[Sun Tuned]

Hell now that we've covered all that, I just see the battery is new, how new? These things are pro-rated. Carry that dude back an tell em its no workey. They'll send some cat over to it with a tester and he'll say YEP, it's no workey. Likely depending on how tough a parts house it is they'll never ask, they'll just replace it for you and warranty it, won't cost them anything, and really likely save you an alternator in the process like Ventura said.

Get a new one and start over( check for draw immediately). Charging systems and batteries and Ignition systems are all a real tight bunch of team members, they all like everybody to be double stout in the health dept.

[BVR421]

Darby there are likely some hot wires under the carpet going back to the truck for lights, trunk latch, trunk light. I bet you have your new 400lb power seat crushing a live wire under it and shorting it to ground.

[grandville455]

well I bought a charger and charged it to the level it said it needed car started right up I then hooked a light up to ground and neg cable no light!..So Then I took my meter and u could watch the damn meter slowly drop!!.I unplugged the seat same bull ****!, I don't know whats going on here!. I then recharged it now and before i came in battery was at 12.99 and i unhooked it from the car! Going out to check it now...see if it dropped if it did then isn't battery not holding a charge?

[grandville455]

Its 12.93 now... Been probably 15-20 minutes

[hal101]

i think you will have to let it set over night and check it in the morning to see how far it went down

just for comp i have a good bat in the garage been siting 6 - 8 months 12.83

the bat in my firebird is being kept at 13.1 by the battery tender

[PLAY400]

I like steve25's method the best and kicking myself for not thinking of it myself. Always leary about hooking my HP on the 10A scale to look for a draw and a cheap battery charger will do the job just as well and not run down the battery,

[grandville455]

well let it sit all night with it unhokked.. put meter on it.. said 12.79-12.80... Hooked car all back up now it stayed right at 12.79...When I tested the alt last night with car running it read 13.9 volts so it's charging... Here's a scale I found online... I will watch it today and see what happens.. I am thinking it was power seat relay?


Battery Voltage and State of Charge:

12.68v . . . . . . . . . . 100%
12.45v . . . . . . . . . . 75%
12.24v . . . . . . . . . . 50%
12.06v . . . . . . . . . . 25%
11.89v . . . . . . . . . . 0%

[Cliff R]

Diode in the alternator drawing current when the key is off.
Only a accessory that works when the key is off could be suspect for a key off voltage drain.


+1

Just went thru that crap with my car over the Winter, 3 new batteries as well over the past year or so.

It was the alternator. I completely rebuilt it a few months ago and all is fine.

I also installed one of those quick battery disconnect posts, and I've been disconnecting the battery between uses, good theft deterent device as well if you don't mind opening the hood before start-ups. I always do anyhow, to check the oil and look things over. Found the throttle cable hold down hanging out of the firewall the other day, the screw was gone. Had to make a quick repair before heading to the track.....Cliff

[Sun Tuned]

It wouldn't be much of a stretch to say the relay contacts might have stuck and caused it. That has happened in the past and it's still very possible they got unstuck also. Depending on the relay you may be able to remove the cover and inspect the contacts for burning/pitting/corrosion etc. Happened alot back in the day.

Thank-you for buying a charger, best way to do that.

To be sure, load test the battery when you get a chance, and I'd say check the specific gravity of each cell just for giggles, but the EPA don't want us to deal with that much anymore, which is why you don't see many batteries these days with removable caps. Your battery is probably sealed anyway.

The alternator needs checking too, if you want to be complete about it. Back in the day when people actually serviced things instead of simply changing whole parts assemblies, you could and still can rework your own alternator. I commend Cliff for doing this to his, but then knowing him, I expected as much and no less.Used to be a whole section in the shop manual on this. Now everyone just garbage cans the old one and replaces with a rebuilt one, and time constraints dictate this more than anything. Likely if yours is original it will be much better quality if you do do it yourself and you'll at least end up with a much better quality part in the end if you do. Used to run like 18.00 or so for the bearings, brushes etc. Granted you'll not be able to turn the commutator or growl it, but the parts are usually what needs attention anyway.

Bottom line test the stuff before canning it and replacing things.

Find that draw.

[grandville455]

Thanks Bob.. I pulled the alt and going to test it and rebuild it myself wether it needs it or not!..I did unhook alt and now battery seems to be staying level? so maybe it is diode?..Either way can't take a chance as i race tomorrow!!

[grandville455]

Ok update.. pulled alt had it tested.. tested out ok.. so i bought a diode,put it in no charge!. Pulled it back off put old diode back in no charge!..Take it to oreilys and test again no charge!,Buy a NEW ONE! charge its on and working.. the only thing i can think with old one was the one brush didnt look good at all and maybe wasn't running on commutator after i put it back together? who knows... what a long day screwing around!!.. I will check battery later and in the morning.. hopefully all is well!!