Author Topic: Battery Drain Issues  (Read 819 times)

Offline FY1Cuda

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Battery Drain Issues
« on: January 13, 2012 - 03:53:43 PM »
Hoping someone, anyone has some thoughts about the battery draining so quickly.  I have a test light and VOM and have used both.  I disconnected the positive cable off of the battery and disconnected the positive wires off the starter relay.  When I touch the test light between the + battery terminal and the fat red wire leading to the bulkhead (A1-12R), I get a momentary glow then nothing.  If I wait 10-15 seconds, I can get the 1/2 second of light again.  It's like there's some capacitor recharging even  though the battery's + side has been disconnected the whole time.
 I put the VOM in there and took every fuse out of the block and I got a reading of .2 amps dropping off to a steady .02 amps.  Does this suggest that there is something contacting before that wire gets to the bulkhead connector or would some bleed though from + to - in the battery cause the reading?  Any thoughts?




Offline burdar

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Re: Battery Drain Issues
« Reply #1 on: January 13, 2012 - 04:40:42 PM »
I just dread electrical problems.  I'll just throw this out there.  I had a pretty big battery drain and it turned out to be the clock.   The map light also caused a drain.  Maybe dissconnect those two things and see what happens.

Offline Chryco Psycho

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Re: Battery Drain Issues
« Reply #2 on: January 13, 2012 - 04:41:43 PM »
sounds like the clock & maybe dome light if you are testing with the door open

Challenger - You`ll wish You Hadn`t

Offline MEK-Dangerfield

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Re: Battery Drain Issues
« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2012 - 05:36:02 PM »
I know the clock can put a major hurtin' on the battery after a month without starting the car.

Mike

1970 Challenger - SOLD
2016 SXT+.  1 of 524 SXT+'s in Plumb-crazy for 2016.

Offline 72cudamaan

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Re: Battery Drain Issues
« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2012 - 05:42:56 PM »
We had a car come into the shop with a battery draining issue years ago. Turns
out that their kid had stuck a foil gum wrapper into the cigar lighter socket.  :swear:
Removed and all was good again.
If I cant fix it, it's broke
 
Andy  (phukker whither)

Offline FY1Cuda

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Re: Battery Drain Issues
« Reply #5 on: January 13, 2012 - 05:49:37 PM »
Thanks, CP.  It's funny you mentioned the door open.  When I pulled one of the fuses and then checked with the test light, I got a solid light (WTF?) and then I realized that having the door open made a difference.  I'm looking at the wiring diagram and I see that the clock comes directly off of the big black wire from the dash ammeter (no fuse), and the voltage limiter comes directly from the unfused center of the fuse block, so the fuel gauge and temperature gauge work without the fuses in.

Mike, I'll maybe disconnect the clock if all else fails.

Thanks Andy.  No foil found yet.
« Last Edit: January 13, 2012 - 05:53:36 PM by FY1Cuda »