So I went out to the garage tonight and I hear this weird clicking sound coming from the car. So I search around and it turns out the clicking is coming from under the passenger seat (?). I move the power seat back and forth a bit, sound stops when I moved the seat, and then the seat slowly stops. I try the lights, nothing, I try to start the car...nothing. But the clicking noise still continues under the seat. WTF?

I'm obviously thinking dead battery, alternator, etc. I haven't tried to jump it yet.

Any thoughts?

 

No electricals on that side except for seat movement - sounds like perhaps a sticky switch has kept an adjustment motor running until most all the juice has been drained from your battery.

Check all the power adjustments on the passenger seat and see if activating one of them stops the noise, or obviously hangs in the engaged position.

Best,


Christian
'95 Carrera

 

The Nokia amlifier is placed under the passenger seat (if you have the sound option) as well as the alarm/door lock control module.
A low battery voltage could confuse the electronics and make a relay to click periodically, there's relays in both these modules. Running the seat motors could lower the voltage even more, thus make the relay to keep quiet.
Charge the battery and check for abnormal current draw with ignition off.
Cheers,
Tore

 

Great suggestions fellas...I'm not a mechanic, so how do I check if there's an abnormal current draw?

 

Normal current draw in a 993 with ignition off is 50 to 70 mA. (0.05A) An aftermarket alarm can introduce an additional 5 to 50mA. Charge the battery, ignition off, and connect an amperemeter in series with one of the battery poles.

When measuring, note that open doors will activate the interior lights as well as a relay for enabling the power windows. Also, an open bonnet and/or engine lid will activate the lights there too.
After ignition off the CCU with fan will continue to run for 1 to 10 minutes. (circa 500mA)
An unlocked car will also have the OBD LCD with light turned on in the tachometer.

Therefore, measure the current with all interior/bonnet/engine lights off, lock the doors, and wait for the CCU to turn off. You might consider opening the windows first to avoid having problems getting in due to a problem with immobilizer or similar.

A value of 100-200mA or so can indicate that some of the above mentioned points are active.
Cheers,
Tore

 

ToreB has correct info. but let me simplify:
First, for safety's sake, remove any rings you may wear. Get the existing battery charged or install a fresh one. Lower the windows as suggested (so that you can get back into the trunk!) Disconnect the Neg. battery terminal and connect a digital ammeter in series with the Neg. post of the battery and the Neg. terminal of the ground strap. Route the leads of the ammeter outside of the trunk and carefully close the trunk. Wait until the trunk light goes off and then read the current draw.
Note: Initially set the range of the ammeter high, then lower to an acceptable range once you see how much drain is occurring. Otherwise, you may blow the fuse on the meter.

 

If your battery is fully charged (12.5 volts or more with the engine not running) and you still hear some under seat action you could consider pulling fuses until it stops to identify the culprit.
I keep a 1 amp trickle charger with a homemade cigarette lighter adapter on hand for these situations. I plug it into the lighter after the source of the drain is removed and let it run for 4 to 6 hours then the car starts. As you know dead batteries can happen for all sorts of reasons including leaving the trunk ajar or lights on or turn signals left on or engine compartment not fully closed - you get the picture.
Charging this slow way is much easier on the batter as it does not create heat. I also check the battery fluid level if the battery is dead. By the way there is no such thing as a maintenance free battery. What ever kind you have you should be able to pry the vent caps off, look at the electrolyte level and top off to the fill marks (rings in the fill holes) with distilled water.
I installed a couple of circuit boards in my 993 that warn me when I leave the lights on and also lock the doors a few second after starting the car. One of these stays active with the key out so some drain must be present.
I believe when the alarm is set (door led flashing) some of the potential drain producing functions of the electrical system get disconnected and this may reduce drain while sitting as well.
Andy

 

Ok guys, so I was able to jump the car and took it for a 30 minute drive to recharge the battery. I heard some intermittent belt-squealing between shifts. The belt squealing has been happening for a couple of weeks but it has been on start up and when the motor is cold, once it warmed up, I didn't hear it. It drove fine for 30 minutes. About 1 mile from the house, the alternator belt let go, completely shredded. On the plus side, I don't hear the clicking noise under the pass seat anymore, lol.

Do you think the clicking noise and the belt letting go are related in some way?

Do you think it is simply a belt issue, or alternator, something else?

My indie shop is about 6 miles from the house...do you think I can make it on just battery power or is it better to have it flatbedded?

 

Fully charged good battery would make it but if you doubt your battery and don't have a charger then get some one to follow at least. I would charge it up and put a belt on it unless the alternator bearing is noisy.

 

If your ALT belt has been slipping, then your battery wasn't getting charged. First order of business is getting the belt replaced, then getting the battery up to full charge, then seeing if, while the car is running, you're putting out sufficient voltage, something on the order of 13.5+/- a few tenths.

 

See the attached service item you may want to consider.

 

Thanks for the reminder on the pulley update! I ordered in the pulley from Pelican and I also ordered a new alt belt tensioner sensor (I figured why not replace it while they were doing all the belts and the pulley update).

Hopefully, the belt was the problem and they won't find anything else wrong...fingers crossed!

 

Well it seems the problem was an old/bad belt,nothing more. Replaced all the belts, did the pulley update,and replaced alt belt tension sensor. Hopefully I'll be good to go. Thanks for all the input and advice fellas!