1980 Battery Drain
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 457
Likes: 1
From: Royal Oak Michigan
1980 Battery Drain
1980- fully charged battery is dead after 3 days.
1. Had battery charged and checked- battery is good
2. Had alternator checked- was bad and and replaced it
3. Disconnected the positive battery end (black end) and completed connection with 12V light tester - light does not come on. Opened door and light comes on (wanted to verify process)
4 Performed light test right after installing fully charged battery and the weather was in the 60's
4. Radio and clock have no power and electric door locks do not work(was like this when I bought it)
Questions:
1.Could I still have a battery draw problem but it is low enough that the 12V light tester will not pick it up.
2.Do I need to use an amp/volt meter?
3.And if I use a meter -should it read 0 amps/volts or is there an amount that the vehicle should have.
4.Could a battery draw be delayed or be triggered by cold weather- humidity etc...(relay that comes on
???)
I thought I had my problem resolved when the light did not come on.
1. Had battery charged and checked- battery is good
2. Had alternator checked- was bad and and replaced it
3. Disconnected the positive battery end (black end) and completed connection with 12V light tester - light does not come on. Opened door and light comes on (wanted to verify process)
4 Performed light test right after installing fully charged battery and the weather was in the 60's
4. Radio and clock have no power and electric door locks do not work(was like this when I bought it)
Questions:
1.Could I still have a battery draw problem but it is low enough that the 12V light tester will not pick it up.
2.Do I need to use an amp/volt meter?
3.And if I use a meter -should it read 0 amps/volts or is there an amount that the vehicle should have.
4.Could a battery draw be delayed or be triggered by cold weather- humidity etc...(relay that comes on
???)I thought I had my problem resolved when the light did not come on.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 12,399
Likes: 247
From: San Jose CA
Originally Posted by Darrel1
2. Had alternator checked- was bad and and replaced it
3. Disconnected the positive battery end (black end) and completed connection with 12V light tester - light does not come on. Opened door and light comes on (wanted to verify process)
3. Disconnected the positive battery end (black end) and completed connection with 12V light tester - light does not come on. Opened door and light comes on (wanted to verify process)
Secondly, the red cable is positive, black cable is ground.
Originally Posted by Darrel1
Questions:
2.Do I need to use an amp/volt meter?
3.And if I use a meter -should it read 0 amps/volts or is there an amount that the vehicle should have.
4.Could a battery draw be delayed or be triggered by cold weather- humidity etc...(relay that comes on ???)
I thought I had my problem resolved when the light did not come on.
2.Do I need to use an amp/volt meter?
3.And if I use a meter -should it read 0 amps/volts or is there an amount that the vehicle should have.
4.Could a battery draw be delayed or be triggered by cold weather- humidity etc...(relay that comes on
???)I thought I had my problem resolved when the light did not come on.
3. Should be around or under 10mA at idle I believe. Need to disconnect the positive end of the battery and close the circuit with the multi to figure this one out. Make sure the door is shut and the interior lights are off. (You can tell this is going to be fun, huh?)
4. Batteries get their butts kicked by cold weather, but I doubt cold weather is going to affect the internal electronics. It could be that your battery got its butt kicked from deep cycling and simply needs to be replaced. I have to install a new battery almost every year in the 78, it has an electrical gremlin that I don't really feel like chasing down, and if I am not diligent about driving it at least every other day - I will kill the battery. At that point, the car NEEDS to be driven at least every other day or the battery will die.
-Steve
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 457
Likes: 1
From: Royal Oak Michigan
I had the battery checked and Autozone said it was good. I did my check right after the charged battery was put back in. The car was not driven for the 3 days- when I went to check it again and dead.
When you say 10mA at idle- that is car off and doors shut - correct
So if I am more than 10mA -this is when I start pulling fuses to find the circuit - right.
Could there possibly be any circuits that do not go thru the fuse block? I think this car has an aftermarket alarm- does not work. There is this computer circuit board in a clear plastic case wired right next to the fuse block - do you know what this is??
Where do you put the kill switch at?
Thanks for the input
When you say 10mA at idle- that is car off and doors shut - correct
So if I am more than 10mA -this is when I start pulling fuses to find the circuit - right.
