drainage

540 Views 4 Replies 4 Participants Last post by motorhead, Apr 7, 2001

Discussion Starter · Apr 6, 2001

what usually causes the battery to be drained? I cant figure it out! I put a new alternator, disturbuted coil, startup cilanoid, voltage regulator, and battery cables but still i have to jump it every morning! and yes the battery is new!

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Midlife

· #2 · Apr 6, 2001

Usually, it is caused by a current drain: something is on or a wire is shorted to ground. Do you have a digital multimeter? If so, put it on DC current, disconnect the negative battery cable, and measure the current between the negative battery post and the negative battery cable. With all accessories off, doors closed, etc., it should read less than 10 milliamps. If higher, start pulling a fuse one at a time until you find the circuitry that causes the high current. If no fuses, start disconnecting the voltage regulator, then the wires at the solenoid switch just behind the battery.

Post what you find.

http://clubs.hemmings.com/baymustang/platesmall.jpgLet me check your shorts! My multimeter is just a-waiting! Formerly known as Midlife in the old VMF.
King of the Old Farts *struts*

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Kelly

· #3 · Apr 6, 2001

You've obviously get something that's continuing to pull current even after the car is shut down for the night.

Maybe you could track it down by using a multimeter and begin pulling fuses and checking as you go?

Dang! Just when I got used to being "strange", I became a "newbie", then a "tire-kicker". Now I'm a "beginner"?.....hmmmmmm...where do I start?

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Opentracker

· #4 · Apr 6, 2001

You have a short somewhere in the system. Take the pos. batt cable off
and jump it with a test lead (ice pick with a bulb in it and a wire with a clip).
If the light comes on you have a problem. If you have a sterio with a amp.
unplug it ant try again. It is a process of elimination to find the short. You can
remove each fuse one at a time till you find the circut that has the short. If
you pull all the fuses and the light still stays on then your PO has done some
wierd stuff and you will have to look until you can get the test light to not
come on when you hook it up. After you do all the checking, re-post and
you will get some more help.

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motorhead

· #5 · Apr 7, 2001

A straight short to ground will burn a wire up in a heart beat so it sounds like you have something using power when the car is off more than having something dead shorting.

Check the cigarette lighter and also look in the hole where the lighter goes into to be sure nobody thru something like gum wraper into the hole. They have the ability to drain a battery without causeing any other damage. Also anything like a glovebox light, trunk light, stereo amplifiers can drain a battery.

motor

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