Big Gremlin In Wiring

[Donald O.]

Hi All,

I have been trying to find out why my battery keeps draining. I have tried the following:

1. removed each fuse one by one until the amp meter reads zero...keeps reading 1.37 amps.
2. removed all of the fuses...still reads 137 amps.
3. replaced battery with new.
4. replaced engine wiring harness and headlight extensions.

Is the problem in the dash wiring? If so, where? If not there, where? TIA.

Don

[Jack H.]

Gremlin may not be so big!

Not all circuits in a car are either (1) fused or (2) switched (through ignition switch). What you did by pulling fuses says a lot! It's telling you the branch fault lies in a circuit that's both unfused and unswitched.

Now, where might we find such 'critters'???? Hum, what about clock, cig lighter, horn relay, maybe a 'sneaky' interior light like glove box, Etc..... Your 'gremlin' isn't 'big' until you've rounded up all the likely suspects and eliminated them. Then, you'd be left looking for an inobvious power fault like skinned wires inside a wrapped harness (yuk!)....

[Jack H.]

Gremlin may not be so big!

Not all circuits in a car are either (1) fused or (2) switched (through ignition switch). What you did by pulling fuses says a lot! It's telling you the branch fault lies in a circuit that's both unfused and unswitched.

Now, where might we find such 'critters'???? Hum, what about clock, cig lighter, horn relay, maybe a 'sneaky' interior light like glove box, Etc..... Your 'gremlin' isn't 'big' until you've rounded up all the likely suspects and eliminated them. Then, you'd be left looking for an inobvious power fault like skinned wires inside a wrapped harness (yuk!)....

[Robert C.]

Re: Gremlin may not be so big!

I found my battery drain problem by going out into the garage at night with no lights on and found one little light behind the dash on!!

[Robert C.]

Re: Gremlin may not be so big!

I found my battery drain problem by going out into the garage at night with no lights on and found one little light behind the dash on!!

[Jack H.]

Funny....

There was a local Corvette shop (now defunct) that specialized in electrical problems like this. The shop owner always INSISTED customers leave the car overnight--never scheduled a day-time, while-you-wait appointment.

My brother had his first Corvette serviced there. Got EXCELLENT service despite the rather heafty invoice for replacing MANY worn out factory original electrical components.

When his second Corvette developed similar problems (constant low level battery discharge), he booked a repeat appointment, dropped the car off at 5PM, I picked him up to get him home and we stopped for dinner. During the meal, he realized he'd left a legal brief he was working on in the car that he HAD to have for the morning.....

We drove back to the now 'closed' shop and banged on the doors in hopes someone was still there. To our surprise, there was a full crew working 2nd shift IN THE DARK!!!!! They were finding defective/maladjusted interior lamp switches, hairline cracked distributor caps, leaky plug wires, Etc. and making 'quick' fixes. They were also padding the (*&^ out of the customer's invoice while they systematically pulled off factory original related electrical components for swap meet/auction disposal....

[Jack H.]

Funny....

There was a local Corvette shop (now defunct) that specialized in electrical problems like this. The shop owner always INSISTED customers leave the car overnight--never scheduled a day-time, while-you-wait appointment.

My brother had his first Corvette serviced there. Got EXCELLENT service despite the rather heafty invoice for replacing MANY worn out factory original electrical components.

When his second Corvette developed similar problems (constant low level battery discharge), he booked a repeat appointment, dropped the car off at 5PM, I picked him up to get him home and we stopped for dinner. During the meal, he realized he'd left a legal brief he was working on in the car that he HAD to have for the morning.....

We drove back to the now 'closed' shop and banged on the doors in hopes someone was still there. To our surprise, there was a full crew working 2nd shift IN THE DARK!!!!! They were finding defective/maladjusted interior lamp switches, hairline cracked distributor caps, leaky plug wires, Etc. and making 'quick' fixes. They were also padding the (*&^ out of the customer's invoice while they systematically pulled off factory original related electrical components for swap meet/auction disposal....

[Wayne W.]

Re: Funny....

You need to look at unfused devices. The alternator is the most usual culprit.

[Wayne W.]

Re: Funny....

You need to look at unfused devices. The alternator is the most usual culprit.

[Donald O.]

Re: Funny....

Thanks. I will check out the alternator in the morning. Could the voltage regulator be a suspect? I had replaced the original several years ago with a new electronic type, yes, I still have the OE in a box in the garage.

I thought that all lights were fused as well as the clock. The fuse panel lists those items.

I'll update results tomorrow.

Don

[Donald O.]

Re: Funny....

Thanks. I will check out the alternator in the morning. Could the voltage regulator be a suspect? I had replaced the original several years ago with a new electronic type, yes, I still have the OE in a box in the garage.

I thought that all lights were fused as well as the clock. The fuse panel lists those items.

I'll update results tomorrow.

Don