for the love of god help me guys,

[donkeypunch]

87 tbi 454. Something is drawing a charge from my battery. But put a new one in and in a week went under 11 volts. Messed around under the dash yesterday and now its completely dead today. The door lock relay is pulled apart? Seems suspect I guess but it did not seem to be bound up or humming in anyway.
Also I have 3 fuses with power on both sides. Only recognize the one marked horn. I have no other reference to ID the circuits. Please help.

 

[crazy4offroad]

Horn, headlights and brake lights should all have power all the time, and if there's a fuse for hazard lights them too. Is it the power doorlock relay under the dash or the solenoid in the door? Feel for warm wires, wiggle wires and listen for arcing. I had a mechanical oil pressure gauge and the tube was actually grounding out on my instrument cluster's printed circuit, I could hear it arcing now and then but took forever to trace down. I was going through the same deal with killing the battery so I put a large throw switch on the negative battery terminal (you can get one cheap at Advance) to kill the drain till I could trace down what it was.

 

[bucket]

Disconnect the positive battery terminal, connect a test light between the battery and the terminal. A significant drain will light up the test light. Then have a buddy lay in the truck (doors closed) and pull fuses (just one at a time) until you find one that makes the test light go out. When you find one, the draw is on that circuit and you can trace it from there.

 

[oneluckypops]

Disconnect the positive battery terminal, connect a test light between the battery and the terminal. A significant drain will light up the test light. Then have a buddy lay in the truck (doors closed) and pull fuses (just one at a time) until you find one that makes the test light go out. When you find one, the draw is on that circuit and you can trace it from there.

Not quite bucket, Battery drain effects the battery on the NEGATIVE side. To test for battery drain with that method you would need to un hook the NEGATIVE battery terminal then atach 1 end of the test light to the batter NEG. Terminal and the other end of the test light to the Negative cable, if theres a Battery drain the test light will light up. Then you can go ahead and start pulling fuses untill you find the draining circuit.
BUT that is NOT always accurate on newer model cars with Computers. To test late models you need to either check across the fuses with a multimeter set on mili volts, OR connect a resister inbetween the negative battery terminal and the negative battery cable, then with a multimeter test on both sides of the resistor. Heres a Video to show how to do the later method.
[yt]B__DqK90IIc[/yt]
Heres another video to show how to check across the fuses with voltage drop
[yt]d3_yWnUH2Sw&feature=related[/yt]

 

[davbell22602]

Not quite bucket, Battery drain effects the battery on the NEGATIVE side. To test for battery drain with that method you would need to un hook the NEGATIVE battery terminal then atach 1 end of the test light to the batter NEG. Terminal and the other end of the test light to the Negative cable, if theres a Battery drain the test light will light up. Then you can go ahead and start pulling fuses untill you find the draining circuit.
BUT that is NOT always accurate on newer model cars with Computers. To test late models you need to either check across the fuses with a multimeter set on mili volts, OR connect a resister inbetween the negative battery terminal and the negative battery cable, then with a multimeter test on both sides of the resistor. Heres a Video to show how to do the later method.
[yt]=player_detailpage[/yt]

Where's the video?

 

[oneluckypops]

Fixed them for ya Dave, now you have another tool to either buy or make LOL can we NOT have a new thread about "buying a resistor"

 

[89Suburban]

Fixed them for ya Dave, now you have another tool to either buy or make LOL can we NOT have a new thread about "buying a resistor"

Hahahaha.

You, that Scotty Kilmer dude is a trip, good vids mang.

 

[donkeypunch]

It's the relay under the dash. They just dont operate every time they are switched, but hell nothing does on this truck. The power windows only work half the time.the relay looks as if its been taken apart at some point and will no longer stay in its housing. A cheap part I know but 5$ here, 25$ there and this thing is nickel and diming me so far.
Good idea about the neg cable kill switch. I may have to do that for the time being.

 

[donkeypunch]

great info pops!

Not quite bucket, Battery drain effects the battery on the NEGATIVE side. To test for battery drain with that method you would need to un hook the NEGATIVE battery terminal then atach 1 end of the test light to the batter NEG. Terminal and the other end of the test light to the Negative cable, if theres a Battery drain the test light will light up. Then you can go ahead and start pulling fuses untill you find the draining circuit.
BUT that is NOT always accurate on newer model cars with Computers. To test late models you need to either check across the fuses with a multimeter set on mili volts, OR connect a resister inbetween the negative battery terminal and the negative battery cable, then with a multimeter test on both sides of the resistor. Heres a Video to show how to do the later method.
[yt]B__DqK90IIc[/yt]
Heres another video to show how to check across the fuses with voltage drop
[yt]d3_yWnUH2Sw&feature=related[/yt]

Looks like I'm headed to radio shack tomorrow. Thanks. Can never have enough home made tools.

 

[bucket]

Not quite bucket, Battery drain effects the battery on the NEGATIVE side.

Really? I've always unhooked the pos side. Next time I'll try the negative.

But now I have one of those fancy meters that just clamp around the battery cable and I normally use that. I don't fully understand how to use it, but I'm getting there.

 

[towman]

Really? I've always unhooked the pos side. Next time I'll try the negative.

But now I have one of those fancy meters that just clamp around the battery cable and I normally use that. I don't fully understand how to use it, but I'm getting there.

pops is correct it is the negative you check for a draw from

 

[oneluckypops]

Really? I've always unhooked the pos side. Next time I'll try the negative.

But now I have one of those fancy meters that just clamp around the battery cable and I normally use that. I don't fully understand how to use it, but I'm getting there.

Bucket
Dont take this the wrong way, Just trying to help you out NOT insult you or anyone else for that matter. But I will try to explain how it works.


Parasitic Drain is when Electrical loads (lights,switches, relays, radio memory buttons, Clocks, alarms, and even Computers) fail to shut off when the ignition switch is turned to the OFF position. Different Vehicles normally have a certain amount of parasitic drain usually around 30-35 mili amps but again that all depends on what options are on the vehicle.

The most OVERLOOKED causes of parasitic drain is from lights, more times then not I find either a glovebox light, trunk, or underhood light is stuck on. I beleive they are often over looked even by techs because you cant see them when the doors are closed.


Heres another good read http://www.flashoffroad.com/electrical/CurrentDrain/currentdrain.pdf

 

[bucket]

Bucket
Dont take this the wrong way, Just trying to help you out NOT insult you or anyone else for that matter. But I will try to explain how it works.


Parasitic Drain is when Electrical loads (lights,switches, relays, radio memory buttons, Clocks, alarms, and even Computers) fail to shut off when the ignition switch is turned to the OFF position. Different Vehicles normally have a certain amount of parasitic drain usually around 30-35 mili amps but again that all depends on what options are on the vehicle.

The most OVERLOOKED causes of parasitic drain is from lights, more times then not I find either a glovebox light, trunk, or underhood light is stuck on. I beleive they are often over looked even by techs because you cant see them when the doors are closed.


Heres another good read http://www.flashoffroad.com/electrical/CurrentDrain/currentdrain.pdf

Thanks Electrical has always been (and probably always will be) one of my weak areas. I get the basics, but the rest I'm still learning.

 

[oneluckypops]

Thanks Electrical has always been (and probably always will be) one of my weak areas. I get the basics, but the rest I'm still learning.

honestly the electrical is my favorite part, thats 1 reason why i like fuel injection and electronically controlled transmissions. I just wish I could afford to invest in all the tuning equipment.