Electric draw

[68L71]

If I touch the tail or stop fuses on the fuse box with a simple DC voltage tester I assume I should not find them live?

I unhooked the steering column, the entire rear harness, and then the brake switch still the fuses are live. Where else should I be looking for problems?

I need to find my good multimeter so I can check for a drain on the battery.

 

[68L71]

edit :bump:

 

[TimAT]

You need a wiring diagram. I know the brake light circuit is hot all the time, just the switch closing turns the lights on, so it makes sense the fuse is hot all the time. I don't know, but I'd think the same for the tail.

With everything hooked up, remove the negative (-) battery cable and put your test light in there. If it lights with the doors closed, pull the fuse for the clock/radio. If it still lights up, you have a REAL need for a good wiring diagram.

 

[68L71]

I have been looking to find this draw and I still cannot find it. Test light between post and cable all the fuses out still the light is on, ~30% intensity. My multimeter only reads up to 250 Ma so I don’t know the amperage of the draw. So this draw must not be on a fused circuit. What is not on a fused circuit? Ever since I have had this car is has had a battery drain, overnight and the battery is pretty weak.

Here is the skinny on the electrical situation in my car since I got it: new wiring harnesses firewall forward, Dewitt’s w/ fans, MSD ignition and a mini starter for oil pan clearance. I have no heater or fan, wipers, or radio.

Looking at my ignition switch I see a single brown wire, I see it on the wiring diagram but I cannot figure out what it is? Does it turn on the wipers when the key is turned?

 

[big2bird]

I have been looking to find this draw and I still cannot find it. Test light between post and cable all the fuses out still the light is on, ~30% intensity. My millimeter only reads up to 250 Ma so I don’t know the amperage of the draw. So this draw must not be on a fused circuit. What is not on a fused circuit? Ever since I have had this car is has had a battery drain, overnight and the battery is pretty weak.

Here is the skinny on the electrical situation in my car since I got it: new wiring harnesses firewall forward, Dewitt’s w/ fans, MSD ignition and a mini starter for oil pan clearance. I have no heater or fan, wipers, or radio.

Looking at my ignition switch I see a single brown wire, I see it on the wiring diagram but I cannot figure out what it is? Does it turn on the wipers when the key is turned?

You got the time? I have NEVER failed to find a drain using my method. Make up a 12v lamp, #194 in a marker light works good, use 25' of two wire appliance cord, and connect the leads. At the other end, install two alligator clips. Now, you can disconnect the + term at the battery, and you series the lamp. Now you have it easy. The lamp will limit any large current flow in case you f*** up, and you can carry the lamp around the car as you work. (You will use it again someday)
Jack up the car, and pull the batt cable. Light on, screw in cable, chafe, touching tunnel insulation, etc.
Lamp off, reinstall without any other lead leaving the term. Lamp on, bad solenoid leaking. Lamp off, connect one lead out. Keep chasing downstream using this process.
A little bit of patience, and you will find the culprit.

 

[mrvette]

I know it's a PIA, but with Bird's light there, just pull one fuse at a time to see when it goes off, another way is to pull them all, and examine each with a ohm meter, and see that the fuse block itself is not all heated and rusted and the wires melted....common problem as moisture gets in there and rusts the steel fuse clips, and the copper crimp connections get hot with all the currents passing through them, and the wires start with the melted insulation....I would pop the battery cable then go for pulling the fuse block down and look at the backside of it with a good flashlight....you can leave it loose while you plug in the fuses one at a time untill Birds' light comes on, then you KNOW who the guilty party is, and also know the general condition of those troublesom fuse blocks....I have seen several really badly burnt up.....

:shocking::shocking::shocking:

 

[big2bird]

Gene,
You can find the strangest things. IE, horn relays so corroded inside, they leak a little voltage, bad fuse clips as you state, chaffed wires, etc. I would suspect the guys with leaky birdcages/windshields get even more gremlins.

 

[mrvette]

Gene,
You can find the strangest things. IE, horn relays so corroded inside, they leak a little voltage, bad fuse clips as you state, chaffed wires, etc. I would suspect the guys with leaky birdcages/windshields get even more gremlins.

