Just the type of query this group excels at. My wife is out of town with the avant. Reports electrical gremlins vis a vis rear wiper coming to rest in mid swipe and radio cutout all while volt meter indicates a charge. Also notes an unknown smell. 3 mile drive later and Car gets parked and key ineffectual in powering up any cluster instruments, or starter and constant power on items like radio also have no juice. I hope to see it tonight but any ideas on the 170K example that had been running just fine?
thx
Mike

The "unknown smell" worries me a bit. Could be the fuse panel has gone south. Perhaps the ignition switch?

The charge indication tells me something got shorted to ground and was pulling big amps. Funny smell would go along with it. See if rear wiper and radio circuits are shared. And look to see a blown fuse in one of those circuits. Check all fuses too.

Starting to look like the dreaded battery/starter lead splice. Cluster indicates 12+v from alt but battery tested at 3! GBood to have 2 identical cars, through the dead in running good car and swapped full battery to dead car. Get to look at splice tomorrow.
thx
Mike

Battery lead splice under the carpet right?

High resistance = heat....
My guess was igniton switch, your test indicates wire splice.

-Scott by BOSTON

I'm pretty sure the splice is gone in the late type 44's.

More likely a short. Could even be a short in the battery. No blown fuses? Radiator fan working?

HHMM, not a short in the battery as I swapped batteries and it is running fine in my car. Car is 30 miles away so if it makes it back I can run the fuse box and and check for shorts. Only item that seemed to go south during the seizure was the rear wiper, which curiously would not actuate with the new battery. A place to start.
thx

The winner seems to be a short. Rear wiper fuse dead. Continuity "wrong" compared to my other avant wiper motor and still not working with new fuse or direct power. Not sure how but it seems to have shorted itself out and drained the batt. All is now well.
thx