Electrical short or ground 1982 Corvette.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 221
Likes: 13
From: Central Virginia
Electrical short or ground 1982 Corvette.
I have a little situation that is posing a challenge to me.
When I leave the door open there is no battery drain. When I close the door there is a battery drain. This started once I replaced the oil temperature sending unit in the block.
Several things I suspect.
1. Gauge cluster miswired.
2. Time delay relay for the interior lights. Both white wires were cut and connected together. This was done to get the interior light working.
Thank you
When I leave the door open there is no battery drain. When I close the door there is a battery drain. This started once I replaced the oil temperature sending unit in the block.
Several things I suspect.
1. Gauge cluster miswired.
2. Time delay relay for the interior lights. Both white wires were cut and connected together. This was done to get the interior light working.
Thank you
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 823
Likes: 57
From: Austin TX
I have a little situation that is posing a challenge to me.
When I leave the door open there is no battery drain. When I close the door there is a battery drain. This started once I replaced the oil temperature sending unit in the block.
Several things I suspect.
1. Gauge cluster miswired.
2. Time delay relay for the interior lights. Both white wires were cut and connected together. This was done to get the interior light working.
When I leave the door open there is no battery drain. When I close the door there is a battery drain. This started once I replaced the oil temperature sending unit in the block.
Several things I suspect.
1. Gauge cluster miswired.
2. Time delay relay for the interior lights. Both white wires were cut and connected together. This was done to get the interior light working.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 823
Likes: 57
From: Austin TX
Ok, let's go to the basics. You said "When I leave the door open there is no battery drain." That's clearly not possible if the courtesy lights are on. How are you determining or measuring the drain?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 221
Likes: 13
From: Central Virginia
The point is that there is no interior light working so..
The battery drains because the oil temp gage drains the battery and this happens when both doors are closed. That my dear is the basics.
I do suspect that this car was in a flood down in south Texas. I replaced the horn relay and noticed some brown stain inside the relay when I had taken it apart. I tried switching the three bladed connector at the back side of the gage cluster. Didn't work. However the radio will come on.
The radio doesn't doesn't work when I have the three bladed connector connected to what I believe is the right way.
On another note the volt meter stays pegged to the far right and the low fuel light stays on regardless how much fuel is in the tank. Fuel gage reads fine.
There are deep mysteries to this corvette, I will win this battle sooner or later.
The battery drains because the oil temp gage drains the battery and this happens when both doors are closed. That my dear is the basics.
I do suspect that this car was in a flood down in south Texas. I replaced the horn relay and noticed some brown stain inside the relay when I had taken it apart. I tried switching the three bladed connector at the back side of the gage cluster. Didn't work. However the radio will come on.
The radio doesn't doesn't work when I have the three bladed connector connected to what I believe is the right way.
On another note the volt meter stays pegged to the far right and the low fuel light stays on regardless how much fuel is in the tank. Fuel gage reads fine.
There are deep mysteries to this corvette, I will win this battle sooner or later.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 781
Likes: 113
First step is to connect a good voltage amperage tester to the battery with car all off and door closed and see what sort of amperage-current draw miliamps..you have showing.
IF it's over 50 miliamps and you have a clock that's ok..
IF over that, pull the fuses one by one and see if the parasitic current draw goes away..That will identify the offending circuit anyhow..and then the real fun starts..Jim
IF it's over 50 miliamps and you have a clock that's ok..
IF over that, pull the fuses one by one and see if the parasitic current draw goes away..That will identify the offending circuit anyhow..and then the real fun starts..Jim
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 823
Likes: 57
From: Austin TX
These cars can get pretty wet inside without necessarily being in a flood. Water leaks due to worn out weatherstripping in the t-tops and doors can let a lot of water in. If the car sits out in the sun after a cool night, the water will evaporate and condense everywhere in the vehicle. Good luck with this. I don't understand those symptoms either, but it sounds like you've got the wherewithal to straighten it out. Lots of help is available on this forum as you make progress.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 221
Likes: 13
From: Central Virginia
There is minimal rust in the car. Lower pick panel areas do have rust but not so much going up the A pillars.
