low-current sensing loops through several switches and transducers that are active all the time.
The alarm module, if you have it, is active at all times, more so when the car is locked. That's why you'll notice references to testing with the car locked vs. unlocked.
There are some regular offenders, most prominent of which is probably the interior lights wiring. Alan's guidance on pulling the fuses for those circuits is spot on. Next thing to look for is aftermarket or user-modified wiring. Telltales of this are usually pretty obvious, typically wiring hacks to support a stereo head unit and/or aftermarket amplifier. Remembering the age of the cars, some may include wiring for a cell phone. Depending on the talent of the installers, the wiring for these may or may not be secured and protected adequately.
In spite of the (for the time) extensive array of fuses in the CE panel, there are still more than a few circuits that are not protected by fuses. IIRC, the 'parking' circuit for the rear wiper has unfused current available, throuh wiring that's relatively vulnerable in the tool tray area and the trunk.
On the '87+ cars, the fan "final stages" module mentioned by others can 'leak', but that should be should be detectable by pulling the two fuses that feed it. The controller that feeds it, under the cover next to the passenger's seat, has low-current sensing loops through several switches and transducers that are active all the time.
The alarm module, if you have it, is active at all times, more so when the car is locked. That's why you'll notice references to testing with the car locked vs. unlocked.
07-06-2015, 05:58 PM
#24
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Better to pull them (and then replace them...) one by one, so you can identify which might be feeding the leakage habit.
There are some regular offenders, most prominent of which is probably the interior lights wiring. Alan's guidance on pulling the fuses for those circuits is spot on. Next thing to look for is aftermarket or user-modified wiring. Telltales of this are usually pretty obvious, typically wiring hacks to support a stereo head unit and/or aftermarket amplifier. Remembering the age of the cars, some may include wiring for a cell phone. Depending on the talent of the installers, the wiring for these may or may not be secured and protected adequately.
In spite of the (for the time) extensive array of fuses in the CE panel, there are still more than a few circuits that are not protected by fuses. IIRC, the 'parking' circuit for the rear wiper has unfused current available, throuh wiring that's relatively vulnerable in the tool tray area and the trunk.
On the '87+ cars, the fan "final stages" module mentioned by others can 'leak', but that should be should be detectable by pulling the two fuses that feed it. The controller that feeds it, under the cover next to the passenger's seat, has low-current sensing loops through several switches and transducers that are active all the time.
The alarm module, if you have it, is active at all times, more so when the car is locked. That's why you'll notice references to testing with the car locked vs. unlocked.
There are some regular offenders, most prominent of which is probably the interior lights wiring. Alan's guidance on pulling the fuses for those circuits is spot on. Next thing to look for is aftermarket or user-modified wiring. Telltales of this are usually pretty obvious, typically wiring hacks to support a stereo head unit and/or aftermarket amplifier. Remembering the age of the cars, some may include wiring for a cell phone. Depending on the talent of the installers, the wiring for these may or may not be secured and protected adequately.
In spite of the (for the time) extensive array of fuses in the CE panel, there are still more than a few circuits that are not protected by fuses. IIRC, the 'parking' circuit for the rear wiper has unfused current available, throuh wiring that's relatively vulnerable in the tool tray area and the trunk.
On the '87+ cars, the fan "final stages" module mentioned by others can 'leak', but that should be should be detectable by pulling the two fuses that feed it. The controller that feeds it, under the cover next to the passenger's seat, has low-current sensing loops through several switches and transducers that are active all the time.
The alarm module, if you have it, is active at all times, more so when the car is locked. That's why you'll notice references to testing with the car locked vs. unlocked.
07-06-2015, 09:45 PM
#27
Nordschleife Master
Or leave the doors unlocked and put the key in the hatch lock. Turn it to the left (right should open it). Nothing should seem to happen, but then go open a door.
07-06-2015, 10:02 PM
#28
I had the same issue. an Alpine aftermarket alarm was installed on my '88.
I never used it because it was do flaky, but even off, it was draining my battery.
pulled the fuse in the alarm and all is good
I never used it because it was do flaky, but even off, it was draining my battery.
pulled the fuse in the alarm and all is good
07-07-2015, 08:16 AM
#29
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I'm gonna try it today. If some alarm does go off how do I turn it off?