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Today I went out to start our '76 Salon which was last used 2 - 3 weeks ago.
Imagine my surprise when I found the electrical system to be completely dead.
The voltmeter read zero when hooked to the battery. When I hooked-up the battery booster, I noticed a small spark jump between terminal and clamp . . . but the car started right up on the boost charge.
The headlamps were not left on. The trunk and glove box lamps stay off. This car rarely has electrical issues, but it sure has one now. Any suggestions as to where to start tracking-down this current drain while the car is parked?
Clean your battery terminals and cable ends. Some newer stereo's, aux amps, alarm systems, etc will draw a battery down over time. If this is something that just cropped up, your battery may be on its way out.
Battery terminals and cable ends are spotless. No aftermarket junk other than an electric choke which is only hot when ignition is on. Battery is no more than 2.5 years old.
Remember: when I attached a booster to the dead battery (0 volts measured with a multimeter), a small spark jumped indicating a shorted circuit somewhere.
Moreover, I drove the car last night (with booster in trunk "just in case"); no problems restarting, but of course I disconnected the batter while the car was not running.
A short in the electrical system on a car leads to only 2 things. One is a blown fuse or fusible link, two is melted wiring or electrical fire. A small spark between the terminal and clamp indicates corrosion at the joint where the cable end surface meets the terminal surface. While they may look clean, they are not. Having 0 volts on a battery that is good almost never happens unless there is a problem with the battery.
Before you disconnect the battery take a reading with a multi meter mark down your reading then disconnect and recheck it a few days later a see what's happening. Voltage drops and then battery is going bad, voltage still good and you have a parasitic drain somewhere. .... Tedd
Voltage has been checked and is not dropping while battery is disconnected. Only when the battery is disconnected does the battery lose voltage.
I suspect the alternator diode trio and have ordered a kit to turn my 63-amp alternator into a "one-wire" alternator, which includes the diode trio. We shall see what happens from there.
I always check for a drain with a test light. Disconnect the neg cable, connect light between neg batt terminal and cable. Make sure doors are closed. A light shows a connection, no light no drain. Pull fuses, disconnect alt until light goes out. Why spend money and make changes until you troubleshoot problem?
I did test for the voltage drain: as soon as the battery was connected, the drain commenced. I checked for other typical sources for battery drain (such as trunk and glove box lamps) but could find none.
There will be no visible difference when I convert the alternator to 1-wire; I checked. Since the alternator is readily accessible and I possess the tools and skills to go through it, I just thought I would start there.
June 28th, 2018, 02:31 PM
