Help needed with battery drain problem
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 723
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From: Nashville Tennessee
Help needed with battery drain problem
My battery is pulling a drain from somewhere and I am unable to locate it. With a test light on the battery terminal I am getting a steady glow even with all, (yes, even those sneaky ones under the dash), the fuses and relays pulled. 
Anybody have any ideas where this could be coming from? 1992 LT-1 6-Speed Thanks -Michael
Anybody have any ideas where this could be coming from? 1992 LT-1 6-Speed Thanks -Michael
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 6,715
Likes: 2
From: Santa Teresa New Mexico
Originally Posted by PSO3120
My battery is pulling a drain from somewhere and I am unable to locate it. With a test light on the battery terminal I am getting a steady glow even with all, (yes, even those sneaky ones under the dash), the fuses and relays pulled. Anybody have any ideas where this could be coming from? 1992 LT-1 6-Speed Thanks -Michael
Anybody have any ideas where this could be coming from? 1992 LT-1 6-Speed Thanks -Michael
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,593
Likes: 0
From: Mobile AL
St. Jude Donor '05
You'll never get anything with the negative cable disconnected from the battery and the test lamp connected between the positive terminal of the battery and the (disconnected) negative cable.
How long does it take to discharge? You may just have a weak cell in the battery. The battery can discharge itself if there's internal short. Have it tested before you do anything else.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 6,715
Likes: 2
From: Santa Teresa New Mexico
A friends 93 would discharge the battery thru the secuirty light after 4-5 months of a Minnysnowda winter.
You need a volt meter Radio Shack has a good one for about $29.00.
If you test a battery at both the positve and the nagative terminals all you doing is reading battery voltage.
With a meter you can tell the rate of discharge but not the source of the discharge.
How long does the car sit?
How long before discharge?
Is the battery all the way up?
How old is the battery?
Is it dry?
You need a volt meter Radio Shack has a good one for about $29.00.
If you test a battery at both the positve and the nagative terminals all you doing is reading battery voltage.
With a meter you can tell the rate of discharge but not the source of the discharge.
How long does the car sit?
How long before discharge?
Is the battery all the way up?
How old is the battery?
Is it dry?
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 2,524
Likes: 10
From: Lufkin Texas
St. Jude Donor '05-'06
This is not real common but I have seen a defective alternator that charged well, but then discharged the battery when not running. To check, put all your fuses back in, make sure battery has a good charge and is hooked back up, then simply unplug all wires to alternator and see if battery still drains over night. I've seen it several times. This is all assuming that you have had your battery load tested and know it has no dead cell.
