Parts Catalog Accessories Catalog How To Articles Tech Forums
Call Pelican Parts at 888-280-7799
Shopping Cart Cart | Project List | Order Status | Help



Go Back   PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum > Mercedes-Benz Tech Information and Support > Tech Help

Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 01-26-2016, 11:40 PM
davidlee's Avatar
davidlee
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Portland OR
Posts: 606
92 400E Battery drain

I recently purchased a 1992 400E
and its having a battery drain issue. I have pulled every fuse one by one along with other relays located behind the fuse block and tested the negative battery cable and my tester light lights up. I also pulled the fuel pump relay and unplugged the power antenna with the same result. there's a silver box on the passenger side underneath the the hood up against the windshield with a few what looked to be control modules inside of it and then one located outside the box behind it.
I didn't touch the ones in the box but I unplugged the one outside of the box and still got a power reading on the negative cable.
I read these cars have a biodegradable engine wiring harness, could that be to blame? and if so is there a way to test.
I also wanted to add that it had this problem with the battery I purchased it with so I bought a new battery, still has the same problem

Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 01-27-2016, 02:30 AM
lsmalley's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: California
Posts: 2,135
Check to make sure all the grounding wires on the chassis have good connection. Also check the wiring to the alternator.
__________________

1990 190E 3.0L
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 01-27-2016, 01:10 PM
davidlee's Avatar
davidlee
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Portland OR
Posts: 606
Okay. Thanks
__________________
Live simply so others can simply live



07 E350 sport Wife's Daily
01 E320 sport My Daily
00 C230 Kompressor Our back up (new Arrival)

87 300D Turbo my Daily for 8 yrs. Selling to neighbor

82 GMC Jimmy (K5) 6.2 Diesel (my Wheeler)
73 Roadrunner 340ci My very first car, still own it
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 01-27-2016, 08:53 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 7,534
Take a screwdriver or something steel and , with the engine off , touch it to the back of the alternator and see it is magnetic. ( the center of the back ) Also do the same with the pulley side. Sometimes alternator diodes fail in an conductive state causing the battery to drain. This conductive state energizes the alternator windings causing the drain.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 01-27-2016, 09:14 PM
79Mercy's Avatar
Registered User
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Florida
Posts: 4,131
How much is your draw?

Couple years ago i had a 92 400E at our shop, i spent hours and narrowed the draw down to something with the Diagnostic Module. Customer declined to approve anymore diagnostic time so i stopped. However the draw went completely away when i removed the fuse supplying the DM with power.
__________________
1985 300TD Turbo Euro-wagon
1979 280CE 225,200 miles
1985 300D Turbo 264,000 miles
1976 240D 190,000 miles
1979 300TD 220,000

GONE but not forgotten
1976 300D 195,300 miles
1983 300D Turbo 175,000 miles

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...e485-1-2-1.jpg
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 01-29-2016, 08:57 PM
davidlee's Avatar
davidlee
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Portland OR
Posts: 606
Thank you all.
I ended up taking to a local indy shop that's always been fair to me. I'll keep you all posted
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 02-03-2016, 06:04 PM
Registered User
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: ohio
Posts: 297
Battery drain...

My 92 400E had that problem. I finally traced it down to one of the radio amps in th trunk on the passenger side. What you have to do is hold your hand on each of the 2 amps after letting the car cool off for a while. Then, if one on them is still warm after a while, then that the culprit. To stop the drain you simply unplug the electric going to it.
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 02-03-2016, 11:45 PM
Benz Mondi
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Sacramento area
Posts: 308
a practical solution

Well chosen solution.

All due respect to all the knowledgeable folks on this forum, but I'm often amazed by the great lengths and hours some will spend trying to diagnose their problem rather than spend for 1 hour of trusted Indy time to get right to the cause of it. When I hit the wall on an issue, I'll bring my car in to have the oil changed and ask him to let me know what's going on.

I spend a couple of hundred bucks a year to refresh the relationship and then get loads of free advice throughout the year in return.

Works for me!
__________________
03 CLK430 Cabrio 211K Pweter Silver/ Oyster Leather
90 300SEL 214k Pearl Black/ Alto Grey/Black Leather

Prior: 85 190E, 88 300TE, 89 300TE, 90 300E 2.6, 90 300TE, 92 300E 2.6, 91 and 93 300SL, 87 Ferrari Mondial Cabrio
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 02-04-2016, 04:30 AM
optimusprime's Avatar
Trevor Hadlington
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Worcestershire in England
Posts: 1,453
Do please check first , if the charging light bulb is iluminated as you turn the key ? no need to start the engine for this. If the bulb is not working in some cars it stops battery charging up

Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On




All times are GMT -4. The time now is 05:32 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.7
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Search Engine Optimization by vBSEO 3.6.0
Copyright 2024 Pelican Parts, LLC - Posts may be archived for display on the Peach Parts or Pelican Parts Website -    DMCA Registered Agent Contact Page