Hey guys. For the past few months my electrical situation has been progressively getting worse. It started off with me getting a new battery (the old battery was only 6 months old) and everything was peachy until about a month ago. If the car sits for more than 30 minutes, it is COMPLETELY dead. I have no idea what is going on. Once the battery is charged, it starts up without any problem, but if I let it sit, it won't have any power. While I'm driving the voltage is right around 13 no more no less and I've checked to make sure the alt, starter, and battery cables were all snug. The alternator is about 6 months old, but the starter and solenoid I assume are stock.

I have cut up a lot of things under my dash including the heater and a/c and the computer so I might have created a short somewhere and that's what I'm afraid of. Fortunately, my console is out and I have access to everything now (not even heater ducting in the way) so that will make my life much easier. Unfortunately, it's freezing here in Chicago so I better go fire up the propane heater for the garage

Any ideas on how to figure this one out guys?

Thanks, I appreciate all the help I get from here.

------------------
The '82Z
Hugger Orange
383 4 bolt main
3000 lbs
Bad cornering
NOS Sportsman Fogged
10 bolt braker

Coming to a street near you in the spring...
The car's website

 

you didn't say you were blowing a fuse so i'd guess you don't have a short. if you can go from a full charged battery to nothing in 30 minutes you have a major drain on it, like the head lights burning. are you sure that battery is getting charged?

------------------
ICON Motorsports
1st & 3rd

 

If you have an amp and it is not turning off, that will drain your battery pretty quick

------------------
90 IROC 5.7l (L98)
ram air, K&N's, air foil,Flows

LIKE A ROC

 

as far as I know there I no blown fuses...everything seems to work just fine.

I do not have an amp or anything like that. 30 minutes might be a little bit of an exageration, but it's no more than an hour or 2.

The only electrical problem I have besides the obvious battery draining is my parking lights don't come on when the lights are on, but they work when I flip on the turning indicator...I can't imagine this has anything to do with it though.

Please help!

 

Install a meter, and start pulling fuses one by one. See which gives you a big difference on the meter and that should be your problem.

http://home.san.rr.com/iroc/drain01.JPG

------------------
1989 IROC-Z 5.7L

 

thanks, I'll check that, but I have a feeling it's not due to any of the accessories...something stupid like a ground wire, eventhough I've checked everything.

 

My 79 Had a short In the Brake Lights, It would Drain the battery Over Night.

I just Shoved a Allen Wrench In the Fuse and pUlled it out when I shut the car oFf

Here is what You can do to Test for a short :

Disconnect the Negative Battery Cable. Make sure the ignition is off, the keys are out and everything. Test For Continut Between the Battery and the Chassis, If there is Continuity, You have a short someplace.

What I then Did< was Leave the Multimeter Testing ( it makes a loud beep when there is continuity ) and Started pulling fuses, One at a time. If You pull One, and the Beep ( or whatever your Multimeter does ) stops, That ACC contains Your short.




------------------
60 Ranchero - Project ( Money Hole )
85 Z28 LG4 - Daily Driver
**Mods**
MSD Superconductors
14" Open Element
KYB all around

 

I've heard of a power seat draining the battery before.

 

that's excellent help, thanks bort!

 

First I'd eliminate the battery as the cause...disconnect it onec ti's fully charged and after a few hours (whatever time it takes to normally go dead) check the voltage, should be 12.5volts...if yoou're reading in the 11's...it's not holding the charge.

If you have another vehicle, take the battery (after it's sat from a charge) and have it load tested.

Omars suggestion of pulling fuses and looking for a voltage change, is a good one...if your meter read amps (most do) this may help you out the most...bout the meter in series with the batter and cable, and see what the current draw is, disconnect each fuse/wiring harness connection until the current draw is neglible (ECM and a few other things should stil draw some, but not sure how much...maybe a 100ma's?) or gone, this should point you to the faulty item.

 

I have a feeling it's still a failing alternator. If it's stock, have an electrical rebuilder remanufacture it for a cost only around 35-40 bucks. You'd be blowing fuses if wiring was bad.