Posted By |
Discussion Topic:
paracitic electrical discharge
|
|
fatdog |
11-05-2021 @ 7:36 PM
|
|
|
Member
Posts: 14
Joined: Mar 2020
|
I have a 6 volt 37 club coupe that has a electrical discharge with the ignition turned off, I have never noticed the discharge before today, any ideas would be appreciated thanks in advance
|
carcrazy |
11-05-2021 @ 11:36 PM
|
|
|
Senior
Posts: 1675
Joined: Oct 2009
|
Does the car have an electric clock? These draw a small amount of current all the time. Is the brake light switch sticking in the on position? Check the wires which are housed in the steering column for shorts to ground.
|
juergen |
11-06-2021 @ 7:38 AM
|
|
|
Member
Posts: 258
Joined: Jan 2010
|
If the quick check on the brake light sticking and clock don't provide the answers, you really should get a wiring diagram and go from there. The diagrams can be found in the Service Bulletin books. Since you are noticing the discharge instead of a dead battery, I take it you observe it by the ammeter. The service bulletin also shows a feed to the horns before the ammeter so I would rule them out. The battery wire goes through the ammeter to a connection on the fuse panel. Disconnect the fuse and see if the discharge goes away. The fused circuits are the lighting circuits. If here you have a lot of paths to debug. Other connections at the fuse panel directly connected to the battery wire are the cigar lighter and the clock. Disconnect them one at a time to see if the problem goes away. While you say the discharge is with the ignition turned off I would also disconnect the wire to the switch to see if a trace has shorted in the switch which feeds both the instruments and the coil. A final thought especially if your battery has not died. Could the ammeter show a slight discharge when there is no current flowing? Disconnect the battery and put a 6 volt bulb in the circuit (bulb end on the battery terminal and touch the cable to the bulb ground side) to see if you have a current flow. Good luck hunting
|
TomO |
11-06-2021 @ 8:05 AM
|
|
|
Senior
Posts: 7256
Joined: Oct 2009
|
Another source of battery drain would be a stuck cut out relay on the generator. Here is a link to the wiring diagram for a stock 1937 Ford: http://vanpeltsales.com/FH_web/FH_images/FH_electrical-pics/Flathead_Electrical_wiring1937.jpg Using a test light or meter with an amp scale is the best way to tell if you really have a drain on the battery with the ignition off.
Tom
|
37RAGTOPMAN |
11-07-2021 @ 6:37 AM
|
|
|
Senior
Posts: 1965
Joined: Oct 2009
|
hi here is a quick check for a battery drain, disconnect the ground cable from the battery , use a test light between the 2, battery terminal and a good ground, if it lights you have a drain, no light no drain, if you have the test light lit, try disconnecting electric items one at time to see what turns off the light, you have found your source of the drain, hope this helps 37 Ragtopman
|
fatdog |
11-08-2021 @ 2:04 AM
|
|
|
Member
Posts: 14
Joined: Mar 2020
|
thanks Tom you were right, the points in the regulator had stuck Now I also need to know how to polarise the generator, how do you go about doing that and I have been told that I need to polarise the regulator as well Also any idea as to what the point gap should be kind regards from Stephen (Melbourne Australia)
|
37RAGTOPMAN |
11-08-2021 @ 7:12 AM
|
|
|
Senior
Posts: 1965
Joined: Oct 2009
|
HI I would replace the cut out, or go to the diode system, if the points were stuck they are most likely defective, welded together,stuck, this is assuming you have a 3 brush generator with a cutout and not a generator with regulator if it was adapted, hope this helps 37 Ragtopman
|
TomO |
11-08-2021 @ 7:36 AM
|
|
|
Senior
Posts: 7256
Joined: Oct 2009
|
Stephen, Do you have the 3 brush generator with the cutout mounted on top of the generator or the 2 brush generator with a voltage regulator mounted on the firewall? Generally a 3 brush generator will not need to be polarized if you disconnect the battery when servicing the cutout. A 2 brush generator is polarized by removing the Field wire at the voltage regulator and touching it to the BAT terminal of the regulator. The procedure for adjusting the voltage regulator relays requires special test equipment to do the job correctly. Always disconnect the battery when working on the generator or regulator. The exception wouul be when adjusting the 3rd brush.
Tom
|