[AFineRide]

So the Dinger that lets you know when your lights are on isn't working. Last night, I must have not tweaked the light stalk all the way and left the parking lights on. Next morning I get in the car and the battery is dead...3v..

So, first off, where is the dinger? Second, where would you suggest I try to trouble shoot first?

 

[Vintre]

Sorry to hear about your battery.

Has to be a drain somewhere.

First the chime. Here is where it is and what it looks like. Detail D.







I doubt your chime is the issue. When the battery is low, the functioning chime wont chime. Must have a minimum power needed.

I would charge the battery and start looking.

I would bet, cause it happens to a lot of us, including me, is that one of the footwell lights was left on and that drained your battery.

If that is the case, you can either be a bit more careful or install a jumper so that the footwell lights come on when you open the door and shut off when you close the door. Simple, effective mode.

Good luck,

Vin

 

[AFineRide]

I would bet, cause it happens to a lot of us, including me, is that one of the footwell lights was left on and that drained your battery.

Thanks for the diagram, very, very helpful. Where do you go to find these diagrams?

Vin

Vin,

In my case it was definitely related to leaving the parking lights on.

Regarding the footwell lights...hmmm, I don't recall ever seeing footwell lights...now I have to go look.

 

[34acd]

Another battery-drain culprit, especially at this time of the year, is a heater fan left on low so you can't hear it. The heater fan should have been relayed through the ignition so it won't drain the battery.

The only other car I have had where the heater fan wasn't switched to the ignition was my 1934 Auburn (in the avatar). Of course most cars didn't even have heaters back then. To use the one in the Auburn, I had to open the hood and turn a valve on the head to get hot water to run through the heater core inside the cabin, which would then cook a passenger's feet most of the time. You would never forget to turn off the heater in that car.

Sorry for the digression. One of the things that fascinates me is the evolution of automotive technology and how driving experience used to be varied among cars and involve the driver much more intimately. There is such a dumbed-down sameness in all cars today. Maybe that's why I like my Alfa, which is mostly older technology that gives traditional road feel (rwd, worm and sector steering, solid axle, rod linkages, simple, clean styling) but has a little advanced, go-fast engineering (twin OH cam, VVT) thrown in to make it fun.

 

[AFineRide]

Hmm. .I did have the fan going. ..