streck-fu

This is a problem I've worked on for a while and am getting nowhere.

Symptoms: After a few months, my battery begins act like it's dying. Wait a day or two and I have to start jumping it. Trickle charge it overnight and it works fine for a few months. Then the cycle starts all over again.

<img src="graemlins/cussing.gif" border="0" alt="[grrrrrrr]" />

I've replaced the batery once already. I tested the altenator three different times; checks good each time.



I've tested to see if there is a drain somewhere in the system. Again no joy.
We've checked the fans to make sure they don't run for too long. No accessories run for longer than they should.

Any ideas? I'm at loss now..... <img src="graemlins/crying.gif" border="0" alt="[crying]" />


TIA,
Daniel

R.B.

I run a dash board solar panel on some of my vehicles to keep the battery charged while they are parked. The panels are pretty cheap ~$30 Cdn and just plug into the cigarette lighter. You might want to try this while you are looking for the problem.

-R.B.

Toolmaster

With the car totally off, connect an ammeter between the battery and the car... Then - remove fuses to find the drain.

Oh- and just to make sure, your voltage regulator was checked too- right?

HTH!

streckfu's

What's weird about this is even after jumping the car, I never have problems with it running. Most cars start to run rough or have electrical issues with a low battery, failing alternator, or voltage rectifier. I've never had problem one after having to jump it.

Beats me.......

MHT

how did you check for a draw, you need to use an ammeter hooked up in series with batt. and you need to make sure that you do not break the circuit when you are disconnecting the neg batt terminal. Run the car, operate all your accessories, turn the car off, then connect pos cable from ammeter to neg batt. cable end. Loosen neg batt cable and carefully lift it up, maintaining contact with batt post, connect neg ammeter cable to batt post under the still connected cable, then remove the cable and read the amp draw, should be no more than approx. 15 ma. milliamps. If you have an excessive draw then begin removing fuses, relays untill you find problem.
the reason I suggest doing it this way is that if your draw is caused by a sticking relay, removing power can cause the reley to open and you will never see it on the meter. Common cause of slow draw is inop. pin switch for interior lights, do your int lights come on when the door opens? If not then the power window relay stays energized. Good luck. Pls excuse spelling and grammar. Mark T.

streckfu's

[quote]Originally posted by MHT:
<strong> Common cause of slow draw is inop. pin switch for interior lights, do your int lights come on when the door opens? If not then the power window relay stays energized. Good luck. Pls excuse spelling and grammar. Mark T.</strong><hr></blockquote>

The lights do come on when the door opens.

Daniel

IceShark

This may be an unlikely possibility but is your battery dirty? Depending on what sort of dust and pollutants you are exposed to you can get a small draining current running across the top of the battery between the posts. This should show up in spades once the top of the battery is wetted via rain or humidity.

Being in Virgina Beach, the salt air should do just fine in establishing this "hidden" short. Disconnect the battery in place and see if same behavior.

kasturbo

Probably not your problem, but I had the same symtoms happening to me. My problem was that the relay wire comming from the alt. had came in contact with the turbo and burnt in half. I didn't discover it untill I was replacing my turbo.

M758

[quote]Originally posted by MHT:
<strong>Common cause of slow draw is inop. pin switch for interior lights, do your int lights come on when the door opens? If not then the power window relay stays energized. Good luck. Pls excuse spelling and grammar. Mark T.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Mark,
I am understanding you correctly when you say that if you have pin switch that fails in the door closed position (ie door pin for interior lights is stuck in) that you have power draw?

My 88 Turbo S has been experinecing a power draw down for about a year. I do not drive it much, but when I was driving it once per week it would start. If i missed a week it would be dead. For that reason I have been following this thread I know that my driver's side interior light pin is stuck pressed in. Could this be a reason for my weak battery?

Thanks

MHT

M 758 if the power window relay does not get a signal from the pin switch it stays energized, this is so you can roll up your windows after turning the car off. The draw is not large but in a car that is not driven regularly it can kill the battery.

MHT

m 758 the answer is yes. god luck. Mark

my951killsimports

I used to have the same problem with my now deceased 944turbo. It turned out to be the factory alarm system was constantly wired on! Check and see if your car is so equipped.

streckfu's

[quote]Originally posted by my951killsimports:
<strong>I used to have the same problem with my now deceased 944turbo. It turned out to be the factory alarm system was constantly wired on! Check and see if your car is so equipped.</strong><hr></blockquote>

No alarm installed so I can rule that out.

[quote]M 758 if the power window relay does not get a signal from the pin switch it stays energized, this is so you can roll up your windows after turning the car off. The draw is not large but in a car that is not driven regularly it can kill the battery. <hr></blockquote>

I checked into this. Only for about 30 seconds after shutting the car off can I move the windows. After the 30 seconds nothing happens. I guess, then, the relay is working coorectly?



Thanx, to all for the input. <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" /> <img src="graemlins/beerchug.gif" border="0" alt="[cheers]" />