Wiring, Stereo & Electronics Audio Components | Radars | Alarms - and things that spark when they shouldn't

battery drain question

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jul 29, 2010 | 07:33 PM
  #1  
SS4Luck's Avatar
Thread Starter
11 Second Club
iTrader: (10)
 
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,215
Likes: 2
From: Sterling Heights, MI
Default battery drain question

I have a dead drain on my battery that i have spent the last 2 weeks trying to chase down that i cant find. Im wondering if being that im moving the battery to the trunk and putting a kill switch back there that if i put a fresh battery in and every time i get out of the car i just push the kill switch and leave everything unhooked if the battery will still drain.

I know its a bandaid fix but im chasing down more than one gremlin and for the life of me cant find out where it is. I took my HVAC out and since then things have been screwy with my car but i took alot more than the hvac out too. I lost my interior lights power locks but my power windows still work. I dont have a key fob so i cant tell if my remote works too. So i think something might be up with the BCM and also i put a tach in and used the radio power and ground for a source for the tach and for some reason i think it might be that too. I also put in an MSD 2 step but that doesnt hook into anything for power, just the coil packs and a splice to the clutch switch off of the PCM. And i took out the ABS module so i got alot of **** to chase down

im jsut at a loss with this car and my rear end is coming in soon and i want the car road going by the time its here
Reply
Old Jul 31, 2010 | 07:34 AM
  #2  
Michael02hawk's Avatar
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (26)
 
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,155
Likes: 1
From: Rochester, NY
Default

My battery drain turned out to be the USA-Spec I-Pod unit.

Even though they advertise it'll shut down to prevent battery drain, it does not. Took me over 2 years to pin point.

If you have one of these USA-Spec boxes, IM me, I have info on how to fix that problem.
Reply
Old Jul 31, 2010 | 03:15 PM
  #3  
SS4Luck's Avatar
Thread Starter
11 Second Club
iTrader: (10)
 
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 2,215
Likes: 2
From: Sterling Heights, MI
Default

i dont even have a radio in the car currently. In the process of building track only oriented car

the only thing i could possibly be thinking are the HIDS that i put on about a week before the rear end blew up in which case the battery wouldnt die fast enough for me to notice they are draining OR the autometer tach i hooked up and spliced into the radio harness for power and ground

Last edited by SS4Luck; Aug 1, 2010 at 06:38 AM.
Reply
Old Sep 8, 2010 | 11:40 AM
  #4  
WhiteBird00's Avatar
Ungrounded Moderator
20 Year Member
Photogenic
Photoriffic
Shutterbug
iTrader: (4)
 
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,334
Likes: 347
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
Default

Strange... which part of "I don't even have a radio" led you to believe an iPod adapter fix would solve his current drain?

Have you tried the old "connect an ammeter and disconnect electrical loads until the drain stops" method to diagnose the problem? It could be that just pulling fuses until the drain stops would narrow down the search to a circuit or two.
Reply
Old Sep 8, 2010 | 11:59 AM
  #5  
Undertow74's Avatar
TECH Fanatic
15 Year Member
iTrader: (45)
 
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 1,284
Likes: 13
From: South Carolina
Default

^^ +1 I was going to say the same thing when I saw the title of the post. I was also gonna say connect a test light to your neg terminal and neg post and if lights up bright as **** u have a draw, but we obviously know that you have a crazy draw in your electrical system, so meter and fuses would be the place, good luck!
Reply
Old Sep 8, 2010 | 02:11 PM
  #6  
Michael02hawk's Avatar
TECH Fanatic
iTrader: (26)
 
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,155
Likes: 1
From: Rochester, NY
Default

I've had 4 other board members email me about this. So I figured why not make it public and available to everyone on the noard - without having to private me.

But Geez...tough crowd - Sorry for trying to help everyone else out.

I'll delete my error ASAP.
Reply
Old Sep 8, 2010 | 09:10 PM
  #7  
rukus1_one's Avatar
Staging Lane
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 90
Likes: 0
From: San Antonio, TX
Default

check ur alternator i had the same problem on my bird i couldnt find the drain until i heard a faint buzzing from my alt when i lifted my car......
Reply
Old Sep 8, 2010 | 09:24 PM
  #8  
98z28bitcha's Avatar
TECH Regular
iTrader: (22)
 
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 431
Likes: 1
From: greenacres,FL
Default

disconnected the positive of the battery and connected it to a test light in between the of battery. then see if the test light comes on if its bright then you have a drain. Then start pullin fuse and see if it dims down a bit and that may be your problem. There will be some voltage for the pcm and alarm. Gave that a try and see if it helps. Also check your grounds.
Reply
LS1 Tech Stories

The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time

story-0

6 Gifts Neither Your Dad Nor Grad Will Shove Into the 'Trinket Drawer'

 Brett Foote
story-1

Topdon ONE vs. Artidiag 800 BT2: Which is the Diagnostic Tablet For You?

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-2

Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built

 Verdad Gallardo
story-4

Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin

 Verdad Gallardo
story-5

6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-6

Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-8

Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

 
story-9

Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

 Verdad Gallardo




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 12:23 PM.

story-0
6 Gifts Neither Your Dad Nor Grad Will Shove Into the 'Trinket Drawer'

Don't get dad new socks or a grill brush this year.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-09 14:55:56


VIEW MORE
story-1
Topdon ONE vs. Artidiag 800 BT2: Which is the Diagnostic Tablet For You?

Slideshow: We take a close look at the ONE and Artidiag 800BT2 diagnostic tools from Topdon and the reasons to buy one over the other.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 11:05:11


VIEW MORE
story-2
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine

Slideshow: The controversial Ferrari F6 swaps its original flat-12 for a Corvette Z06-derived LT4 V8 and sends power to four rear wheels through a custom-built drivetrain.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-26 18:23:54


VIEW MORE
story-3
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built

Slideshow:These GM engines didn't just make huge power, they survived abuse, boost, track days, and six-digit mileage with a reputation for refusing to quit.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-21 16:45:27


VIEW MORE
story-4
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin

Slideshow: This heavily modified 1971 Camaro mixes classic muscle car styling with a fifth-generation Camaro interior and modern LS3 power.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:06:42


VIEW MORE
story-5
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them

Slideshow: From wobbling harmonic balancers to failed EBCMs, these are the issues that define long-term C5 ownership and what repairs typically involve.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-07 18:44:57


VIEW MORE
story-6
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

Slideshow: A modern Camaro transformed into a retro icon, this limited-run "Bandit" build blends nostalgia with brute force in a way few revivals manage.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:57:02


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

Slideshow: Cadillac didn't just crash the high-performance luxury vehicle party, it showed up loud, supercharged, and occasionally a little unhinged...

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-16 10:05:15


VIEW MORE
story-8
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

Slideshow: Top ten most powerful Chevy trucks ever made

By | 2026-03-25 09:22:26


VIEW MORE
story-9
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

Slideshow: Hennessey has turned the Silverado ZR2 into a 700-hp off-road monster with supercharged V8 power and a limited production run.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-24 18:57:52


VIEW MORE