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Old 07-23-2019, 02:03 AM   #7
RustyPile
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Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: Elkhart, Texas
Posts: 1,538
Re: Odd Electrical Drain

All good suggestions. stuck brake light switch, bad dome light switch on the door post. Does the horn work as it should?? If the horn is stuck "ON" and the horns themselves have been disconnected, an energized horn relay will cause a drain.. When you turn off the ignition, be sure the key is in the "OFF" position and not in "ACC" position.

You can use either a multi meter set to read amps or a test light with an incandescent bulb.. LED test light won't work for this test, volts/amps might not be enough to light the diode.. In a pinch a dash light bulb and a couple jumpers will work.. Disconnect either battery cable and connect the meter probes or test light between the cable end and battery post.. Pull one end of the fuses, one at a time.. When the light goes out or the meter reading drops, you've found the circuit that's causing the drain.. In the case of more than one item/component on the circuit, install the fuse and disconnect the items, again, one at a time looking for the light to go out..

Like franken said, I'd suspect the alternator and/or voltage regulator first on the list.. Disconnect the alternator leads including the main charging wire on the big post on the back of the alternator.. In the case of an external voltage regulator, disconnect the 4 leads on it.. Always disconnect one item at a time, looking for the light to go out.. For most people, these tests are simple, but must be conducted in an orderly step by step fashion, or you'll just be chasing your tail all over the place, getting nowhere..

Today's batteries are only good for a couple years and "die" without a warning..As I stated in my first post here, first thing to do is determine if the battery is good or bad..
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