[grandville455]

Went out this morning to take the grand to work after putting a new battery in Monday... Have Not drove or started the car since then.. all was fine then!.. well today it was completely dead!! Had .20 Volts!.. The only two things I have changed was putting in a floor shift and buckets.. The drivers is powered... question can there be a short in the powered seat drawing it down? or did i screw something up in the switches for reverese/ neutral? Is that even possible since there just a switch and nothing is on!.. How do u check for a short at the battery? Isn't there a simple test with your meter to see if something is on? like one lead to post other to one of the cables?
thanks!!

[steve25]

If you have a charger with a meter on it that can read below 2 amps, remove the battery connections anf hook up the charger, if you can see meter move than someting is drawing current that should be. The only thing that should be drawing current with everything off would be a dash clock, and the miilamps that they draw to run will not even show up on a chargers amp meterI reapair electronics, and anytime a unit acts up with a different problem than when I started working on it, 99% of the time its due to a problem I created while fixing the original problem so go back and check the last work you did to the car.

[steve25]

Sorry, that should say"should not be pulling current" in thet first paragraph.

[grandville455]

Originally Posted by steve25

If you have a charger with a meter on it that can read below 2 amps, remove the battery connections anf hook up the charger, if you can see meter move than someting is drawing current that should be. The only thing that should be drawing current with everything off would be a dash clock, and the miilamps that they draw to run will not even show up on a chargers amp meterI reapair electronics, and anytime a unit acts up with a different problem than when I started working on it, 99% of the time its due to a problem I created while fixing the original problem so go back and check the last work you did to the car.

Can I hook up a digital meter across those two cables? Is that what your saying to do?

[Pontiacmuscle]

I'd charge the battery up or swap in a known good battery, hook everything back up and use a digital multimeter; and check the battery to see if you have a drain.While your doing this you can always unhook the power lead for the seat etc and see if that changes things.

[Sun Tuned]

Take a test light and disconnect the negative terminal. Ground the test light lead. Touch the test light probe to the non connected neg terminal.(Not the battery terminal the negative battery lead that you should be holding, and touch it with the test light probe.)

If the light illuminates then you now know you have a current draw on the battery.

Now begins the fun part of finding it.

[grandville455]

Bob Can I use a digital meter instead of test light? I have both just asking?
Pontiac Muscle . Its a brand new battery.. I will jump it tonight and start car then check.. It was fine when i put it in and started car.. Old battery was bad thats why i replaced it...

[george kujanski]

Use your multimeter in the DC Amps function. You may need to plug the probes into a different jack (usually 10A max) than what's usually used for voltage measurements.

Take off one of the battery cables. Connect one of the probes to the battery terminal where the cable was removed and the other probe to the cable end.

If you get a reading less than about .2 A, change the function to DC milliamps (most meters will have a 200 mA function, you may need to change jacks also).

Take another measurement. If it's less than about 50 mA. (.050 A), that's normal. Over 100 mA will cause a battery drain over several days.

The reason for starting out in the 10 A range is that if your draw is greater than 200 mA, you would blow the internal fuse in the meter. Once you determine the draw is less, you change to the lower scale to get better resolution.

Been to the Leine Lodge lately?

George

[grandville455]

George
I have a fluke here at work.. Don't see that option? I also Have a sears one at home.. don't know about that one either... Have never toured the lodge ,but maybe i will have to after this lol...

["QUICK-SILVER"]

Originally Posted by Sun Tuned

Take a test light and disconnect the negative terminal. Ground the test light lead. Touch the test light probe to the non connected neg terminal.(Not the battery terminal the negative battery lead that you should be holding, and touch it with the test light probe.)

If the light illuminates then you now know you have a current draw on the battery.

Now begins the fun part of finding it.

X2
With a hot battery and one cable off; hook a test light between battery post and cable end. Any short strong enough to kill the battery will light the test light. Start pulling fuses, un-plug, unhook, till the light goes out. Problem will be found and can be fixed.

With the test light inline between cable end and battery post you can work on or touch anything without any fear of a short.

With my eyes, it's much easier to see a light dim or go out than it is to read a multi meter from any distance.

If the test light in line doesn't come on with a hot battery, better get the new battery tested.

Pull dome light fuse and under hood light since you'll be working with these open.

[mchell]

dude....the posts above are the best way to check for amp draw...

