Re: battery drain/gauges

[Jan van de Wouw <Jan@xxxx>]

> Some of the gauges on the D are a bit unusual in that they don't go to Zero 
> with the ignition off.

To go even further: the tachometer doesn't even stay where it is!
On mine it jumps up (I've read this before) to about 2500RPM untill
I put on the contact again...

> Coincidentally I had ordered a "battery saver" switch from DMC Joe (this 
> switch is used to cut out the interior lights when the doors are left open),

I liked this feature too, so I built something similar myself.
Unfortunately this turns out to cause a small problem on my car;

I can use the switch to disengage circuit #12 when I'm working on the car,
but when I leave them off in my garage this causes my alarm to go off!
(the diagnosis-mode of the alarm pointed out the engine-compartment 
and doors as trip every time...)

Went over this with may Alarm-guy and it turned out to be the lack of
"pull up" voltage on the plungers that causes this: without the power on,
the sensors of the system mistake the open contact for a grounded one
and thus trip the alarm...
I just leave the circuit on when stored/parked now and all seems fine now.

> It is my impression based on what I have read here that it is impossible, or 
> at least impractical, to attain zero leakage in the electrical circuits of a 
> D. Except by using a battery cut-off switch!

Even with a cut-off you'll get drain from "self discharge" of the battery...
I planned to get a cut-off when I got my "Dagger", but since my car turns out 
to survive 5 weeks without a problem AND I plan on driving at least every 
2 weeks, I'll just leave it like it is.

Good luck on tracing your leak!

JAN van de Wouw
Thinking Different... Using a Mac...
Living the Dream... Driving a DeLorean...

#05141 "Dagger" since Sept. 2000

check out the Delorean-Files at:
http://www.deloreanfiles.nl/
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