Could a wire short cause this?
Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,013
Likes: 0
From: Katy, TX
Could a wire short cause this? Ever since I installed my TNT F1 wet kit, I've had a problem keeping a battery charged. Every time my car sat for a couple of days, my battery would go dead. I replaced the battery, with the same results.
Now, not only does the battery drain, but the car doesn't want to idle, and I keep blowing gauge cluster fuses. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Mad]" src="gr_images/icons/mad.gif" />
I went to O'Reilly's, to get my battery and alternator checked. Everything checked out fine. The guy who tested my car said that I probably have a short somewhere. I'm thinking it's in the tach wire, since I spliced it to connect it to the window switch.
My question is, could a short in the tach wire cause all of my problems? If so, I guess the best fix is to redo the connection where the wire is spliced?
Now, not only does the battery drain, but the car doesn't want to idle, and I keep blowing gauge cluster fuses. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Mad]" src="gr_images/icons/mad.gif" />
I went to O'Reilly's, to get my battery and alternator checked. Everything checked out fine. The guy who tested my car said that I probably have a short somewhere. I'm thinking it's in the tach wire, since I spliced it to connect it to the window switch.
My question is, could a short in the tach wire cause all of my problems? If so, I guess the best fix is to redo the connection where the wire is spliced?
Re: Could a wire short cause this? I doubt thats the problem, if you had a dead short to ground like that you would see some strange indications on your gauge cluster and maybe flickering of the back-lighting at night. I would check the glove box light, it probably doesn't go off when you close the door.
Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,013
Likes: 0
From: Katy, TX
Re: Could a wire short cause this? Actuallly, my gauge cluster does flicker, whenever I hit a bump. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="gr_eek2.gif" /> That also seems to be when I blow fuses, leading me to believe that I have a short somewhere.
Would the short in the tach wire cause me to have problems idling? It's especially evident when I first start the car. It bogs down really bad, and then it surges to around 900 rpm. After a while, it will idle ok, then it will bog down again? WTF??
Would the short in the tach wire cause me to have problems idling? It's especially evident when I first start the car. It bogs down really bad, and then it surges to around 900 rpm. After a while, it will idle ok, then it will bog down again? WTF??
Re: Could a wire short cause this? Go back to your BASIC ELECTRICITY books and look up SHORT. When the LOAD is BYPASSED that's a SHORT. A fuse MUST blow if there is one UNLESS the fuse is also bypassed in which case the short is going to create HEAT. That results in melted insulation and eventually a FIRE. You have a LOAD which is "ON" when your vehicle is turned "OFF". The BATT is being drained when the vehicle is parked. You have to isolate the ciruit that is pulling the BATT down. You can use an AMETER between one side of your BATT. Start pulling fuses one at a time until the AMETER goes to ZERO. Then you start troubleshooting that circuit with a schematic and a VOM. Have fun.
Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,013
Likes: 0
From: Katy, TX
Re: Could a wire short cause this? I tested the interior fuse box today, with no luck in finding the short. Tomorrow I'll test the fuse box in the engine compartment.
As to the other part of my question, would a short cause my idling issues?
As to the other part of my question, would a short cause my idling issues?
Re: Could a wire short cause this? </font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by eallanboggs:
<strong> Go back to your BASIC ELECTRICITY books and look up SHORT. When the LOAD is BYPASSED that's a SHORT. A fuse MUST blow if there is one UNLESS the fuse is also bypassed in which case the short is going to create HEAT. That results in melted insulation and eventually a FIRE. You have a LOAD which is "ON" when your vehicle is turned "OFF". The BATT is being drained when the vehicle is parked. You have to isolate the ciruit that is pulling the BATT down. You can use an AMETER between one side of your BATT. Start pulling fuses one at a time until the AMETER goes to ZERO. Then you start troubleshooting that circuit with a schematic and a VOM. Have fun. </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Exactly..., the parasitic battery drain specifiation for a F-body is 50 milli amps. This means the pcm ,abs, bcm,ipc, abdm, tdm ,& radio (+others) their draw from battery for memory cannot exceed 50 milliamps combined.If it started after the TNT install , go thru all the power wires that are constant power/ not key powered. Maybe disconnect them & see if it goes away. Good luck.
<strong> Go back to your BASIC ELECTRICITY books and look up SHORT. When the LOAD is BYPASSED that's a SHORT. A fuse MUST blow if there is one UNLESS the fuse is also bypassed in which case the short is going to create HEAT. That results in melted insulation and eventually a FIRE. You have a LOAD which is "ON" when your vehicle is turned "OFF". The BATT is being drained when the vehicle is parked. You have to isolate the ciruit that is pulling the BATT down. You can use an AMETER between one side of your BATT. Start pulling fuses one at a time until the AMETER goes to ZERO. Then you start troubleshooting that circuit with a schematic and a VOM. Have fun. </strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Exactly..., the parasitic battery drain specifiation for a F-body is 50 milli amps. This means the pcm ,abs, bcm,ipc, abdm, tdm ,& radio (+others) their draw from battery for memory cannot exceed 50 milliamps combined.If it started after the TNT install , go thru all the power wires that are constant power/ not key powered. Maybe disconnect them & see if it goes away. Good luck.
Thread Starter
TECH Fanatic
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 1,013
Likes: 0
From: Katy, TX
Re: Could a wire short cause this? Cool. Thanks for the help, guys. <img border="0" alt="[cheers]" title="" src="graemlins/gr_cheers.gif" />
Anybody have any thoughts on my idling issue? Is is possible that the short is causing that too?
Anybody have any thoughts on my idling issue? Is is possible that the short is causing that too?
