Great! Let me know if you need me to supply you with a legendary Suggested Scenario.


JPN

 

It would have to be a great scenario as a day booked solid with management meetings starts in about 15 minutes. But thanks for the thought!

Tim

 

Are you guys sure the '97 has the same 210/211 anti theft relay configuration? I thought they went to the screwier alarm system on the '97s withthe antenna around key to read the chip like the S and V models.

I am certainly willing to be wrong. If I am, and you do have the 210/211 relay, you will need to jumper the socket positions 50e and 50f on the 210 side of the relay or the car won't start with it removed.

...Lee

 

It is the 210/211 one. Sad to say I just pulled it and it still draws 500ma. I'll plug it back in and refasten the unser dash panel unless anyone can think of anything else under there to check.

Interestingly the battery (which has been disconnected) now reads 11.5v across the terminals when disconnected. If it were draining 500ma internally wouldn't it be dead by now? It's been 2 days since a complete charge.

I'll start disconnecting the smaller wires from the pos terminal and see if I can find it there.

Thanks again.

Tim Benner

 

More info... There is a single small wire and a bundle of about 6 small wires that bolt to the Pos. battery terminal along with the primary (really thick) wire. When I disconnect the bundle of 6 the current draw falls to <10ma. So in the morning when I have a little light I'll start tracing where these go. This bundle still pulls 500ma with the alarm relay still out of the car.

 

The way I check for parasitic draw is to (You do have your radio code don't you?) put the ammeter in line with the battery and start yanking fuses until the draw goes away. At that point you can figure out what the fuse feeds and go from there. The glove box light is a common problem and a good fix for that is to stick a kitchen cabinet door bumper in front of the switch on the glove box door.

...Lee

 

With these figures your battery is obviously stuffed.

A fully charged batteryshould indicate12.7 volts.

and:
12.45 volts = battery 75%functional
12.24 volts = battery 50%functional
12.06 volts = battery 25% functional
11.84 volts = battery 0% functional

The higher voltage (at idle) is suppliedby the alternator but in my opinion there should be a slight voltage increase with the higher revs, and this suggeststo me you have either afaulty voltage regulator or aslipping (loose)belt etc. A loose belt will sometimes announce itself by a slightsquealif the alternator is under heavy load (i.e. a lot of electrical equipment is switched on e.g.a/c, fan, headlights etc.)

Note: Your comment about the battery 'draining 500 mAinternally'somewhat puzzles me.

 

Lee and volgrr, thanks for the replies. I checked for parasitic draw by pulling the fuses one by one and the ammeter stayed at 500mA the whole time. The only time the readingdropped was when I disconnected the bundle of wires from the positive terminal.

The belt seems tight and there is no squealing. So maybe the voltage reg is going? The daytime running lights are always on in this car so it is always under some load when we are testing with the car running.

The battery (4 mo. old) has been run down a couple of times so maybe that's wherewe should start in the morning. Maybe it is shorted internally. But still, something along that red bundle of wires is drawing half an amp.

Tim

 

Now, with a battery that is 12.7v at rest, the car still has a parasitic draw of 500mA. We have established that the draw is not going through the fusebox and that pulling any/all relays in the fusebox has no effect on the draw.

We have also established that the draw is going through one of the 6 red or the1 yellow wires bolted to the positive battery connector. I am going to give this one more try, armed with the Haynes schematic. I'll post the results. If we cannot find it this weekend can someone recommend an auto electrical shop in the Dayton, Ohio area? There is a good Volvo indy shop but they are always booked 3 weeks out when I call.

Thanks!

Tim

 

Also try pulling the wire of the Alt and starter and see if it drops.

 

Thanks Tech,

There is no change with the starter and alt cables off. Looking at the schematic, It looks like the bundle of wires that is drawing has 4 that go to the fuse block and 2 directly to the ignition switch. Is the ignition switch a frequent replacement part?

Tim

 

Yes but it will feel really loose when turning and sometimes leave the ABS light on after starting the car.
Also the headlights won't come on.

 

It's not the ignition switch then. But I have more clues...

First, when I first installed the new fuel pump I posted that when the car was revved that the lights dim and fuel pump pitch drops. Not the case. The lights dim and the pitch drops *after* it is revved and returns to idle. They return to normal after about 2 seconds. At idle the battery shows 13.5v; 14.0v when revved to 1500-2000rpm. Whenreturning to idle it falls to 12.7 for 2 seconds and returns to 13.5v.

Second clue: I ran the car today as I buttoned up the fuel pump cover and cargo floor. It ran about 20 minutes, long enough to get thoroughly warmed up. (it's cold here) Now when I measure the parasitic drain it is down to 400mA from 500. Maybe moisture drying out somewhere?

I am going to give it a good run and see of the drain decreases yet more.

Thanks for your help!

Tim

 

Let me know how you make out.

 

thanks tech,

Does the voltage drop behavior after revving sound normal to you?

Tim

 

Yes I see that alot.

 

It's got a new battery which read 12.66v when I put it in and 12.94v after taking it for a 10 minute drive. (it is *really* nice to drive with the new fuel pump and Bilsteins) With the car running it reads 13.7 to 14.05v depending on the rpms.

I checked for parasitic drain with the battery and it went UP! It got unseasonably warm and damp here so maybe that has something to do with it. The parasitic drain went to 1.4A (not mA) when I connected the meter with the battery. Over the course of 5 minutes it fell back to 400mA. I again pulled every fuse and relay and the reading did not change. I'm envisioning a chafed wire and/or water on a wire between the pos terminal and fuse box making a ground. But I am having trouble tracing the bundle of red wires from the pos. terminal once they disppear into the fender well.

About the only things not pulled to date are the radio andinstrument cluster. The lamp for the clock and thermometeris out so maybewe should start with the cluster.

I think it's time to call and Volvo indy and get on the waiting list.

Regards,

Tim

 

That's fine - nothing to worry about there.

Very weird symptoms.

A thought justoccured to me - could it be somethingas silly asone of the little red door-open warning lights (set inthe end of each door and not visible when the doors are closed) remaining on? Maybe a faulty switch? You couldquickly establish if this is happening by flipping the lens off and removing all the bulbs and seeing if this affects the mysterious current drain.

Have you tried separating each of these wiresto find outwhich one is drawing the current?

 

FYR.

As one of the last resorts, with the battery disconnected try removing the ECUs. It probably does not make sense to you and to me either but once a while things that don't make sense seem to work, after logical steps have failed. Also have you tried removing relays in the fuse box (referred to as Central Electrical Unit) and those on top of the radiator? How about the circuit breakers in the fuse box?


JPN

P.S: Before removing the ECUs, disconnect the battery and wait 10-15 minutes for the power supply to disappear.

[IMG]local://upfiles/6892/C2C88FBEA5214904A1DDF3C08186D3BA.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/6892/006012543C074464B435D23E756C5329.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]local://upfiles/6892/CCA212DA002E48BC886DCA63D1C064C7.jpg[/IMG]

 

As to the circuit breakers:

37- Power window & sun roof
38- Not used
39- Driver's power seat
40- Passenger's power seat

If the current draw has changed iaw the operating temp, these probably have no relations but worth a try just to eliminate every possibility.


JPN

[IMG]local://upfiles/6892/7EE12810C5E24747A4E2A2ECA5853644.jpg[/IMG]