Electrical question

[400/6/PAC]

 am having problems with My battery.
I disconnected the positive and negative cables from the battery and ohm'ed out the two cable connections to the battery, They do ohm out.
This seems like a direct short to Me but the lights on the car have an intentional direct short, that's how the lights light up.
Should I be reading ohm's from My positive and negative cable connections that go to the battery???
Thanks for Your help.

[c00nhunterjoe]

What are you trying to troubleshoot.

[Nacho-RT74]

nor the headlights or anything of the headlights system untill you turn on the switch BUT dome light if door is open.

Nothing on car must draw voltage ( so then, get an ohm reading ) BUT clock and that´s just an impulse every minute or so. Modern stereos could get some too for the memory, if your car got one.

Are you making the test with doors open? trunk ? Trunk light is a mercury tilt switch built into socket... maybe out of adjustment?

[John_Kunkel]

Yeah, if you have any component(s) in the car with a parasitic draw there will be continuity between the battery cables.

[400/6/PAC]

I was testing with nothing on, No lights or stereo.

[70 sublime]

I was testing with nothing on, No lights or stereo.

If your stereo is a newer set up it will draw power when not on for the station and clock memory

[John_Kunkel]

If your stereo is a newer set up it will draw power when not on for the station and clock memory

AKA parasitic draw.

[krops cars]

What I do when I look for a draw. I leave the positive hooked up. Un hook negative. With a 12 volt test light connect it from the battery neg to the neg cable. If there is a draw it will light up. Test with it hooked up open door. Light will light up. With some computerized cars there will be a very dim light. That is draws from stereos and computer. Now if yours is lite up bright start pulling fuses. This will get you on the right track for trouble shooting.

[c00nhunterjoe]

Disconnect the negative and hook your multimeter up in series set to the 10 amp setting. Any more the 50 milliamps (.05) on the meter is a draw that is excessive for modern electronics. In a 69 charger it should be 0 unless your clock is still working but even then it may only be .01. If you have a reading it will be easy to test as there are only a handfull of fuses in the fuse box. Most likely culprit would be an alternator if there is actually a draw.

[400/6/PAC]

You Guy's are awesome .
I did the parasitic draw test on the negative side and was showing 298 MA.
I pulled the fusses one at a time and on the fuse to My dome light it went to almost zero, about 4 MA
I found a bad wire with the insulation gone to the dome light.
I repaired the wire and so far so good, My battery is holding charge
Thanks to all of You for Your help.

PS
I never knew about a parasitic draw test or how to do it until You Guy's helped Me.

[c00nhunterjoe]

 

[Nacho-RT74]

Cool!

[gtx6970]

You Guy's are awesome .
I did the parasitic draw test on the negative side and was showing 298 MA.
I pulled the fusses one at a time and on the fuse to My dome light it went to almost zero, about 4 MA
I found a bad wire with the insulation gone to the dome light.
I repaired the wire and so far so good, My battery is holding charge
Thanks to all of You for Your help.

PS
I never knew about a parasitic draw test or how to do it until You Guy's helped Me.

On the yellow or pink wire?

yellow is ground circuit and if shorted with keep the light on causing battery drain

The pink wire is B+ side and if bare it will be a dead short to ground and blow fuses