Troubleshooting the alternator on a 930

[ncoder]

I have a power drain on my battery (around .015 amps). I suspect it is something wrong with the alternator/votage regulator.
I have the 101 projects book, and the procedure for checking the alternator is relatively easy... if you don't have an intercooler blocking the way.

My questions are as follows:
1)
Is there an easy way to get to the electrical terminals of the alternator, considering that intercooler is in the way? Is there another place than right next to the alternator where I can insert my ampmeter to test it?

2)
If the alternator that is the problem, or that no satisfactory answers come up for 1), what extra steps do I need to take to remove the alternator?

Thanks.

[john walker's workshop]

disconnect the radio memory wire, stereo amp, clock and alarm power, and see if that eliminates any of the draw. 15-30ma is considered fairly normal. to get the alternator out of the system, take the other red wire off the starter solenoid, which is on the same terminal as the battery cable.

[Lorenfb]

"I have a power drain on my battery (around .015 amps)."

We should all be that lucky!

[ncoder]

Thanks John, that's exactly what I wanted to know.

If 15ma is a normal power drain on the battery, that means that whatever the problem is, it's intermittent, and I don't have it anymore.

I just replaced by battery because it wasn't keeping it's charge... 8 hours after putting the new battery in, it was already too weak to turn the starter.

I guess that I should plug her back up, take her for a spin, and see if she starts tomorow. Maybe the problem is gone after all the wire flexing I did.

I am still curious what uses .15ma in my car when it's sitting though. It's not the stereo, because I disconnected that. It's not the internal lighting, because I can turn that off by closing the hood or removing the proper fuse.

I was able to isolate the "drain" in one of the secondairy power cables. It's the disconnected cable on the attached picture. If that tells you anything.


John: How would I disconnect the Clock and Alarm? Where do I find the connectors?

Thanks.