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Discussion Topic:
Battery Drain
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billcarry |
06-12-2018 @ 2:23 PM
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Member
Posts: 55
Joined: Jan 2016
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I have a 48 convertible with a constant 0.38 amp drain which I think began a couple of weeks ago. Could have been doing this for a longtime as I keep a battery tender on it all the time, but not for the last two weeks. Spent the afternoon on my back under the instrument panel disconnecting things downstream from the ignition switch to no avail. Does anyone recognize the 0.38 amp drain as a particular circuit drain?? Guess I'm just trying to save myself a lot of work.
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MG |
06-12-2018 @ 3:03 PM
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Senior
Posts: 1262
Joined: Nov 2009
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Do you have an electric clock? Do you have switched lamps under the hood or in the trunk that may not be turning off when closed? Blower motor in heater controlled by rheostat - rheostat turned down but not off. Parasitic drain in radio?....
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cliftford |
06-12-2018 @ 3:03 PM
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Senior
Posts: 845
Joined: Jan 2014
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Just a guess: did you check the convertible top motor?
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len47merc |
06-13-2018 @ 9:21 AM
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Senior
Posts: 1165
Joined: Oct 2013
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billcarry - recalled earlier discussions on this, searched for them and posted below. Perhaps they will be of help (check all pages for both): https://www.earlyfordv8.org/forum/viewmessages.cfm?Forum=16&Topic=9747&keywords=battery%20drain and https://www.earlyfordv8.org/forum/viewmessages.cfm?Forum=18&Topic=9745&srow=31&erow=40&keywords=battery%20drain
Steve
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supereal |
06-14-2018 @ 9:34 AM
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Senior
Posts: 6819
Joined: Oct 2009
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Remove one cable from the battery and place a voltmeter between the battery post and the cable. Place the meter on 6 colts DC. If you se a reading, that is the drain. Watch the reading for enough time to allow the clock to wind. It usually will "clunk" when it happens. It is a small draw, but over time will affect the battery level. I have a '47 convertible that sits for long times, so I install a battery cutoff switch to prevent any draws. Some remove the clock fuse, but if you install the cutoff, all you have to do when you turn the switch on is to reset the clock. Random disconnecting wires usually results in new problems. As old Henry Ford said "Don't guess, diagnose".
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billcarry |
06-28-2018 @ 7:12 AM
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Member
Posts: 55
Joined: Jan 2016
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Talk about stupid! In my darkened garage I noticed that the panel light for the clock was lit with everything shut off. At some point I had inadvertently reversed the lamp and clock wires. So much for that and on to enjoying the warm sunshine cruising with the top down!
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Chascwell2 |
07-07-2018 @ 11:36 AM
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Member
Posts: 35
Joined: Feb 2014
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I had the same problem with my Mercury. A wire with bad insulation was shorting out through the cardboard in the glove box. Just keep disconnecting wires until the draw goes away. A wire to the dome light could create the same situation.
chascwell
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