Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 20:24:37 -0500 From: Captain Freedom <data61aS_P_A_Mnospamcape.net> Subject: Re: expected current draw when car is off
James Sweet wrote: > Mike Deskevich wrote: > >> I have an '87 C900 that seems to be killing batteries. After being >> parked for 2 weeks while I was out of town, the battery was dead >> (didn't even light up the dash board a little when I turned the key). >> I wasn't too surprised, beacuse it had been getting hard to start over >> the last month or so and the battery was 5 years old. So I replaced >> the battery. Since my truck sits outside in the cold weather, I bought >> a new battery for the truck and took the 2 year old battery out of the >> truck and put it in the Saab. Everything was fine for another month or >> so, and then I let the Saab sit for a week. It was very hard to start, >> but it finally turned over. Then the Saab sits for another week and >> now the battery is dead again. I realize that I put an old battery in >> the Saab as a replacement, but I do know the battery was good. It >> never gave me any problems in the truck. >> >> Before I buy another battery for the Saab I want to make sure there is >> no short or something wierd going on. The first thing I want to look >> as is how much current the car is drawing when the key is in the off >> position. The only thing that I can imagine drawing power is the >> radio to help it remember presets, and the ECU to help it remember >> things that it need to remember. Everything else should be >> disconnected. Does anyone know how much current should be drawn from >> the battery when the key is off? I don't have a FSM or anything for >> the Saab (and I know the FSM for my Toyota doesn't give this kind of >> info). >> >> I don't want to put a new battery in to have it get killed so soon, >> nor do I want to take it to $80/hr saab mechanics to look for a short. >> So I want to do as much diagnosis as I can by myself first. >> >> Thanks! >> Mike >> > > > First thing to check is the glove box light, followed by the under-hood > and trunk lights, make sure they're all turning off. In my 87 900 it was the seat belt retractors that were drawing current when the car was parked. John