OH Christ YES, all you all out there on shakeyside have no corrosion problems to speak of....try the east coast on down to HELL in Florida...rained every damn day for the last 2 months and 70% today....it's nearly 2pm now....bet ME?? look at the Google maps....:twitch:

I witnessed my mothers '63 Olds F85 4dr sedan, the one I mostly drove in school and so it sat for some 25 years in the garage in Maryland...the condensate alone was enough to rust that car to the point of almost no return....amazing to look under there and see brown everywhere, not a inch of black, nothing, just RUST....sad really....

:surrender:

 

[68L71]

Thanks for all the advice so far guys. Using birds method I unplugged the forward harnesses at the firewall out went the light. I plugged back in the engine and nothing, plugged in the headlamp et al harness and back on goes the light. I unplugged the main plug in the voltage regulator and off went the light. The regulator is new 1 year ago.

I have an msd box and I remember them saying if the engine runs on I may need to add a diode to block current from flowing back and continuing the spark. My engine does not run on. I don’t think this would be it but I thought I would mention it.

So any ideas, if I upgrade to Genes alternator and get Glens plug from CI should this go away?

 

[mrvette]

Thanks for all the advice so far guys. Using birds method I unplugged the forward harnesses at the firewall out went the light. I plugged back in the engine and nothing, plugged in the headlamp et al harness and back on goes the light. I unplugged the main plug in the voltage regulator and off went the light. The regulator is new 1 year ago.

I have an msd box and I remember them saying if the engine runs on I may need to add a diode to block current from flowing back and continuing the spark. My engine does not run on. I don’t think this would be it but I thought I would mention it.

So any ideas, if I upgrade to Genes alternator and get Glens plug from CI should this go away?

OH christ YES them damn old relay type regs are so old and out of date you lucky it works at all, now you got a ignition box on there and GOD knows what you got....

I would disconnect that box and junk it, go for a factory style HEI, and wire it in correctly...the ONLY thing I know of that a MSD 6AL box can do is fire rich mixtures better at idle for rich running carbs....other than that, nothing....except shut it down at whatever RPM you select for drag racing...

second off, ditch that antequated regulator and alt, and go for the later model alt and move up in the world....

:hi:

 

[68L71]

I figured out that my draw is stopped if I unhook the voltage regulator….I now found it also stops if I unhook the red wire on the starter. I should note I have a new mini starter to clear the oil pan…I had this same draw with the old starter. From the diagrams that red (changes to brown) wire goes to the ammeter and to the horn relay. If I unhook the ammeter I still have the draw. What do you guys think???

 

[big2bird]

I figured out that my draw is stopped if I unhook the voltage regulator….I now found it also stops if I unhook the red wire on the starter. I should note I have a new mini starter to clear the oil pan…I had this same draw with the old starter. From the diagrams that red (changes to brown) wire goes to the ammeter and to the horn relay. If I unhook the ammeter I still have the draw. What do you guys think???

Sounds like the regulator, or downstream from there. Somebody send me the schematic.

 

[68L71]

sent, thanks

I figured out that my draw is stopped if I unhook the voltage regulator….I now found it also stops if I unhook the red wire on the starter. I should note I have a new mini starter to clear the oil pan…I had this same draw with the old starter. From the diagrams that red (changes to brown) wire goes to the ammeter and to the horn relay. If I unhook the ammeter I still have the draw. What do you guys think???

Sounds like the regulator, or downstream from there. Somebody send me the schematic.

 

[68L71]

With help from bird I was able to find my eclectic draw. I always thought in the back of my mind it would be something simple. My ignition switch should keep the key captive in all positions except off…mine does not and I did not know it should. As a result I had been turning the ignition all the way to the left on shut down. I did not know the order of the switch was acc/off/ign/start…so I had been leaving it on acc resulting in a draw. Thanks to Doug for the info on the 68 ignition switch and bird for the electrical guidance.

 

[big2bird]

Glad to help. Anytime.