Ignition?

[DatMo]

I charged my battery and it was running for awhile but then the next day it ran out again. It seems like my battery keeps getting drained immediately. Anyone know the solution? 68 510. It always seems to be happening when I start the car but my radio works and lights work fine.

Could it be the ignition is having a shortage?

[datzenmike]

Pull the battery cable off when not using it and see if the battery is ok the next day. If it's fine the next day then there must be something drawing power and killing the battery overnight.

 

Get a cheap test light. Its a 12 volt bulb on the end of a pointy probe and a short length of wire with an alligator clip on the other. You clip the alligator clip to a ground and anything you touch with the other end that has 12 volts on it will light the bulb.

 

Connect the test lamp to the battery terminal and the other to the removed battery cable. If something is drawing power it will have to pass through the bulb and light it. If the light is on... pull the fuses from the fuse box one at a time. If the light goes out, this is the circuit with the draw on it.

[D52E]

As Mike suggested - with the engine off pull the negative battery cable and connect a test light in series from battery cable to battery terminal to check for parasitic current draw. Isolate any parasitic current draw to a circuit by pulling fuses one at a time to see when the test light goes out. Get a wiring diagram to see what is on the circuit and then disconnect sub-components on the circuit one at a time to see what is drawing current.

 

I had a similar issue - In my case I made a mistake by bypassing my voltage regulator incorrectly when I upgraded to internal regulated alternator. It it resulted in the alternator field staying on all the time. This would kill the battery if parked for a couple of days. it took a little while to figure out but it is working good now.

 

Connect the test light in place of the meter below:

Good luck.

[DAT510]

Exactly that^

[datzenmike]

There shouldn't be anything ON except maybe a clock. Half of the fuse box is switched on by the ignition such as the wipers and heater, but some things are available all the time such as brake lights, headlights/running lights, 4 way flasher, interior lamp and horn.

 

Does your horn work properly?

[banzai510(hainz)]

 

at about 40 sces in to this vid is how to use the test light

Use a test light!!!!!!!!!!!!!I reppeat use a test light. D52 is a true statement but if you have a big drain on a older analog meter it will POP !!!!!!!!!!!! maybe a digital will work but EZer to use a test light.

 

have everything OFF (key OFF)and do as the vid above on how to hook up. if light is ON you got a drain. If NOT then nothing is wrong. I assume you got a bad batter ,low on water

But if LIGHT ON

I would then unplug the volt reg. if still on then unplug the + output on the alternator.

 

unplug the fuses till the light goes out.

If still on maybe you screwed a sheetmetal screw in to a plus wire or soemthing?

[yenpit]

banzai510.......I didn't know you were making self help videos! :w00t:

[banzai510(hainz)]

thats not me. but you know this already.

[DatMo]

Thanks everyone. Monday I'll have enough time to do this and I had used a test light on my fuses before hand and my fuses all worked fine.

[banzai510(hainz)]

do the test in video.

 

using a test light just to ck for power on a fuse isnt cking for a battery drain!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!