[Brackneyc]

Well, wouldn't you know it. My battery (or the car) has decided to drain the battery down to dead in two days, or less... when just sitting there. It has been fine since I put it back together a few months ago. The only thing I have done is add a temp guage. I wired it into a switched spot in the fuse box. I have looked at the choke, the ignition and almost every other thing I can think of. Nothing is "hot" unless it is supposed to be. I do havea burned out headlight, but that's about it.

Any ideas of where else to look.


Could the battery just be bad? It sat uncharged for a year prior to installation. It has however held a charge for the last three months. The battery is about 2 years old.

[Brackneyc]

Well, I just did a suggestion I learned from a search here. I disconnected the negative cable, and touched the tester to the battery and the body...and I have light. That indicates a drain somewhere. Will pulling the fuses tell me where the drain is coming from, or do I need to disconnect various things on the car, like the horns, lights ect...

[satz28]

Originally Posted by Brackneyc

Well, I just did a suggestion I learned from a search here. I disconnected the negative cable, and touched the tester to the battery and the body...and I have light. That indicates a drain somewhere. Will pulling the fuses tell me where the drain is coming from, or do I need to disconnect various things on the car, like the horns, lights ect...

I would pull the fuses to at least isolate which circuit. Once you narrow it down, then you can see what items are on that branch.

[dnult]

Craig disconnect whatever you can get your hands on to isolate the drain. Fuses are probably the easiest first start. Pull the big red wire off the alternator also (don't let it touch ground though). Often, the alternator will develop a short in one of the diodes. If those things don't narrow it down enough, then move on to connectors.

[dragon0123]

Id try disconnecting the temp gauge that you hooke up first, since you noticed it after that.

[JimM]

I'd go for the alternator first.

Then the regulator.

The only circuits that can even get power without the key on are the ignition, the headlight switch and the clk-cty-ltr fuse

[zdld17]

Ditto on what Jim said first . You mentioned choke, I presume that is hooked thru a "on '' key mode. If not and its direct, it "should' eventually heat up in the choke and turn itself off, if not it may be on constantly and a constant drain?

[Brackneyc]

Originally Posted by JimM

I'd go for the alternator first.

Then the regulator.

The only circuits that can even get power without the key on are the ignition, the headlight switch and the clk-cty-ltr fuse

I hate to sound clueless, but what am I checking when I check the alternator.

[JimM]

hook up your light like you did before.

Unplug the 2 wire connector and the big red wire on the alternator. Did the light go out?

[Rich Vader]

try the horn relay

[JimM]

Originally Posted by Rich Vader

try the horn relay

Yup next after the alternator. Take one of the big red wires off the horn relay. Does your test light go out?

[Brackneyc]

Originally Posted by JimM

hook up your light like you did before.

Unplug the 2 wire connector and the big red wire on the alternator. Did the light go out?

Jim, the light went out when I unpluged the two wire connector only on the alternator. It stayed on with all fuses out. Now what?

[dnult]

Ok, you're on to something. Did you try leaving the two-wire connector plugged in and disconecting the big red wire to the alternator only? I believe you have just about narrowed the problem down to the alternator or regulator. Are we to presume this is an OEM charging system on a 1st gen with an external regulator?

[Brackneyc]

Originally Posted by dnult

Ok, you're on to something. Did you try leaving the two-wire connector plugged in and disconecting the big red wire to the alternator only? I believe you have just about narrowed the problem down to the alternator or regulator. Are we to presume this is an OEM charging system on a 1st gen with an external regulator?

Yes, totally stock configred 1st gen charging system. With big red wire off, an the other two plugged in, the light stays on.

[pappy's69]

I just went thru the same thing with my battery drainning.I check out all the circuits and then replaced the horn relay.My problem is solved.no voltage drain.I would check the horn relay,on the radiator support.
I went to auto zone and purchased horn relay for 15.95
Hope this helps and you find your battery drain!!!
______________________________
Dan