68 C3 Battery Drain
Thread Starter
6th Gear
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
68 C3 Battery Drain
While on the Caravan to the NCM My wipers died. The door opened, but would not close, then the Alternator died and so did the batttery. The Alternator was replaced as was the battery but eventually died again . The Alternator was replaced, along with the regulator, and battery. within 24 hrs a dead battery again. The Amp Meter on the center dash stayed in the middle and did not move. This is a new guage and it is possible that it has come disconected, but I believe it was working prior to all this fun stuff happening
When the car is turned off the wiper door closes, but the wipers do not work. Reading some of the literature, it may not be the wiper motor but a relay causing this problem.
So where do I start? The dash Wiring harness has been replaced fairly recently
When the car is turned off the wiper door closes, but the wipers do not work. Reading some of the literature, it may not be the wiper motor but a relay causing this problem.
So where do I start? The dash Wiring harness has been replaced fairly recently
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,317
Likes: 22
From: Marina CA
By chance did you bump the wiper override **** under the dash? If it's on it breaks the ground for the wiper motor. The motor will draw down the battery if the override switch is turned on.
The purpose of the switch is to allow the motor to be stopped at the top of the travel to allow blade changes.
The purpose of the switch is to allow the motor to be stopped at the top of the travel to allow blade changes.
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,711
Likes: 43
From: San Antonio TX
Remove the negative battery cable. Put one end of a multimeter probe on the removed cable and one end on the battery negative post. With the doors closed and all circuits in the off mode, you should not see more than a .02 amp draw. If a fully-charged battery is going flat (below 9v) in a 24-hour period, you are seeing an amp draw of around 3. This simple test will tell you if you have a circuit drawing. From there, you can start pulling fuses to isolate in what system you are drawing. If the draw is reasonable, then you know you are probably looking at a battery issue.
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 16,528
Likes: 53
From: Dayton, Ohio
Remove the negative battery cable. Put one end of a multimeter probe on the removed cable and one end on the battery negative post. With the doors closed and all circuits in the off mode, you should not see more than a .02 amp draw. If a fully-charged battery is going flat (below 9v) in a 24-hour period, you are seeing an amp draw of around 3. This simple test will tell you if you have a circuit drawing. From there, you can start pulling fuses to isolate in what system you are drawing. If the draw is reasonable, then you know you are probably looking at a battery issue.
You can also use a 12v test light.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
2027 Corvette vs The World: Every C8 vs Its Closest Competitor
Joe Kucinski
Race Director
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 16,528
Likes: 53
From: Dayton, Ohio
