chronos51

ive had the same issue on my 82, ground wire to frame wasnt grounding right, alternator messed up, starter ground strap burnt, Aftermarket Stereo and amp always drawing power- also grounded at cig lighter, now Im down to the ECM itself (not stock unit) I drove it last summer no issues then this summer Wammo!!! all kinds of electical drains...
bout ready to sell the car!

74 LS4-454

I have had the same problem on my 82, it completely shut off on the highway back in early June. Lights went out, wipers stopped working, and engine justed died, leaving me stranded on the side of the road. Battery was completly drained and a new battery at that. I replaced the alternator and thought it solved the problem. But it still seemed to drain the system. Turned out that the main problem was and still is when connnected, the windshield wiper module, located in the passenger rear compartment where the jack is located. That module was very hot and probably shorting, thus draining the battery. So we retaped the module (it's taped from the factory) and that helped some. Replacement modules are not available at this time, as there was a defect in them and they were recalled months ago for the fix. Hopefully soon.
So I keep the wiper module unplugged until it rains, then plug it back in, until the rain stops. So far, no problem with it unplugged.

chronos51

wouldnt happen to have a picture of that module would you? I have a module back by the jack that has been rewired, not sure if its the same one. but if it is the wiper module creating the issue this would save me a headache.

74 LS4-454

Here are 2 pics of that module, keep in mind that this is for the 80-82 model. The 78 (like the OP has ) and the 79 model have a replaceable relay, unlike the 80-82 models which do not. These relays can and do fail, when mine gets hot, it is really very hot to the touch and I feel it is and was the main source for my battery drain.
The OP has stated that his connection to the alternator is corroded and could very well be his source of his battery drain.
But we should all keep in mind to check out these wiper control modules when we start developing unexplained electrical drains.
Can't wait til the replacements get back out on the market!!!

In pic #1, you will notice that behind the electrical tape is a clear tape, that was from the factory. When we first discovered the problem, the relay was to hot to touch, but we found that if we squeezed the module we could get the wipers to work. So we wrapped the module in electrical tape and that helped for awhile. Now when it rains, I can reach under the passenger compartment and plug in the module with one hand as I am driving (the things we do as Vette owners) and I may have to squeeze the module hard to get the wipers going. As soon as I get home, it gets unplugged again.

chronos51

Thank you very much. Upon inspection of my unit it has Tape around it but if it is the issue then this will definatly save me on Batteries. I spoke with the last owner and the store that had replaced the Batteries for him and it has gone through 7 in the last 3 years... 2 in my ownership. the current one in it has a dead cell and will not recharge. so hopefully this will solve the Ghost
thank you very much.
Marcus

74 LS4-454

Marcus, your welcome, what I would do is remove the tray from the compartment, so that you have easy access, and when you are driving, see if you can stick your hand in there and from time to time grab the module, especially the relay, and if it gets really hot without the wipers on, I would venture to say, that is your ghost. If my car didn't die that day, it would have taken me longer to figure out the problem.
Also I would check that module after each use after driving, or you could simply disconnect it and use a meter to take readings from the battery with and without the engine running, to get an idea on how the charging system is operating. Good luck............Tom

V8Ranger

I recently had the same problem, something would drain the battery completely overnight. Hooked up an ammeter (multimeter) inline with the battery and found something drawing 6amps for like 3 seconds on, 5 seconds off. Turned out to be (whatever its called) yellow plastic unit attached to the fuse block that buzz's when you leave the headlights on and key off. Just removed it, I don't need a buzzer to tell me that anyway...

Carl