Electrical Help Please
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 291
Likes: 1
From: East TX
Electrical Help Please
I've seached and searched but can't seem to find where the power is going. My battery will not stay charged overnight. I've replaced with another brand new one just to be sure. I've pulled every fuse and still have a drain of about .5 amps. Has anybody had any experience with a problem such as this? Any suggestions on where to look? I've checked both fan control relays, and horn relay with no change. I've got a factory manual and started to trace down the wiring that doesn't go through the fuse box, but still not having much luck.
Thanks for any help given.
david
Thanks for any help given.
david
Drifting
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 1,931
Likes: 1
From: Norcross GA
Re: Electrical Help Please (david85)
1/2Amps would not be a relay(very odd failure). A typical failure on the early model's is the dig gauge cluster. Non the less,..... do you have a current meter at all?
Just to the right of the battery is the main power distriubtion terminal block. Orange, red, rust colored wires. Remove the nut and seperate all the wires. W/ the current meter between the battery and either battery post-wire,... add the wires one by one until you find your current draw. Watch the meter for more than 5 seconds as you generally get a little current draw from electronics when power is first applied. (Caps charging) Once you find the problem circuit,... the factory manual will tell you what is on it.
That is lesson 2.
Just to the right of the battery is the main power distriubtion terminal block. Orange, red, rust colored wires. Remove the nut and seperate all the wires. W/ the current meter between the battery and either battery post-wire,... add the wires one by one until you find your current draw. Watch the meter for more than 5 seconds as you generally get a little current draw from electronics when power is first applied. (Caps charging) Once you find the problem circuit,... the factory manual will tell you what is on it.
That is lesson 2.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
Re: Electrical Help Please (david85)
At night check for a vanity mirror light on, then check for underhood light on, then check for console compartment light on. Do you have an aftermarket radio, audio amplifier, theft alarm, radar detector? Check em. Some CFers found a seat adjust switch stuck on.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 291
Likes: 1
From: East TX
Re: Electrical Help Please (david85)
Thanks, all! I've checked in the dark, and see nothing. The car doesn't have any visors so I know that's not it, and most of the stuff like that go thru a fuse. I've tried to locate the terminal mentioned, but can't seem to locate. Is it covered with a cover of some sorts? Again, thanks in advance to those who respond.... :banghead:
david
david
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
Re: Electrical Help Please (david85)
There is a bolt just behind the battery that has 8 red wires on it. This is the jump start terminal and each red wire has a fusible link on it. Take the nut off this bolt and pull each wire off one at a time while watching your ammeter that is in series with the battery. Maybe one wire will cause your leakage current to drop and this circuit is the culprit.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 17,298
Likes: 33
From: The Top of Utah
Re: Electrical Help Please (david85)
I don't have a picture, but it is on the engine side of the firewall, right behind the battery. I assume from your forum name, that you have an '85. I don't know when this junction block was interduced, but my '84 doesn't have it. It sure would make life easier, if it did. Good luck, and...
RACE ON!!!
RACE ON!!!
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Drifting
Joined: Mar 1999
Posts: 1,931
Likes: 1
From: Norcross GA
Re: Electrical Help Please (CFI-EFI)
I don't know where it is on an 85,... but follow the small wire off of the Red terminal post of the battery. This wire is what feeds the rest of the car. The heavy red wire goes to the solenoid on the starter. Some cars pull power off of the POS on the solenoid, but I doubt this is the case w/ yours.
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 17,298
Likes: 33
From: The Top of Utah
Re: Electrical Help Please (david85)
No! If you were crazy enough, you'd have an '84. If it helps any, according to the wiring diagram in my Helms, there are three other wires connected to the large terminal on the starter solenoid, that the large battery cable goes to. Although you have TPI, and I have CFI, I doubt there are many differences in the overall wiring of these two years. Good luck, and...
RACE ON!!!
RACE ON!!!
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 199
Likes: 0
From: Canyon Lake California
Re: Electrical Help Please (david85)
David. I had a similar experience with my son's Mercury Sable. In my case, it turned out to be the alternator. I just happened to lay my hand on the alternator in the morning after it sat all night, it was slightly warm to the touch! The engine was completely cold but the alternator was warm. It turned out that one of the diodes in the alternator had some small leakage and was draining the battery when the engine was off. It was able to charge sufficiently when the engine was on, so no warning light came on.
Try pulling the wires off your alternator and keep them from shorting to anything. Then wait and see if your battery still drains.
Good luck!
Greg
Try pulling the wires off your alternator and keep them from shorting to anything. Then wait and see if your battery still drains.
Good luck!
Greg
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 291
Likes: 1
From: East TX
Re: Electrical Help Please (Greg's '88)
Thanks CFI/EFI and Greg... I've tried the alternator trick already, the only thing I haven't done is finding the fuseable links, and the possible drain on one of them. Just wondered if somebody out there had any other ideas and/or pictures of the connection others had mentioned.
thanks again,
david
thanks again,
david
