BATTERY DRAIN

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2012: BATTERY DRAIN
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ron Frenette on Monday, September 24, 2012 - 11:54 am:

I am afraid I must have a short that is draining my battery over night when the car is setting still with engine off. To save me from checking every wire are there points that I can test to isolate and identify the area the short may be in?

Thank you in advance.
Ron


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By A. Gustaf Bryngelson on Monday, September 24, 2012 - 12:05 pm:

You could start at the battery, it may be the battery itself. check with an ohm meter between the ground and the positive cable while it is disconnected, if you have no resistance, then you have a ground, move to the next junction and repeat, this will eventually isolate the ground. If you have an alternator, that would be a likely place to check, as it could have a failed diode


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Kossor on Monday, September 24, 2012 - 01:11 pm:

Does your car have a generator? If so, one thing to check is the cutout. The cutout disconnects the generator from the battery when the car is not running. A simple test of installing an amp meter in series with the generator wire will tell you if the generator is drawing current when the engine OFF.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jerry VanOoteghem on Monday, September 24, 2012 - 01:30 pm:

Ron,

Is this a new problem that has cropped up recently?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Charlie B actually in Toms River N.J. on Monday, September 24, 2012 - 01:44 pm:

A number of assumptions first: 1,You have a generator/starter car and 2, the battery is good. The first place to start is (with the battery charged, perhaps after a run) remove the batt. wire to the gen. cutoff. If your batts OK the next morning you've found it. The cutoff's stuck. USUALLY a batt won't go dead over night for no reason. If their shot that's it. They won't take a charge in the first place. There's not much to drain a batt on a T. A bad cutoff or possibly running lights left on that you didn't notice are really the most common.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Stitt-Southern Oregon on Monday, September 24, 2012 - 03:35 pm:

Not a whole lot there to cause a drain. You said overnight it goes dead.
Disconnect the ground cable and put a test light between the cable and battery lug. If it lights up start taking wires off the few devices the car has..Cut-out first. What ever wire causes the light to go out is the culprit.
If it doesn't light put the cable back on and start the car. Take the cable off and wait 24+ hours, put the cable back on and see if the car starts. If it doesn't Wash the top of the battery and repeat the second test.
If after all of that it still goes dead I'd re-evaluate the battery. If it goes dead out of the system...well?
Some will argue with me but I have seen on many occasions 6v batteries self discharging. Especially if they are prone to gassing.
Hope this helps.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ron Frenette on Monday, September 24, 2012 - 08:48 pm:

Thanks to everyone for the advice. This is what I was looking for. For the record I do have a generator with cutoff. The problem has been with me for a while but can be intermittent. When the car is running the generator gives the battery a good charge.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By HARRY A DAW on Monday, September 24, 2012 - 10:09 pm:

Within the last two years, I have had two batteries in two of my non T's that were self discharging. Both tested good, just needed charging, at the auto parts store. Replaced them and it solved the problem.
I do agree with all of the above posts. Good advise to try before replacing your battery.


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