Re: 5KT draining battery

[Audial@aol.com]

It seems funny to me that you got such a large voltage drop at the engine
compartment post, although as you say, it could be because you weren't
getting a good contact.  Still, I remember a post some time ago about there
being a splice in the main starter cable that was causing trouble.  My
Bentley shows the main battery cable being spliced in the right footwell
region to the cable that leads to the starter motor, starting out as a large
(25.0/BK) wire that is spliced to another 25.0/BK that goes to the starter
post, and thence to two 16.0BK wires that lead to the engine compartment
positive post and the alternator.  After this splice, both the main starter
wire and the main battery wire continue on as 6.0R wires that feed terminal
track 30 directly.  Is it possible that there is also one in the feed to the
engine compartment post?  I don't want to lead you in the wrong direction
here, but it is a large wire with the potential to drain the battery quickly
without generating too much heat.

If none of the fuse removals seemed to make any difference, you might have an
intermittent short in one of the circuits that's constantly connected to
current track 30.  Some candidates include:  the ignition switch itself, the
load reduction relay, the fuel-pump relay, the brake light switch, the turbo
coolant pump and thermoswitch, the radiator cooling-fan relays, the headlight
dimmer/flasher, the emergency flasher switch and relay, and the <central
locking system switch and motor>.   

My wild-ass guess is that you might have a problem with the central-locking
system.  I remember reading somewhere that if you jump-start the car, you
should NOT raise the engine RPM over idle for 30 seconds or it is possible to
damage the central-locking system in some way.  

Sorry I can't be more conclusive, but I hope this helps.

Best Wishes,
Alex