(I'm writing this for my brother, so in your answers please be specific. I'm trying to help him solve this problem.)

He has an 88 base model. I narrowed down the battery drain to a set of jumper wires the PO had plugged in. They are plugged into a clear plastic 4 plug connector located under the trailing coils just infront of the clutch master.

If the jumper wires are plugged in the car will run. However the battery is drained VERY fast. If they are unplugged the battery does not drain but the car will not start. It cranks but will not start.

What does this 4 plug connector do? There is also a white round plug that is not connected to anything. Is something missing here? I need to know what to do to fix this. Thanks guys.

 

Is there a website I can look at to find what that connector does?

 

Pics?

And are you sure the two things are related? You don't really know if the battery is draining when the wires are unplugged, because you can't get the car running. Are you sure the alternator is ok? Have you had it tested?

 

(This is his brother again)

We have not checked the alternator yet. We unplugged it from the car with no difference in the battery drain. We will have it checked as soon as I figure out what this plug does. One small step at a time.

The two are 100% related. With the jumpers IN, the car will start and run. If it is turned off the battery is drained within minutes.

If the jumpers are OUT the car will not start or run, and the battery will not drain. It does crank, but will not start.

I would check for spark and all that, but I want to get a general idea of what this plug does before I start tearing into it.

Here is the picture, the plug in question is the tan/clear 4 pin one. It looks to be a diagnostic plug, but I would like to know what it controls. Thanks alot guys.

 

Follow the wires (away from battery side, if you get what I meen) and look for anywhere where the wires have become brittle, cracked, or worn down. Something could be grounding out and just making a constant drain. When you plug it in does anything not work correctly? Persay the idiot cluster the lights all stay semi-illuminated, lights become dim, lights dont work, interior lights stay on? Have the battery and alternator checked at a parts store. Sometimes when a battery is starting to die, after a certain amount of draw is taken off of it to just plummets itself.

 

Battery is new, alternator will be checked shortly. I'm not sure the alternator is the problem because this problem stays the same if the alternator is plugged in or not.

Nothing seems different with the car other than a clicking noise in the passenger front corner of the car. When you plug the one side in (in the picture the right side terminals) there is a clicking in the front. I intend to track it down, but I have not yet had time.

I'm just hoping someone knows what that plug is for. I don't know much about the wiring on this car, so I'm just trying to get an idea of what systems go where so I know what to look for come saturday. Thanks again.

 

looks like the starter kill relay plug. It would have no effect on the battery drain as it is only used during cranking. The jumper ( blue plug with a black wire jumping between only two of the 4 terminals) only connects the key switch to the starter.

And your bumps have been deleted. Bumps are forbidden here in the 2nd gen technical section. Why do you think your question is more important than anyone else's here??

 

He was doing the bumps, sorry for those.

In any case, is there actually a relay to plug into that? There were 2 jumpers in the plug, and taking out either one would cause the car not to start. So I'm assuming the clicking that is going on is the starter kill side? If there is a relay that plugs in here the jumpers would be acting as a connected relay, and would drain the battery right? It does have an effect, voltmeter confirms the drain is related to that plug.

 

well if it cranks, but does not start, then it is not the starter kill relay, and probably the main relay (which I do not see in your picture). I guess it is possible someone could have removed the main relay and just jumpered it.

In which case then you would need to get another main relay and use it as intended.

 

I think I have found out what is wrong. it is missing the main relay.