[Mark]

[quote name='gryphon' post='59614' date='Sep 11 2008, 07:23 PM']Nor in my case when I leave an ammeter on the battery and see a minimal drain of 0.06 amps and later find a dead battery (actually three different batteries).



Tom[/quote]



That was the same thing I saw, I have no explanation, I just know that problem went away along with several others when those cables went in.

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[rhudeboye]

Well. Found the problem. After 25 minutes of struggling to remove the battery, I came to find that it was bad. 2 years and it can no longer hold a charge.



I'm still going to do the new wires. They'll go nicely with my Optima redtop and I'll have $25. to boot.

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[patkeefe]

I have become extremely tired of the damn battery being dead all the time, so I am heading out to the garage to look things over. After reading this thread, I am unsure if there is anything I can add, or if I can even find anything. However, the point made about the connections not allowing the battery to charge properly is a valid point, which bears investigation. I will peruse the wiring diagrams and see where the dash amps gauge picks up the reading, whether it is at the alternator. As it is now, the battery goes dead in a week or so, but the car doesn't get used a lot. It is not too much to ask for the thing to hold a charge for a week.



Anyway, I intuitively think it is a cumulative drain from a number of sources. Plus, the heater fan never goes off when the car is running, always at low speed. If I disconnect that, then I can still get fan only at high speed. Huh????



I will report back eventually if I find anything. I will likely reach my fun quotient in a few hours.

Pat

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[patkeefe]

I got used to living with the dead battery. However, I noticed a very strange thing the other day:

I went out to try and start the car. The battery was, of course, dead. There was a clicking noise coming from the right side of the car, under the glove box. I turned on the flashers, and it went away, turned them off, it came back. Same thing for the power seats. Anytime I put a non ignition load on the battery, the noise stopped. I am guessing that the application of a load was taking power away from the source of the clicking.



I got my stethoscope out, and examined. The noise seemed loudest on the kick panel on the passenger side. Anyone know what's under there? Also, last evening, the noise had stopped (I had disconnected the battery a few days ago). I reconnected the battery, and the noise didn't come back, or if it did, I didn't wait around for it to reappear. If I pushed the door lock button on the console, I could get the noise, at a rate of one click per push of the button, through my stethoscope at the kick panel.



Pat

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[DaveN]

If your talking the foot-well kick plate on the passenger side that is where all the electrics are; DME and Alarm box. I don;t think there are any relays in the DME but the Alarm box might have a relay in it to click. Maybe your alarm is faulty and has been draining the battery all this time?

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[patkeefe]

Dave, that's what I suspect. I need to try and get at that. It looks like velcro holding the top of the carpet in place. I need to get in there. The alarm is needless for me, as I don't ever lock the doors.

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[DaveN]

A little Velcro and 4 screws (2 plastic) to remove the metal plate. The goodies are on the other side. Removing the alarm module will probably kill the car. I am sure there is a factory wiring harness change that must be done as not all cars came with an alarm? Might be easier to replace it, they seem to be about 85-95.00 on eBay.

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[patkeefe]

Thanks Dave. I will see what's in there, with my trusty multimeter.

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[patkeefe]

I found some stuff which I filed under a new post "What are these?

Alarm, airbag initiator, DME. Nothing to report on the clicking, as I haven't gotten the battery to die again.



I put in a battery isolation switch. It's up in the front of the car. There aren't too many spots to put a switch which either don't require surgery, or would result in a melted switch. I'll find a picture and post it.

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[gbarrier]

After owning several of these cars I have come to a couple conclusions.



1. There is some continuous battery drain.

2. The better the battery is charged at shutdown the longer it will go and still start the car.

3. The original regulator does not do a very good job of topping off the battery.



Perhaps it is because batteries here in the US have evolved as has charging systems which on most modern cars keep the system at 14V or more while running. Ours really don't. Find yourself an adjustable regulator or at least one that will indicate a good strong 14V while driving. You'll be amazed at how long you can let the car sit and still start it.

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[DaveN]

Definitly true. My battery maintainer will float the battery at 13.75ish volts in my S2 or 968 where it should be. If I just let the cars charge the battery it always sits around 12.5. Our voltage regulators are not very agressive.

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