Lorenfb

The other key, besides the actual draw, is whether the battery was fully
charged before being left setting. My 3.2 sets for about 2 to 3 weeks
after driving it, before I put the charger on. It has a draw of about 40 ma.

It's not the CCA but the capacity in ampere-hours. Divide the A-H by
the draw to determine the time left:

50 A-H divided 2 (for half capacity remaining) divided 50 ma draw
equals 500 hours or about 20 days (ideally 3 weeks).

Good Luck
Loren
'88 3.2

rhunt

Just got a call from the dealer. It was the drivers side door switch. It was pulling almost a full amp .96ma I am glad to have the problem fixed, as I have been just dealing with it for almost a year. I would have to start the car every 2 days. He said that and the climate control fan are the 2 most common problems.

Rob

Adrian

1 amp is quite a current drain by the way and indicates to me all interior and compartment lights activated. This can be caused by a bad door switch if your lights circuit are all hooked to gether (depends upon version, this cannot happen on my C4). However you did not report the interior lights on! all the time.
Ciao,
Adrian
964C4

rhunt

The interior lights were not on all the time. As a matter of fact they didn't even come on when the door was opened. I think something on the switch was grounding. I will find out tonight when I pick up the car. He did say that he had to adjust the door switch. I will get the details tonight. I was just glad to get the problem fixed.

Rob

Adrian

Dear Rob,
My point behind this is simply I would like to see your 964 fixed.
There is nothing on the switch to ground apart from a ground.
The switch is a mickey mouse arrangement with ground wires only no power. Wires supplying the earth to various circuits are crimped to the end of it.
Mine mess up all the time and none have ever caused a current drain apart from turning on the interior lights which I keep turned off in winter anyway.
I have a bunch of these switches in my house. They cannot cause on their own cause a current drain. They cannot short anything out. They can keep something activated yes, circuits it supplies an earth to or removes an earth from are just the alarm, interior lights and power window regulator (sunroof if installed I think). For these circuits to cause a current drain, something else must also be failed like a power window switch, or sunroof switch which I have seen. Or a failed alarm circuit such as the green wire syndrome.
The mechanic must have measured 1 amp somewhere which would trash the average battery in 48 hours. In which circuit did he measure 1 amp? This is the question I would ask and get him to show you where he connected his meter in series with the circuit or at least tell you.
Ciao,
Adrian
964C4

rhunt

I will find out exactly what he did and let you know tomorrow.

Rob

Lorenfb

Is it really fixed? Seen this TYPE of fix before!

Good Luck
Loren
'88 3.2

rhunt

I hope so. I will pick it up tonight and let it sit for a few days, then try to start it. Usually after 2 days it would not start.

Rob

Adrian

Dear Rob,
I have been sitting in the bedroom trying to work out a better way of explaining my concern and I think Loren has the same concern.
For there to be a current drain through a door switch you need TWO failures.
The primary failure being a circuit/component which is activated by the door switch and then the door switch itself needs to fail shorted in some way.
Let me give an example.
The power window regulator has a switching circuit activated by the door switch earth.
If the door switch is functioning correctly but the regulator circuit has shorted it will only draw excessive current when you open the door and an earth is supplied by the switch closing. The door is open for such a short time it causes no problems. When the door is shut the earth is removed and the current flow stops.
Now if the correct wire falls off the back of the switch and grounds out you get a current drain the whole time and voila your flat battery.
Now your mechanic knowing these are mickey mouse switches goes straight to it, sees the broken off ground wire and fixes it. Maybe he does a current check at the switch and finds a 1 amp drain. He replaces the switch (they cannot be adjusted) or fixes the wire onto the back and viola when he closes the door the current drain is gone. He will not check it with the door open.
So you think the problem is fixed. However it is not really. The primary fault remains. Do you understand what I am trying to get at?
For a current drain you need
Power
resistance circuit
ground
The switch provides the ground and that is all. I am sure you still have a primary failure and this is why I asked what circuit had the current drain.
Ciao,
Adrian
964C4

rhunt

Got ya. I will ask him. Thanks for explaining it to me. I am really good with mechanical work, but electrical I stink at. I will print this, take it with me and ask him when I get there.

Rob

Adrian

Dear Rob,
Did you get an answer?
Ciao,
Adrian
964C4

rhunt

He said the switch was broken off on the back of it, touching the metal inside the firewall. Not sure if he was bs'ing me, but the interior lights do work now when the door is opened. It never worked before. He charged me about $150USD to fix the problem. I am going to let it sit for a few days to make sure the problem is resolved or it will go right back to him. Thanks for the infromation and the help.

Rob

Adrian

Dear Rob,
Yes this happens. All it means is that an earth was being supplied to the circuit which is really draining your battery. By having the switch fixed it has masked the real fault.
What I suggest when you get time is to do a current drain check with the doors open. I bet there is still that nearly 1 amp drain.
There are two wires on the back of the switch I find it strange that there was not a sufficient earth contact to bring on the interior lights unless that wire was also off.
Ciao,
Adrian
964C4

rhunt

Well, it now gets better. I get in this morning to start the car. Open the door and the interior lights come on, great, I go to start the car and put the key in the ignition and I could hear a click, then bam no power anywhere in the car. Checked the battery real quick and it was fine. I guess it is back to the dealer.

Rob

rhunt

I just got off the phone with the dealer. They seem to think it is the ignition switch. They said all power runs through this switch. I don't have any power to anyting, no lights, no nothing. Does this sound right?

Rob