Hey,

My Ps pump failed on Sunday (rebuilt pump under warranty) and then the battery died on Monday. Thought it was due to the cold, but I got a new battery today, drove a few hours, let the car sit for a few hours and it's dead. Thinking the PS pump is running and killing the battery.

Looks like there are 2 fuses that will disable it and hopefully stop draining my battery - Fuse 39 in the car or 4 in the engine compartment is the fuse. The one under the hood is underneath and might be a pain to get to, but I also read that the one in the car is the fuse for the alternator and PS. If I pull that one, will that defeat the purpose since the alternator would be affected?

If I go for the one under the hood, do I need to disconnect the battery and then I need a Torx bit? A friend is going to help me, but we're both at our vacation homes with limited tools.

I'm not near my regular mechanic this weekend, and trying to just get a jump and get the charge to hold without taking it to a strange/new garage. I'm fine driving home with no PS, done it before.

Thanks!

 

Your simplist solution will be to disconnect the battery.....
Just be sure you know how to open the trunk without power...not sure on the cabrio, but the hardtop has a cable under tye rear seat to pop the trunk...bet it will be different on the cabrio for security issues...

 

Just reconnect it for the start/drive home, and just reember to reset the radio stations and time...simplist option i think imo....and you will have ps for the drive!!

 

The problem is that I can't really walk where I need to go tomorrow and it will be kinda cold to ride a bike. I want to be able to jump it tomorrow before my friend leaves and not have the PS pump kill the battery so I can drive it the rest of the weekend. Also, I don't have power steering most of the time anyway, the pump is failing and the PS cuts in and out - I'd rather have it out completely than go to yank the wheel around a bend and the PS is back on and I nearly drive off the road.

Anyone know the difference between the two fuses?

 

Nevermind. I'm afraid the PS pump running might have damaged/melted something. Had a not nice burning electrical/plasticky smell under the hood that didn't go away while having the hood up and trying to jump it this morning. While trying to jump it, it killed a pretty new Dodge Ram - twice (which we were able to start up right away luckily). Think the battery was getting the charge, but something else bad happened.

Taking it to the local garage that my friends here use. Knew I should have just stayed up home yesterday!