Battery Drain
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
Battery Drain
My brand new battery in my 86 vert with 20,000 miles drains in less than 3 days. I put a meter on it and it draws 2 amps every 8 seconds. I've read some of the other discussions, but this seems to be a larger draw. What should I be looking for? Is there a better way than pulling fuses?
Last edited by liebo; Jan 29, 2010 at 08:45 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 17,551
Likes: 26
From: El Paso Texas
No, not really. You're going to have to isolate what circuit is shorted or has a draw, and correct the problem. But with that large of a draw, I would start looking at things like the power seat rack, headlight motor, alternator, stereo equipment, amps etc.
When I had this happen it turned out to be a power supply in the digital cluster. I don't recall the specific amount of draw, but it wasn't as high as yours. It was draining the battery in about 3 days.
Sooooo...start pulling fuses until the draw disappears. Then narrow it down from there. Not fun, I know.
When I had this happen it turned out to be a power supply in the digital cluster. I don't recall the specific amount of draw, but it wasn't as high as yours. It was draining the battery in about 3 days.
Sooooo...start pulling fuses until the draw disappears. Then narrow it down from there. Not fun, I know.
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 4,284
Likes: 1
From: Whitehall Pa.
If the light is on in the console it will drain it that fast. If I have too much stuff in the console it doesn't close right and the light will be on. I didn't see it until it was dark and then I had to look close.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 17,551
Likes: 26
From: El Paso Texas
Sounds good. Check the motors on the power seat track and see if one of them is warm. Not uncommon. You can also unplug the track and test for current drain there. If the seat track is the problem, see if the issue is in the switches or the track itself.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
It is moderately common for the seat adjust switches to stick on and the seat motor goes to the end of its travel and stalls, this draws high current and the seat motor circuit uses circuit breakers that reset themselves. What you are seeing is a stalled seat motor and a circuit breaker doing its job.
Pro
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 600
Likes: 1
From: Woodbridge Virginia
This is a old trick we used to use in finding a suspect circuit that is draining the battery. Make sure everything is off and the battery has a good charge or at least a battery charger is connected. If you pull one fuse at a time and then while re-inserting that one fuse you see any kind of spark that is the circuit that is suspect. There should be no spark when you re-insert the fuse because there should be no draw on that circuit. Try it, it works. 
Olcrusty said that
Olcrusty said that
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