Constant power issue
 

So here’s my dilemma. I dropped my rebuilt motor in a couple weeks ago and hooked everything up. Since then I’ve had a constant drain on the battery. My brake lights were on with the key out. I found the switch had backed out of the bracket and wasn’t making contact with the peddle, but the lights still light up when I step on the peddle with the key out. And my radio display was always on, again, with the key out. I disconnected it from the fuse box and adjusted the brake light switch and there’s no more drain on the battery. I checked the starter and the S terminal wires are not making contact with the positive terminal or the other wires connected to the positive terminal. The only other thing I can think of is a faulty ignition switch. Thoughts? Suggestions?


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Is your car a 68-72?.not sure about earlier ones..Brake light should come on even with key off.. What do you mean ,,"radio display is on".. is the radio working with key off? Or just the light is on? if the radio light is on, it is tied in with the light switch ..when the light switch is pulled out to the the first position all the dash lights (including radio light) and parking lights should come on..dash lights are also controlled ( dimming) by rotating the light switch

It's a 69. I never noticed that about the tail lights, that's kind of weird but OK. I have a retro sound radio that has a digital display. It was on with the key out and the light switch turned off. I'm aware of the dimmer switch and the dash lights coming on with the light switch. The radio should come on when the key is turned to accessory. That's why I'm leaning towards the ignition switch.

If accessory was hot with the key/switch turned off...Everything that runs off accessory would have power to it.

Sounds like this radio has a hot all the time memory wire and seperate radio hot that comes on with the switch/key.

Makes me think something is wrong with the radio if it didn't light up 24/7 before.

Clay

i would check the wiring to the radio before pulling the ign. switch..sounds like there may be something going on with the wiring to the radio or the radio itself..

The radio has been in since March and always turned off when I tuned the ignition off. That was before I pulled the motor. Now that power is restored it won’t go off. The only other thing I thought it could have been was the wiring to the starter. One wire goes to the S terminal and the other wire, I’m almost positive, goes to the positive terminal with the battery cable. There’s only 2 connections to the solenoid. Or am I mistaken?


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From the '70 and 69 service manual....should be one big wire ( from battery) and one smaller wire ( power feed 12v) to starter solenoid same terminal ( the LARGE ONE) and one purple wire to the "s" terminal (smaller connector/start)... seriously doubt your radio problem is the starter wiring..try not to over think this.. do you know what the exact wiring for/to your radio is (different than factory I assume)? factory radio power (12v) should be yellow.. the grey is for the light in the radio.. your radio probably has a "memory" wire that should also be 12v all the time...check your radio wiring..and your starter wiring as I specified

Any chance you had the radio wire plugged on the wrong terminal in the fuse box?

Accidents happen...and I'm guessing the 69 has a BATT terminal and an ACC terminal.

Clay

Sounds like the wires to the starter are right. I'll double check the radio wires.

Now that you mention it, I can't remember which one I had it plugged in to. Time to find the radio manual.

So I checked the radio manual and reconnected the wire to a battery terminal on the fuse box. That's where it was plugged in before I disconnected it because the ACC terminal is missing. The accessory wire from the radio is connected to another wire in the existing wire harness. Everything seems to be working fine now. Not site what the issue was in the first place, but it's gone.