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YOUR RESEARCH2002 Porsche 996 - Parasitic Electrical Draw - Help Please!
Leading reported evidence
Replace )
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2002 Porsche 996 - Parasitic Electrical Draw - Help Please!
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Leading evidence: 'Replace )' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, the most frequently mentioned possible cause is 'alternator, disconnect' (1 discussions; 0 report identifying it and 1 suggest it). The most frequently discussed action is 'Check amp draw' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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Replace alternator yesterday afternoon and it seems
Performed · outcome unconfirmed
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Performed · outcome unconfirmed · Original poster
I replaced the alternator yesterday afternoon and it seems to run fine now.
2002 Porsche 996 - Parasitic Electrical Draw - Help Please!
alternator, disconnect
Suggestion or failed attempt
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Suspected cause · Original poster
If you suspect your alternator, disconnect that from the battery either at the term.
2002 Porsche 996 - Parasitic Electrical Draw - Help Please!
Check amp draw
Suggestion or failed attempt
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2002 Porsche 996 - Parasitic Electrical Draw - Help Please!
Check fuses and relays
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Suggestion · Original poster
Did u check the fuses and relays on the back sheff next to the dme for the draw too?
2002 Porsche 996 - Parasitic Electrical Draw - Help Please!
Disconnect wiring
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Suggestion · Original poster
My assumption is that if I pull the alternator out and disconnect the wiring on the back, then I should be able to test for amperage draw from the battery.
2002 Porsche 996 - Parasitic Electrical Draw - Help Please!
Test amperage draw
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Suggestion · Original poster
My assumption is that if I pull the alternator out and disconnect the wiring on the back, then I should be able to test for amperage draw from the battery.
2002 Porsche 996 - Parasitic Electrical Draw - Help Please!
Use i decided
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Suggestion
Anyhow, before I did a deep dive with the multi-meter which I barely know how to use, I decided to change the voltage regulator at the back of the alternator and, voila, problem solved.
2002 Porsche 996 - Parasitic Electrical Draw - Help Please!
Coverage and how to read this overview
Counts describe captured discussions, not unique people or a diagnosis. Author identities are not reliably stored. Exact duplicate evidence is counted once across matching discussions; one discussion counts at most once per action/state. Multiple repairs reported together remain a combination. Suggestions and failed attempts do not establish a fix. Matches cover whole discussions and can include related faults, model variants and incomplete threads.
14 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
Rennlist: 1 discussions
0 evidence records excluded for query context · 0 excluded by outcome qualification · 0 adjusted by outcome qualification.
1 acknowledgements have no verified action link; they do not establish a repair result.
Outcome without a verified action link
Anyhow, before I did a deep dive with the multi-meter which I barely know how to use, I decided to change the voltage regulator at the back of the alternator and, voila, problem solved.
I've got a 2002 Carrera M6 with around 50K miles on it. Out of the blue, there is a parasitic electrical draw while the car is off. It will drain the battery within a few hours.
I've connected an amp meter between the battery negative terminal and the negative lead. It seems to indicate a 3 amp current draw. The car is pretty much stock with the exception of an aftermarket Alpine radio. I've disconnected the radio and it makes no change.
I've pulled all of the fuses one by one and there is no change to the current flow. I've pulled all of the relays with the same result. Two things that I've noticed ... they may not indicate a problem, but they seem odd to me. First, the dash guage lights will stay on 2+ minutes after I turn the key off and remove it. (The ignition switch was recently replaced). I can make the dash lights go out sooner if I use the remote and lock the car right away. Second, the auto up/down window function doesn't work for awhile after the battery has been disconnected and then reconnected. After five minutes or so and after multiple up/down window trips, it will begin to function again.
So, any ideas on what I should check next? I've read that this could indicate that one of the alternator diodes has gone bad. But I'm hoping to exhaust all ideas before I swap the alternator out.
Thanks!!
New ignition lock perhaps bad? Else alternator/rectifiers as you mentioned. Don't think the starter motor relay on the starter itself is known to fail on the M96 but it doesn't have a fuse so based on your observations it could be the culprit.
Try going to the fuse panel with your meter and measuring each circuit to narrow the possibilities. There was a writeup on here about how to do it in detail a few years back I think.
If you suspect your alternator, disconnect that from the battery either at the term. 30 jump location or the B+ power socket. Then check your amp draw.
Good afternoon. Sorry ... I was out of town for a few days.
Did u check the fuses and relays on the back sheff next to the dme for the draw too?
No, I didn't realize that there were additional fuses there. I'll have to look for those.
If you suspect your alternator, disconnect that from the battery either at the term. 30 jump location or the B+ power socket. Then check your amp draw.
Thanks. The B+ power socket is located in the engine compartment? I'll try this out.
It's been a long time, but here goes: When I bought my 99 C2 Cab in 2013 it had what I thought was a parasitic draw. The car did not have any aftermarket electronics which are the source of a lot of electrical problems as creative wiring is often employed. Anyhow, before I did a deep dive with the multi-meter which I barely know how to use, I decided to change the voltage regulator at the back of the alternator and, voila, problem solved. If your alternator is original to the car, you might want to try this before you go the multi-meter route, could be the simple solution to your issue. Best of luck.
I'm planning to pull the alternator out this weekend. My assumption is that if I pull the alternator out and disconnect the wiring on the back, then I should be able to test for amperage draw from the battery. If the draw is zero, then the alternator or voltage regulator is the problem. If the draw continues to be same approximate 3 amps, then the voltage regulator and alternator are ok and not my problem. Is that a reasonable assumption? Thanks!!
This is absolutely correct...simple hand test. And, if it were me and I had to remove the alternator again, I would just replace it with a new one. Of course I have 148K miles on the car....
Thanks!! This was exactly right ... I connected the battery and let it sit for a couple of minutes. I felt the back of the alternator and it was slightly warm to the touch.
I replaced the alternator yesterday afternoon and it seems to run fine now. It was draining the battery through the night, and it started right up this morning.
Thanks for all of the help guys!!!