Could there possibly be any circuits that do not go thru the fuse block? I think this car has an aftermarket alarm- does not work. There is this computer circuit board in a clear plastic case wired right next to the fuse block - do you know what this is??
Where do you put the kill switch at?
Thanks for the input
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 5,269
Likes: 54
From: Orlando Florida
St. Jude Donor '05
Originally Posted by Darrel1
Where do you put the kill switch at?
At the battery terminal. The example below is for a side-terminal battery, they also sell it for top-terminal batteries.
http://www.ecklers.com/product.asp?p...V16NJ9U3QP9217
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
Originally Posted by RedBad1979
A battery disconnect (kill switch) will solve your problem 
Start pulling fuses until it quits. This didn't work for me...the drain in my '77 turned out to be some sort of internal short in the starter (not the solenoid, I changed it). After it really flaked out and I installed a BB502 GM mini-starter, my drain stopped.
Kill switches are a good idea for many reasons...I don't think that using them to stop a battery drain is one.
Last edited by I'm Batman; Nov 15, 2005 at 01:26 PM.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 457
Likes: 1
From: Royal Oak Michigan
Please someone correct me if I am wrong. If I am getting any type of battery drain by a short or something not turning off, I should be able to detect it with a amp/volt meter when I disconnect the black negative battery cable and measure? If I get nothing when I measure is there anything else that could be causing this?
Darrel
Darrel
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 12,399
Likes: 247
From: San Jose CA
Originally Posted by Darrel1
Please someone correct me if I am wrong. If I am getting any type of battery drain by a short or something not turning off, I should be able to detect it with a amp/volt meter when I disconnect the black negative battery cable and measure? If I get nothing when I measure is there anything else that could be causing this?
Darrel
Darrel
And when I said at idle, I actually did mean with the engine off and interior lights have already stopped.
Sorry about that.-Steve
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Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 457
Likes: 1
From: Royal Oak Michigan
I bought an ammeter today to begin diagnosis.
1. Charged battery until the voltage read about 12V on the Volt meter
2. Closed doors and made sure all lights etc are off
3. disconnected battery and put ammeter in series. I measured 8.12mA. That seems ok
4. Opened one door and measured again and got a higher number (cannot remember how much), so I believe measured right.
5. Connected battery back up and tried to start the engine. My choke is locked up so had to crank a little longer than normal (we just got our first cold snap here in Michigan).
Heres where I think my problem is. After 1 maybe 2 tries the starter acted like it was not getting enough juice. It rotated the engine slightly and then click- click- click etc...
5. I rechecked the voltage at the battery and it still had 11V. Disconnected battery and still 8.12mA drain.
Is there a bad connection between my battery and starter, or is the starter just bad, or maybe the solenoid (I have heard people mention this, but not sure of the symptoms if it is bad).
Any thoughts.
Darrel
1. Charged battery until the voltage read about 12V on the Volt meter
2. Closed doors and made sure all lights etc are off
3. disconnected battery and put ammeter in series. I measured 8.12mA. That seems ok
4. Opened one door and measured again and got a higher number (cannot remember how much), so I believe measured right.
5. Connected battery back up and tried to start the engine. My choke is locked up so had to crank a little longer than normal (we just got our first cold snap here in Michigan).
Heres where I think my problem is. After 1 maybe 2 tries the starter acted like it was not getting enough juice. It rotated the engine slightly and then click- click- click etc...
5. I rechecked the voltage at the battery and it still had 11V. Disconnected battery and still 8.12mA drain.
Is there a bad connection between my battery and starter, or is the starter just bad, or maybe the solenoid (I have heard people mention this, but not sure of the symptoms if it is bad).
Any thoughts.
Darrel
Safety Car
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 4,135
Likes: 1
this summer i got a new battery in my van,,it would sit for a few days till i needed to use the van(electrical service truck) when i went to start it it would be dead, alt was new battery new ,,,had it tested at auto zone and showed good,,,finally i took it to the mechanic where he did a test with the acid out of it,,,it had a weak cell,,,the weak cell drains down the others,,,AND IT WAS BRAND NEW ...i returned it and got a new one....there doing the wrong test.test the acid
