Parasitic electrical draw. Seat motor getting hot. Switch? 2 motors? Test method?
06-21-2017, 04:01 AM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 44
Parasitic electrical draw. Seat motor getting hot. Switch? 2 motors? Test method?
I have a 2003 maxima with 124k mikes.
As the problem started, I would get in the car after it had sat overnight and the battery would be dead.
I charged it back up the first time or two, then decided I better leave the car with my tech friend around the corner from where I live.
So, he tinkers with my car when he has time and I drive my spare vehicle.
He first went through a testing process with an older model 'power probe' and removed fuses and relays one at a time.
When he removed the 'power windows' relay, the light on his power probe went from very bright to dim.
So, we figured it was something to do with the power window system; one of the power window motors or switches or something.
But, while my tech was in the vehicle, at one point he reached under the seat and noticed that the power seat adjustment motor was more than a bit hot.
So, he called me and let me know this.
Our next step will be to leave the battery connected, and unplug the seat motor(s).
So, here are my questions;
1. Is there more than one motor for the drivers seat adjustment? I would guess so; one for the seat height and one for the recline and 'slide'. Correct?
2. Can anyone recommend a testing procedure to determine more precisely where the draw or 'short' is? I.e., is it the switch, a pigtail connection, or the actual motor which is getting hot?
Some background;
This electrical draw problem seem to start a couple / few days after I had removed my instrument cluster and cleaned the connections and replaced the cluster.
The reason I removed the cluster was because my transmission was intermittently not shifting correctly. I had read here on the forum that some people had cured the tranny shifting problem by removing, cleaning and replacing the cluster. Incidentally, removing, cleaning, and replacing the cluster did seem to fix my shifting problem. However, the shifting problem was so intermittant that it is hard to know for sure whether my tranny shifting problem is really fixed.
I removed the cluster, and maybe 2-3 days later is when the electrical draw problem started. I charged the battery the first time, then in another few days it was dead again. So, that was when I decided to bring the car to the repair shop. Once it was at the shop, the tech charged tha battery, connected it, and again it was dead the next morning. I believe he went through this process twice.
So, I cannot say with absolute certainty that A. Cleaning the cluster contacts fixed my shifting problem. B. That removing the cluster did not cause my electrical draw problem.
My tech removed the cluster again, and left the battery connected. The next morning the battery was dead again.
Does anyone have any insight or experience which may be able to tell me whether there is any connection between the cluster, the tranny shifting problem, and the electrical draw?
As the problem started, I would get in the car after it had sat overnight and the battery would be dead.
I charged it back up the first time or two, then decided I better leave the car with my tech friend around the corner from where I live.
So, he tinkers with my car when he has time and I drive my spare vehicle.
He first went through a testing process with an older model 'power probe' and removed fuses and relays one at a time.
When he removed the 'power windows' relay, the light on his power probe went from very bright to dim.
So, we figured it was something to do with the power window system; one of the power window motors or switches or something.
But, while my tech was in the vehicle, at one point he reached under the seat and noticed that the power seat adjustment motor was more than a bit hot.
So, he called me and let me know this.
Our next step will be to leave the battery connected, and unplug the seat motor(s).
So, here are my questions;
1. Is there more than one motor for the drivers seat adjustment? I would guess so; one for the seat height and one for the recline and 'slide'. Correct?
2. Can anyone recommend a testing procedure to determine more precisely where the draw or 'short' is? I.e., is it the switch, a pigtail connection, or the actual motor which is getting hot?
Some background;
This electrical draw problem seem to start a couple / few days after I had removed my instrument cluster and cleaned the connections and replaced the cluster.
The reason I removed the cluster was because my transmission was intermittently not shifting correctly. I had read here on the forum that some people had cured the tranny shifting problem by removing, cleaning and replacing the cluster. Incidentally, removing, cleaning, and replacing the cluster did seem to fix my shifting problem. However, the shifting problem was so intermittant that it is hard to know for sure whether my tranny shifting problem is really fixed.
I removed the cluster, and maybe 2-3 days later is when the electrical draw problem started. I charged the battery the first time, then in another few days it was dead again. So, that was when I decided to bring the car to the repair shop. Once it was at the shop, the tech charged tha battery, connected it, and again it was dead the next morning. I believe he went through this process twice.
So, I cannot say with absolute certainty that A. Cleaning the cluster contacts fixed my shifting problem. B. That removing the cluster did not cause my electrical draw problem.
My tech removed the cluster again, and left the battery connected. The next morning the battery was dead again.
Does anyone have any insight or experience which may be able to tell me whether there is any connection between the cluster, the tranny shifting problem, and the electrical draw?