As far as the electricals I will sort them out sooner or later. Funny thing is the timing has changed on its own, the Throttle position sensor has changed on its own. I set the TPS for .525 and within a month it read .866 and the car started to stall at idle. DTC 22 and DTC 13, bad oxygen sensor. Readjusted the TPS back to .525 and she has been running good.
To work on a car like this I need to set up a plan. Tinkering with an electrical fault here and there is not cutting it.
There is a intermittent open at the right turn signal switch, if I adjust the steering wheel up or down from its normal position the intermittent open disappears.
One part of that plan is to go through the steering column and sort the horn and right turn signal.
As far as the electricals I will sort them out sooner or later. Funny thing is the timing has changed on its own, the Throttle position sensor has changed on its own. I set the TPS for .525 and within a month it read .866 and the car started to stall at idle. DTC 22 and DTC 13, bad oxygen sensor. Readjusted the TPS back to .525 and she has been running good.
To work on a car like this I need to set up a plan. Tinkering with an electrical fault here and there is not cutting it.
There is a intermittent open at the right turn signal switch, if I adjust the steering wheel up or down from its normal position the intermittent open disappears.
One part of that plan is to go through the steering column and sort the horn and right turn signal.
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2015
Posts: 823
Likes: 57
From: Austin TX
Your experience probably isn't unusual. I've had my '82 a few months now, and the history of the car is completely unknown. Because of that, when it started dying/surging/chugging a few days after I bought it, I elected to replace all the common failure items as a matter of routine. That included vacuum hoses in the engine compartment, the TPS, O2 sensor, CTS, fuel filter and fuel pump. I also replaced the plenum lid gasket and TBI-to-plenum gaskets. Then I went after the items that weren't working - turn signals, horn, interior lights, high beam indicator, etc. Now I'm working on sealing the tops and doors to make it a daily driver. About the electrical faults, you might not realistically have a choice other than to trace them down one at a time. Sometimes you get lucky, and fixing one thing causes multiple functions to start working. In any event, it's important to remember how old these cars are. Sometimes a previous owner just stops fixing things, even little items like flashers and bulbs. It can seem overwhelming at first, but it gets better quickly once you start taking care of those issues. Good luck with everything!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,812
Likes: 2,029
From: eastern NC
usmilret, where are you located? Even a general area in your profile might generate additional useful responses or help us point you to someone in your area that can be of assistance to you.
Good luck... GUSTO
Good luck... GUSTO
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2015
Posts: 221
Likes: 13
From: Central Virginia
Gusto
I live in south of Richmond in Virginia.
Everyones tips are well appreciated, trust me.
I got this car basically for free and performed about a half of a ton of work on her. She doesn't give up anything without a fight.
There are some plans in the works for this car, She is a runner.
I live in south of Richmond in Virginia.
Everyones tips are well appreciated, trust me.
I got this car basically for free and performed about a half of a ton of work on her. She doesn't give up anything without a fight.
There are some plans in the works for this car, She is a runner.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,812
Likes: 2,029
From: eastern NC
Gusto
I live in south of Richmond in Virginia.
Everyones tips are well appreciated, trust me.
I got this car basically for free and performed about a half of a ton of work on her. She doesn't give up anything without a fight.
There are some plans in the works for this car, She is a runner.
I live in south of Richmond in Virginia.
Everyones tips are well appreciated, trust me.
I got this car basically for free and performed about a half of a ton of work on her. She doesn't give up anything without a fight.
There are some plans in the works for this car, She is a runner.
You're pretty close to ZIP on 8067 Fast Lane, in Mechanicsville. They have a great crew and are terrific to deal with. They can also be a good resource for information on your car. Give them a call, if you haven't already, and pick their collective brains.
Good luck and be careful, it's entirely possible to get upside down on even a free C3!
GUSTO