Couple of Issues... any ideas?

[detroit635csi]

Hey guys its been a while since ive posted a thread on here and with winter here my car has gone back to the shop for work...

things on the list

-adjust rear suspension (getting slight clunk)
-uuc ssk
-patch a little rust spot on the bottom of the rear fender
-adjust valves, put in a schrick or miller cam
-multiple other minor things...

anyhow.. my questions relate more to a couple of the minor issues im experiencing.

1. passenger seat in.op, wont move forward or backward, also seat will tilt backwards but not forwards... so its layed back at the moment...i can hear the relays click when i hit the switch too so its not that...
if it is one of the motors than i know how to replace it, however... how do i get the seat out??? in its current position i cannot access the bolts to remove it!! any ideas let me know..

2. I am getting a drain on the battery, it was not there before...it has only been going on for the past month....if the car sits for 3-4 days it is completely dead....hardly any draw at all when tested... so i was wondering if anyone else has had a similar problem, or where common places to look for a draw would be.

Thanks for the help guys, and i look forward to another winter of rolled up sleeves and getting dirty!


...on another note... i look forward to getting a chance to meet alot of you at S.E.S.F this year... :alright

post away!:redspot

[Ol'6erGuy]

Don't know about the seat. The current draw--do you have a meter that can read current? If so, hook it up and start pulling fuses (that is, pull one-replace it) until one stops the draw. That will narrow it down to the circuit that it is on. Then it's a matter of searching.
I had this happen on our 525i, it turned out to be the trunk light switch being out of adjustment and the lights not turning off.

[jbd5015]

Pull the seat switches out, open the suckers up and see if the contacts are dirty. I had an issue with my rear windows like that. They went down, but would not go up. Pulled the switches, pulled them apart and found the contacts were really dirty with carbon deposit. Clean them up with a dremel brush or sand paper or whatever will fit and see what happens.

-Jeff

[sixseries]

weird thats exactly my problem. i'll try that

[Layne]

There's a product made by CRC called Lectramotive that is great for cleaning switches and all sorts of electrical things. Everybody needs a can.

[javistor]

Don't know about the seat. The current draw--do you have a meter that can read current? If so, hook it up and start pulling fuses (that is, pull one-replace it) until one stops the draw. That will narrow it down to the circuit that it is on. Then it's a matter of searching.
I had this happen on our 525i, it turned out to be the trunk light switch being out of adjustment and the lights not turning off.

I had exactly the same problem and turn out to be the same thing, trunk light switch...

[CW6er]

If you can't move the seat to get to the seat bolts on the floor, you can remove the seat it's self from the frame that carries the motors. In each of the 4 corners underneath, there is a bolt that goes up through the metal frame into the seat bottom

[jbd5015]

Im pretty sure those are 10mm bolts too, in case you were wondering...

-Jeff

[detroit635csi]

sahhweeett thanks guys i'll try these things in a couple weeks when i get to working on it..

but im pretty sure it might be a motor... ive tried 5 different switches but at least now i know that i can pull the seat off...

and i checked the draw before when i first noticed it.. the fuse was the one that the glovebox light was on...so i adjusted the switch and fixed it...but something is still drawing from my effing batt and i cant find it..

[jbd5015]

Ive got a kill switch for my car now. Battery never dies over a few days haha. I do this since my stereo is garbage (i always loose presets anyway) and my OBC doesnt work right (which i think is the battery drain i have).

Its also another safety feature. If you have the battery key, the car cant go anywhere...

-Jeff

[detroit635csi]

you fab the kill switch or can you buy them? sounds like it might be a good idea...im about to overhaul the stero anyhow so i wont have to worry about recoding it everytime...

[Layne]

You can buy them anywhere. Harbor Freight even has a cheap one, don't know if I'd trust it though.

[detroit635csi]

Yeah harbor freight is kinda sketchy.. i'll look into it thanks guys

[jbd5015]

I got mine from NAPA for like 12 bucks...ill snap a photo of it for you. Its got mounting holes too, which is nice. And battery cable is like $2/foot which isnt bad, and its a good idea to get some new stuff while your in there, as well as terminals.

-Jeff

[detroit635csi]

yeah go ahead and throw up some pics... did you run it inside the car? i was looking at some kill switches on eastwood, they had a couple that are under the hood and one of those crazy looking big red turning switches thats meant to go inside the car...i think i'll probaly end up going the kill switch route... seems like a good idea...

[jbd5015]

Im planning on putting mine under the dash at some point, but as of now, i just spliced it into the negative line. Mine has a big red key for it as well haha, but if you mount it under the dash or in the glovebox or something, you wont see it.

-Jeff

[CW6er]

.... I am getting a drain on the battery, ......if the car sits for 3-4 days it is completely dead....hardly any draw at all when tested.....


What is the voltage at the battery when it has been driven and is fully charged?

If there truly is less then say hundred milliamp draw (OBC,SI, etc.), then it may be that the battery is not fully recharging. Test it and make sure the alternator is putting out, at the minimum, 13.8 volts or better at the battery if you have a sealed, "Maintenance Free" battery or higher if you have one of the new chemistry batteries (Optima). Clean the grounds and other termninals at the battery and inner fender and the alternator and test again.

Here is a short but comprehensive article on the new battery chemistries and and the required charging voltages, with specific mention of Bosch alternators and battery drain, Good stuff:

http://www.landiss.com/battery.htm

If the alternator is not putting out, it may just need brushes or a new regulator. Here is an adjustable reg. if you have one of the new batteries:

http://davebarton.com/AdjustableVoltage.html