Electrical drain?
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Hey guys,
I have a 92 SC400 with 119,115Km (about 73851miles) on it and it's stock.
I've only had the car for about three weeks now.
Here are the symptoms...(I've only noticed this at night and you'll see why).
These things only happen when the turn signal is intially turned on...
- The headlights dim to such an extent that it seems they switch off for a second.
- The CDplayer (if on) stops playing for a second or two.
- The fan/blower (AC is off) slows down when the turn signal blinks.
- Also, all the console lights dim slightly when the turn signal blinks.
Here's what I did....
I thought the battery might not be holding it's charge...
Checked it. Measured the voltage across it and it was fine.
Checked the battery terminals and is well there.
Tried looking at the alternator, but not too sure how to check it. There's no visible signs of any gunk, oil, or 'stuff' that might be causing it not to function properly.
I'm not too sure what else to check or how to diagnose this problem.
Any help/ideas/advise will be appreciated.
Thanks,
Carib.
I have a 92 SC400 with 119,115Km (about 73851miles) on it and it's stock.
I've only had the car for about three weeks now.
Here are the symptoms...(I've only noticed this at night and you'll see why).
These things only happen when the turn signal is intially turned on...
- The headlights dim to such an extent that it seems they switch off for a second.
- The CDplayer (if on) stops playing for a second or two.
- The fan/blower (AC is off) slows down when the turn signal blinks.
- Also, all the console lights dim slightly when the turn signal blinks.
Here's what I did....
I thought the battery might not be holding it's charge...
Checked it. Measured the voltage across it and it was fine.
Checked the battery terminals and is well there.
Tried looking at the alternator, but not too sure how to check it. There's no visible signs of any gunk, oil, or 'stuff' that might be causing it not to function properly.
I'm not too sure what else to check or how to diagnose this problem.
Any help/ideas/advise will be appreciated.
Thanks,
Carib.
#2
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It is most probably excessive resistance in the battery ground cable. I'll bet you will see similar behavior if you hit the up button on one of your windows that is already rolled up. That really puts a load on the electrical system. I was able to fix my similar problems by replacing the negative battery terminal with a heavy duty model and cleaning and tightening the other connections on that cable. Others have replaced the cable. I believe the GS model ground cable will fit and doesn't come with other wiring harness parts that you would get but don't need if you ordered the SC cable. There was a long thread entitled "Ghosts in the Electrical System" that discussed this issue in great detail, and I think the part number for the GS cable is in there somewhere.
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Thanks for the info and the link to the previous threads.
I cleaned the battery terminals and the cable connectors and the problem seems to have been solved.
I still going to replace the ground cable within the next couple of days.
Just waiting for the dealer to get the cable in.
Thanks.
Carib.
I cleaned the battery terminals and the cable connectors and the problem seems to have been solved.
I still going to replace the ground cable within the next couple of days.
Just waiting for the dealer to get the cable in.
Thanks.
Carib.
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