Corrado keeps dying... dunno why?

Hi all,

my girlfriend has a '90 Corrado G60 to which she is ludicrously attached... for the last while (not sure how long, but this is an ongoing problem) she has had a problem with the battery going dead while the car is parked. Lately it has become worse; the battery went dead enough that the car barely cranked (and wouldn't start) after sitting for only two days. She's repeatedly had the car in the shop and mentioned this problem but they haven't been able to find anything. I managed to blow the 10A fuse in my Fluke meter so I can't take any amp readings myself. I neither have the time nor the space to really troubleshoot this problem properly but am looking for ideas. The battery is new so that shouldn't be the issue. I measured the voltage at the battery and with the engine running it was lower than I'd like but not real low (around 13.2ish - IIRC a VW should be around 13.7 with a stock regulator?) However this was with a cheap meter (not my Fluke) and the shop swears that the alternator is OK. Positive battery cable and wire to alternator were replaced with new a couple years ago. Ground cable is still original but looks to be in good shape.

The car has an aftermarket stereo installed. I would like to unplug that and see if that helps.

I also would like to unplug the seatbelt relay, if someone can point me to it.

Finally, while the fan thermoswitch is new, I think the car needs a new radiator. In the 90-100 degree temperatures we're experiencing right now it is running hot, so when we dropped the car off at the shop last night (after it wouldn't start in the Costco parking lot) I suggested that when she calls them she just ask that the radiator be replaced. IIRC the thermostat was replaced a couple years ago when a cooling system flush was done and a bunch of hoses replaced, so if there's any issue with the cooling system it would seem to be simply an old, cruddy rad. Do you think that hot weather/old radiator combo might cause the cooling fan to run long enough to run the battery down? or am I grasping at straws here?

I did suggest to her that it might be time to look into alternate transportation, and even offered my old Porsche 944 which has none of these issues (not to mention a new radiator and hoses, fresh T-belt, and e-code headlights with a relay harness - something that the C desperately needs,) but I think that my description of the fragile ring and pinion scared her off (I know she likes to drive, um, assertively and I made it eminently clear that while I was relying on it for my own daily transportation that no hard shifts were to be made in that car because the financial and logistic consequences of same could be serious.) and like I said she is irrationally attached to this beast.

Also, any recommends for a good shop in the Vienna, VA area would be helpful. She's been taking the car to WB Motors on Pickett, and has used Ted at VolksWerks in the past, but Ted seems to not really like either Corrados or the people that own them for some reason. Is Currie's any good? I have heard good things about them and they apparently have a location in Vienna now.

thanks,

nate

Reply to
N8N
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These cars have what's called an after run system. It means that when you turn off the engine the fan/fuel pump will be activated as long as the air close to the fuel rail, is above a certain value . This prevents vapour lock. Could be that the battery is not strong enough (anymore) to handle it. Btw, my G60 turbo has no after run. Never had any vapour lock. Maybe a bit of VWoverkill......

SFC

"N8N" schreef in bericht news: snipped-for-privacy@p79g2000cwp.googlegroups.com...

Reply to
SFC

I forgot to mention, the battery is only a couple months old. I believe the one that it replaced was not that old either.

nate

SFC wrote:

Reply to
N8N

Just a guess...

Make sure the seat belts are retracted all the way to the stop, or the motor will run until the battery dies. I have to help my passenger seat belt finish at times - you will hear a click when it gets to the end.

Its been hot here too (95 - 105), and I have heard the fans running after shutting down, but they don't seem to run down the battery.

Another wild guess, glove box light not getting shut off??

HTH

Eric

62 Corvair Monza 63 Karmann Ghia Cabriolet 64 Volvo 1800S 90 VW Corrado
Reply to
Eric Mattle

thanks for the reply, nothing to add but nice collection! I think all of your cars are on my list of "cars to own someday" except for the C (because I can drive Michele's any time I need a C fix.)

nate

55 Stude Commander coupe (with '63 R1 motor and 4-speed) 88 Porsche 944 71 Porsche 914/4 several GTIs and a roccet, all sadly sold
Reply to
Nate Nagel

My daughter also has a 90 Corrado but it was converted to a VR6. She had the same problem with her new battery losing charge overnight. We checked out the wiring until we were blue in the face and found nothing wrong. Then one night, we were going over some things and I happen to shift the transmission into some gear and white smoke began to wisp up from under the dash and engine compartment. The keys were not in the car!! I quickly exited the driver's seat and yanked the battery + cable. All the ground wires were melted. The instrument cluster wiring harness was fused from the little ground wires in it that tried to carry way more amps than they could. The shift mechanism rubbed agains the battery positive cable at the starter! It finally rubbed through the insulation and became a dead short. I put a new cable in it and routed the connection away from the shift mechanism so it wouldn't touch it again. Problem solved. Many wires replaced. What a PITA!!! TEMiller (AKA Corrado Daddy)

Reply to
Corrado Daddy

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