When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Sunday was to be a general piddle around and wrap stuff up day. I have to be in bed by 4:00pm to get up to go to work on 3rd Shift.
I sucked out the PS reservoir and refilled it again with another 8oz of NAPA Dexron III ATF.
While checking the polarity of the trickle charger quick connect pigtail, I noticed that battery voltage was only 12.35VDC. Hmmm...
Putting my Fluke 87V in series with the battery and ground strap showed a current draw of 305mA with everything off. Not good, far too much battery drain.
So, the rest of my day was taken up by chasing this battery drain.
Here is the notes of my testing:
-door open, lights on, 2.605A draw
-remove fuses one by one until the draw drops or disappears. When I pulled fuse #24, interior lights, the current draw fell to 76mA.
I inspected the door pin switches and the red warning lights on the back faces of the doors. I carefully unscrewed the pin switches for a look see. The pin switches both looked good, though I cleaned them with DeOxit D100 and cycled them several times. Just before screwing them back in, I 'unscrewed' them a couple of turns to leave the wire relaxed and untwisted.
The driver's side red warning light had a little corrosion on the bulb and inside the socket, as well as a good layer of corrosion on the spade connectors. I cleaned all parts with DeOxit D100. They turned out well.
The passenger's side red warning light was a mess. The bulb was corroded to the socket, one male spade contact was broken off, and both spade connectors were horribly corroded. I sprayed DeOxit D5 and called it good.
Even though the driver's side red warning light works, I will replace both soon.
After doing all of the above, the battery drain dropped to 11mA. After replacing fuse #24, battery drain rose to 225mA. However, it slowly fell, stopping at 172mA.
On a whim, I turned all the interior lights back to the position where they are controlled by the door switches. I then closed the doors and hatch, and locked the car. Battery drain dropped to 115mA. Hey...improvement!
Do you remember the plunger switch under the hood on the passenger's side fender behind the cross brace mount? I never did figure out what it was for. I had the hood open when I closed and locked everything. I depressed the plunger, and saw battery drain drop to 76mA. Great!
I released the plunger switch...
You know...the horns (fanfare) on my 928S actually sound kinda weenie to me. Now, the alarm that I just unwittingly set off would do a tugboat proud. In the words of Jeremy Clarkson, "...some poo just came out!"
Yeah...I did not expect that. I know from the option list that the Red Witch has the M533 Anti-Theft Device. Silly me, I thought it just disabled the ignition. Nope, quite loudly announces that somebody has opened the hood.
Anyway, after quickly unlocking the car and gathering what little dignity I had left, I realized the battery drain was now acceptable.
WIN!
At this point I was quite late for bed, so I hurriedly cleaned up and closed up the Red Witch. This weekend's festivities were done.
Photos:
Driver's side. Note the fuzzy female spade connectors.
Driver's side.
Passenger's side. Note the fuzz around the bulb.
Passenger's side. YIKES! On the list to be replaced.
Seth!, I know you love your 928, we all do, but before long you will have fixed it till it IS broken...
Drive it, enjoy it, too many get too deep too fast.
Know when to say when.
Once you get everything perfect, you won't drive it, and when you take it out of storage in six years, you'll start all over again.
Oh no no no, I'm just fixing stuff that bugs me.
The Red Witch will always be a driver, she will never be too nice to drive. I bought her to drive. And to tinker.
Besides, there are enough little(and big) things to keep me occupied for quite some time:
-driver's side window motor
-upper interior light
-ball joint boots
-rusty fuel tank cradle
-sagging MM
-failing battery cable
However, she runs like a bat outta hell, so all is good.
Oh no no no, I'm just fixing stuff that bugs me.
The Red Witch will always be a driver, she will never be too nice to drive. I bought her to drive. And to tinker.
Besides, there are enough little(and big) things to keep me occupied for quite some time:
-driver's side window motor
-upper interior light
-ball joint boots
-rusty fuel tank cradle
-sagging MM
-failing battery cable
However, she runs like a bat outta hell, so all is good.
Seth K. Pyle
I hear ya, I wish I could see you again soon.
Hey, a little secret, I didn't even post a thread about my shark chirping the tires when it shifted to 2nd gear from a "D" take off from a go light.
Seth, kudos to you, you MAKE the 928 what it is, a drivers car.
Thank you, Farris! I appreciate it. I'm just trying to live the dream. I got the car I wanted, and now am getting my money's worth.
I have never had a vehicle that has had no practical purpose other than to be a toy. (Put away the torches and pitchforks, I know a 928 can be practical. There are just cheaper ways of being practical.)
A toy that can be driven as such. When you put your foot in the water pump and your face lights up with a smile. To be putting along in 3rd, pull it down into 2nd, tromp the gas and listen to the pipes howl.
That is what I am doing with the Red Witch. She is so much fun to drive! I have spent a great deal of money and am now committed to this. Right, wrong, or otherwise, I am going to enjoy the hell outta myself with this 928!
To be honest, I've been too chicken so far to wail on it from a dead stop in D. I usually drive 1-2-3-D. I have noticed that the transmission shifts north of 5000rpm if I really have my foot in it.
Thank you, Farris! I appreciate it. I'm just trying to live the dream. I got the car I wanted, and now am getting my money's worth.
I have never had a vehicle that has had no practical purpose other than to be a toy. (Put away the torches and pitchforks, I know a 928 can be practical. There are just cheaper ways of being practical.)
A toy that can be driven as such. When you put your foot in the water pump and your face lights up with a smile. To be putting along in 3rd, pull it down into 2nd, tromp the gas and listen to the pipes howl.
That is what I am doing with the Red Witch. She is so much fun to drive! I have spent a great deal of money and am now committed to this. Right, wrong, or otherwise, I am going to enjoy the hell outta myself with this 928!
To be honest, I've been too chicken so far to wail on it from a dead stop in D. I usually drive 1-2-3-D. I have noticed that the transmission shifts north of 5000rpm if I really have my foot in it.
Farris, I'll be around...
Thanks!
Seth K. Pyle
6k don't hurt, just tweek the tensioner if the ! Light comes on, ....just kidding, the ! Light don't come on at 6k, it's after you let off the WOT peddle, then the backlash sets off the ! Light.
I have read that you don't wind it up then just let out. You want to back off relatively slowly.
Seth K. Pyle
...the A/T cars have a built in decell, kinda like an engine brake in a semi.
That's why we are seeing oil pooling in the bottom of the TB and in the plenum, the decell vacuum draws the oil up, ...
Good to know, thanks.
However...hatch light comes on with the doors, but not the hatch. Actually, none of the lights come on with the hatch. I've got to troubleshoot that at some point.
I will look at the glove box in the dark soon and watch for light at the seams.