Noob here!!! 2001 Box....new to me...lots of questions

[blue62]

Originally Posted by particlewave

Sorry if I sounded blunt. I was in a hurry and just now went back and read it.
I didn't mean it that way...just trying to convey the information.

The way you responded was fine. I didn't see anything wrong in it.
your input makes me look at and correct my methods of trouble shooting.
I can't see anything but positive in that.

[Box7774]

You guys are great....certainly all above my skill level but I am trying to make you proud. The multi meter is my weakest skill.....its all I can do to set it on volts...select 20.....red on pos...black on neg....and take a reading. When somebody tells me to ohm out something I immediately want to take a nap....does not compute.

Soooooooooooo I know i said I was gunna perform all tests......and was gunna make you proud but this is what i did tonight.

I finally found a fricking mini light bulb that would work for my tail light side marker....that was 3 days of my life i will never get back. I believe it was a





2528....so glad to see that sucker all lit up. I am now a 986 taillight expert...I can get those fixtures out of there with pit crew speed.

Then I went to work on my 3rd brake light....the previous owner had really worked this thing over. It was loose....not mounted because the body grommets were missing ...most of the brittle plastic clips were broken and two bulbs were out. I got it out...replaced the bulbs and have it back in better then before but wont be happy until it is bone stock perfect......so off to ebay or the for sale section here for a 3rd brake light and some body grommets. At least it works and will get me through local inspection which I need to do very soon.

Lastly I attacked the battery.....I took a quick reading and it was 12.3 ....I decided to remove it completely so I could clean contacts and grounds. The battery is fairly new....April of 2017....but you never know what shock or drain a battery has had. I figure I will take it to Batteries Plus and have them hook it up to their load machine.....and see what CCA it produces...etc Either way I like to start my used cars off with new batteries so I have a good base line. Now if I hook up a new battery and it drains to 12.3.....thats how a dummy like me knows there is an issue! As mentioned before the negative battery cable where it attaches to a body frame stud looks rusted....I also notice the shrink tubing is loose so moisture or salt air could have corroded wires under it. I will thoroughly clean this connection and inspect the condition of the wires then install new shrink tubing and some dielectric grease just to make u guys proud.

Pics tell the story better then I do....so enjoy the pics....batt terminals not bad.....but neg batt stud....not good.

Thanks guys

wooops I guess i left the curser in the middle of the page so thats where the pics will end up

[blue62]

I just repeated my version of a parasitic draw test on my 2000S Boxster and my 1960 Austin Healey.
Not what I expected from the Boxster it showed near battery voltage with everything off. if I turned anything on very little change in voltage maybe a 10th of a volt. near same results with amperage setting on the Multi meter.

The Austin Healey was more of what I expected.
No voltage or amperage draw with everything off.
if I turned on the lights or heater fan to simulate draw well of course I got a reading.

The fact that the Boxster is always drawing current for the computer or what ever makes my method invalid for the Boxster.

But it would work for the Austin Healey because when you turn the key and lights off no power goes to anything.

I apologize for any confusion to the original poster of the thread.!!!

A big thank you to Particlewave you caused me to double check my methods and correct them. Always good to learn new things