06-21-2017, 05:50 AM
#2
I had a problem with the same circuit a few years ago and it turned out to be one of the switches on the seat sticking. The ex is short and kept the seat fully forward anyway so she never noticed.
https://maxima.org/forums/5th-genera...down-draw.html
Check out the thread. It has some other good info that helped me sort it out. It also shows my hack to save the battery until you solve the problem.
https://maxima.org/forums/5th-genera...down-draw.html
Check out the thread. It has some other good info that helped me sort it out. It also shows my hack to save the battery until you solve the problem.
09-02-2017, 10:53 PM
#3
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 44
FIXED IT::: Turned out to be the seat cover strap pulling on seat adjustment switch.
All fixed. Just moved the set cover strap off the seat adjustment switch.
I have a 2003 maxima with 124k mikes.
As the problem started, I would get in the car after it had sat overnight and the battery would be dead.
I charged it back up the first time or two, then decided I better leave the car with my tech friend around the corner from where I live.
So, he tinkers with my car when he has time and I drive my spare vehicle.
He first went through a testing process with an older model 'power probe' and removed fuses and relays one at a time.
When he removed the 'power windows' relay, the light on his power probe went from very bright to dim.
So, we figured it was something to do with the power window system; one of the power window motors or switches or something.
But, while my tech was in the vehicle, at one point he reached under the seat and noticed that the power seat adjustment motor was more than a bit hot.
So, he called me and let me know this.
Our next step will be to leave the battery connected, and unplug the seat motor(s).
So, here are my questions;
1. Is there more than one motor for the drivers seat adjustment? I would guess so; one for the seat height and one for the recline and 'slide'. Correct?
2. Can anyone recommend a testing procedure to determine more precisely where the draw or 'short' is? I.e., is it the switch, a pigtail connection, or the actual motor which is getting hot?
Some background;
This electrical draw problem seem to start a couple / few days after I had removed my instrument cluster and cleaned the connections and replaced the cluster.
The reason I removed the cluster was because my transmission was intermittently not shifting correctly. I had read here on the forum that some people had cured the tranny shifting problem by removing, cleaning and replacing the cluster. Incidentally, removing, cleaning, and replacing the cluster did seem to fix my shifting problem. However, the shifting problem was so intermittant that it is hard to know for sure whether my tranny shifting problem is really fixed.
I removed the cluster, and maybe 2-3 days later is when the electrical draw problem started. I charged the battery the first time, then in another few days it was dead again. So, that was when I decided to bring the car to the repair shop. Once it was at the shop, the tech charged tha battery, connected it, and again it was dead the next morning. I believe he went through this process twice.
So, I cannot say with absolute certainty that A. Cleaning the cluster contacts fixed my shifting problem. B. That removing the cluster did not cause my electrical draw problem.
My tech removed the cluster again, and left the battery connected. The next morning the battery was dead again.
Does anyone have any insight or experience which may be able to tell me whether there is any connection between the cluster, the tranny shifting problem, and the electrical draw?
As the problem started, I would get in the car after it had sat overnight and the battery would be dead.
I charged it back up the first time or two, then decided I better leave the car with my tech friend around the corner from where I live.
So, he tinkers with my car when he has time and I drive my spare vehicle.
He first went through a testing process with an older model 'power probe' and removed fuses and relays one at a time.
When he removed the 'power windows' relay, the light on his power probe went from very bright to dim.
So, we figured it was something to do with the power window system; one of the power window motors or switches or something.
But, while my tech was in the vehicle, at one point he reached under the seat and noticed that the power seat adjustment motor was more than a bit hot.
So, he called me and let me know this.
Our next step will be to leave the battery connected, and unplug the seat motor(s).
So, here are my questions;
1. Is there more than one motor for the drivers seat adjustment? I would guess so; one for the seat height and one for the recline and 'slide'. Correct?
2. Can anyone recommend a testing procedure to determine more precisely where the draw or 'short' is? I.e., is it the switch, a pigtail connection, or the actual motor which is getting hot?
Some background;
This electrical draw problem seem to start a couple / few days after I had removed my instrument cluster and cleaned the connections and replaced the cluster.
The reason I removed the cluster was because my transmission was intermittently not shifting correctly. I had read here on the forum that some people had cured the tranny shifting problem by removing, cleaning and replacing the cluster. Incidentally, removing, cleaning, and replacing the cluster did seem to fix my shifting problem. However, the shifting problem was so intermittant that it is hard to know for sure whether my tranny shifting problem is really fixed.
I removed the cluster, and maybe 2-3 days later is when the electrical draw problem started. I charged the battery the first time, then in another few days it was dead again. So, that was when I decided to bring the car to the repair shop. Once it was at the shop, the tech charged tha battery, connected it, and again it was dead the next morning. I believe he went through this process twice.
So, I cannot say with absolute certainty that A. Cleaning the cluster contacts fixed my shifting problem. B. That removing the cluster did not cause my electrical draw problem.
My tech removed the cluster again, and left the battery connected. The next morning the battery was dead again.
Does anyone have any insight or experience which may be able to tell me whether there is any connection between the cluster, the tranny shifting problem, and the electrical draw?