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Old 03-19-2013, 07:46 PM
ramonajim ramonajim is offline
Redefining normal daily
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Frederick, MD
Posts: 445
Dark current question

Dear old Gustav (72 280 SE 4.5 with something north of 350k miles) sat all winter, battery on the back porch (charged when pulled ~ 4 months ago).

Dropped the battery in last Monday, drove him to & from work (two ~30 mile trips). Parked him in the driveway, and he sat idle until today.

Darling Wife went to take him out, and.... nothing. Not so much as a click. I get home from work, confirm the battery is flat out totally dead. 0.4 VDC.

Swap out the battery from Katz (who's up on blocks waiting for a new caliper!), and start hunting for dark voltages.

0.70 amps draw with the door open, house lights on. Close the door, and get 0.35 amps with, in theory, everything off.

Pull fuse #1 (parking light, clock (which is non-op), passing signal light, map light, glove compartment light, dome light, and hazard warning light) and the draw drops to 0.01 amps.

Put the fuse back in, and confirmed none of the above lights are on with the door closed.

Question One: is 0.35 amps enough draw to worry about? Seems a bit high based on my Miata experience, but not oh-my-goodness-no-wonder-your-battery-is-dead high.

Question Two: if none of the items listed for fuse #1 are on, where might the source of the current draw be?
__________________
1961 220b: first project car - sold.
2000 CLK 430: first modern Benz - sold.
2001 CLK 55: OMG the torque!!! - sold
1972 280SE 4.5: Baby Gustav
1991 300TE 4Matic: Gretel the Snow Bunny - sold
1978 300SD: Katz the Free Man - given away
1980 Redhead: Darling Wife
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