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It's not the ABS pump relay Posted by Ari [Email]  (#2847) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Ari) on Fri, 3 Oct 2008 05:18:12
In Reply to: ABS battery drain.Help!, Dex88T, Thu, 2 Oct 2008 11:49:52 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
I assume that when you say ABS solenoid, you mean the ABS pump relay. There is no solenoid. I also assume from your name (Dex88) that you have a 1988 car. The year is important to know - there are different ABS systems.
Assuming a '88 9000-
I don't think it is the ABS pump relay you are hearing. The ABS pump relay connects the ABS pump directly to the battery, with no switching in the way. So if the relay were re-engaging, the pump would run, even with the ignition off.
A few things about dead batteries and checking battery drain-
It is possible you have a bad battery. Going dead after a few days is a sign of a dying battery. It'll charge up just fine, but hold that charge for only a few days - then a few hours - then nothing.
If you think the battery is OK, here's a way to check for battery drain. Yes, it sounds complex.
First, get yourself a meter that will measure current, and a piece of wire (jumper) a foot or so long. If it has clips on it, all the better.
Roll the car windows down and close the doors. If there is an alarm switch on the brace in front of the radiator which would be closed if the hood is closed, put something heavy on it to close it.
Remove the ground wire from battery. Connect the jumper from the negative post to the (now disconnected) negative battery clamp. Connect up the meter, set to current, between the negative post ( - or black meter lead) and the clamp (+ or red meter lead). Yes, the jumper is in parallel with the meter. Wait 30 seconds, and remove the jumper wire - now you can read the current draw. Reach in through the open window, and pull out a fuse - see if the draw drops.
Normal draw is about 35 milliamps. 50 ma is OK. I recommend putting the fuse back in before pulling another. Don't be surprised if the current jumps up for a few seconds to a minute when you put the fuse back in.
Alternatively, you can turn off the dome light and you can open the door to access the fuses easier. However, it may draw more current.
OK, why all this claptrap? First, when you reconnect the battery after it has been disconnected, even for a few seconds, a lot of circuitry in the car turns on for a few seconds. Quite often the dome light will click on. Other things charge up capacitors. You can pull an amp or two for a little bit - perfectly normal. If you have a good meter, it might be OK. Many meters have two ranges - a 1 amp max, and a 10 amp max. 1 amp is pushing it for that startup surge. So by connecting up that jumper first, it takes all the current. Once things have settled down, you can remove the jumper, and the meter will only see the quiescent current. Remember, you need to let it sit for a bit to get a real reading.
Next - why the negative post? The positive post is easier to get at. Sometimes. If you're messing with power, the negative is safer. If that jumpered negative clamp hanging around hits the chassis, no big deal - ground to ground. However, if you use the positive clamp, and that jumpered positive clamp hits chassis, well, it'll be a combination of Christmas lights and Arc Welding class. If the jumper is disconnected but you've got the meter in series, it'll blow the meter fuse. I always remove the negative lead first and connect it last.
Again, if you have an '88, I can't see how it would be the ABS pump relay - if it closes, the pump runs, ignition key on or not. So I suspect that noise you hear is some other relay dropping out, and the battery problem is either a weak battery, or the trunk light is stuck on.
posted by 192.249....
, Fri, 3 Oct 2008 05:18:12 <-- Viewing This Message
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