But, another way you could possibly tell if you don't have a DC Milliamp/Amp fuction on your meter is by: removing bat. cables, charge bat., pull harness connected to new power seat, install bat. and cables, observe Voltage on bat. (should be reletivly steady with a very slow drop in voltage), plug in seat harness and watch voltage again, if its dropping like crazy its your seat....if it was dropping like crazy with the harness unplugged its something else......good luck

[mechanickeith]

Once you determine that you do have a drain on the system, with the meter still connected, start pulling fuses one at a time till you see the drain on the meter change. that will be the circuit to look at. Pull your dome light lamp first so you dont get a false reading.

Keith

[grandville455]

Thats the simple test I was thinking of thanks guys!.. I am guessing its in that power seat, possibly relay staying on ?...Didn't drain my battery before the seat was put in.. And my reverse lights only come on when placed in reverse...

[Formulas]

Diode in the alternator drawing current when the key is off.
Only a accessory that works when the key is off could be suspect for a key off voltage drain.

" And my reverse lights only come on when placed in reverse..."
So they dont come on in park or foreward gears ?? now thats really strange

[grandville455]

Originally Posted by Formulas

Diode in the alternator drawing current when the key is off.
Only a accessory that works when the key is off could be suspect for a key off voltage drain.

" And my reverse lights only come on when placed in reverse..."
So they dont come on in park or foreward gears ?? now thats really strange

I just meant I don't think I can screw something up so easy ,lol...

[Formulas]

When the alternator goes south other than when it just quits charging its real easy to suspect / blame an accessory is draining the battery or the battery is bad cuz the alternator will still charge fine when it runs
so it appears to be fine so the mind goes other places and the problem continues.

Been there done that.. search old post`s on the subject

you still could have a non alternator problem but dont rule that puppy out just because it charges fine.

[grandville455]

I don't have a charger can I just jump start the car and charge it that way? or is that not good on a new battery thats been drained?

[71 Ventura II]

Originally Posted by grandville455

I don't have a charger can I just jump start the car and charge it that way? or is that not good on a new battery thats been drained?

FWIW Advance Auto Parts will run a full systems check which includes a test for current draw for free. Also, some alternators come with a warning to not install in a vehicle with a battery below 10.0a as it can cause the unit to fail. Good Luck! JD

[Sun Tuned]

I will not tell you you can't jump it and go because the truth is... you can.

However, I'd advise heavily against it. You will overwork the hell out of the alternator. Especially when the battery is that low. Also it will strain the "jumper" alternator also. Last time I saw that done the alternator whined like a train for a good amount of time. The next thing that happens is then about 3-4 months down the road, long after you forgot about it you'll be replacing an alternator for some weird reason.

Batteries seem to have about 2 "get outta jail free" passes in them and then you're usually SOL. If it were a dire emergency I'd say giterdone, but at this point I'd say don't do it.

I'd offer 2 options...
1. Buy a decent but not real expensive battery charger, you'll end up using it more than you think.
2. Carry it to the parts store and have them charge it, If you can trust them not to "Get in a hurry and send it nuclear and try an fry it, just to get you done in 30 mins and out." Usually will do it for a few dollars, but I still like option 1 so you can bring it back up nice and slow yourself. Might have been a good battery and you don't wanna wreck that possibility getting in a hurry.

Letting the parts store quickly "boost" it is same as letting alternator do same from dead, and then wounding alternator in process. The Interstate reps would not accept a battery for use until it met charge levels and if low meant minimum of 1/2- 3/4 of a day on charge to bring to acceptable levels....slowly.

You can use VOM meter sure. Bear in mind all electronics must be off to get 0 reading or no light on test light. I mean if you have a radio with memory recall or clock etc, it may have just enough to illuminate test light or show reading on meter, so bear that in mind. If you use the light method and its real bright you got something pretty substantial a supposed to just a dim glow.

Either way works fine, except the light just tells you its lit and not really how many volts are driving its brightness. Of course if you're good then you can just look at the light and say... Well, looks like about 3.2 volts. Just kidding! If you can do that then you can tell your buddies you also got an elbow that automatically clicks when you reach 85 ft.lbs. when torquing wheel lug nuts. You can convince em your elbow does it and not the tq wrench instead. Good for some laughs.

[Sun Tuned]

What I meant was how many volts, if thats what your trying to measure are attached to the bulbs brightness at that particular point in time when you test it, but you know what I mean.