Battery dead, first time to happen. Diagnoses?

[Gunny65]

The battery has never even been low since I bought the truck. I have let it sit for over three months, came out and it started right up.

I just got through letting it sit for two weeks, went out, and it is dead to the point that only dash lights come on. No starter clicks, nothing else. I think the battery was at about 10.2v when I checked it.

The two things I have done recently is add a wireless remote to my Warn winch and a new CB. The CB was off and the winch...well, it has just been sitting there. I checked light switches, radio, etc and nothing was on. Soooo, I think either the Winch or the CB are drawing current while off. Agree?

I mean there are a lot of other possibilities but right now but those two things are the only new electrical items that have been added and that is, I believe, the first things I should check.

Now...how do I check to be sure one of those two have been drawing current? Suggestion please.

 

[TheBeast_88K5]

I think you just don't start it enough, judging by the habit of not starting it a lot...

Batteries don't like that.

 

[Gunny65]

I think you just don't start it enough, judging by the habit of not starting it a lot...

Batteries don't like that.

Yeah but it seems wierd that it happened right after i installed new equipment. Otherwise, I could agree.

 

[Fordum]

Strictly a guess, but the CB might have a clock or memory that draws a little, but the winch receiver almost certainly draws some all the time.
It has to listen for your commands.

The cure, of course, is to wire both to the accessory side of your ignition switch.

I'm sure you know, but the accessory side is hot in both accessory and in the "on" position.
It is off in the "off" position though, so they will not be drawing anything.

If they are already hooked up that way, then it should not be them.

 

[dyeager535]

As to figuring out the culprit, you test draw (in amps) at the battery cable with the vehicle off.

You then disconnect likely culprits (or pull fuses) until the draw disappears, at which point you've at least narrowed down the problem. Some draw is normal (any clock, radio presets, ECM, etc).

 

[TheBeast_88K5]

Oh, I just assumed you had them wired to 'acc'...

 

[Fordum]

Oh, I just assumed you had them wired to 'acc'...

He very well could have.

I made the assumption that he didn't because he was suspecting them. If they are not hooked to the battery, they are not likely to be the source of the problem.........


And if hooked to Acc, then they are not hooked to the battery with the key off.

 

[rampage]

Hook an ammeter up to the battery and see how much parasitic current is being drawn. Then disconnect power (or pull fuses) to each device individually and check the difference in current.

 

[Gunny65]

The wires used for the CB always have power. I am not worried about presets with it so that will should change.

The Winch is hooked directly to the battery. The wireless adapter hooks in to the control box and then runs up to the reciever under the hood. I didn't think about that till you mentioned ACC. I imagine the wireless adapter is pulling power since the whole winch system is a direct connect to the + battery terminal. I guess I am going to have to put in a disconnect for the winch until I am ready to use it.

Suggestions/links for a quick disconnect switch/terminal? Something sealed against water maybe...if needed?

 

[Fordum]

Well, I went to download the manual for the remote control, and it was not worth the effort to download it.
No schematic, and 11.2 meg for one page of English.

But, I saw where it plugs into the main control box.
I would do one of two things.
Either take the control box cover off the winch and examine where the receiver plugs in.
You will probably have 5 wires going to the radio receiver.
Power, ground, common for the winch control, out for the winch, and in for the winch.

You could cut the power lead, and run the ends to a waterproof toggle switch mounted on the cover.
Thus you could turn off the power to just the receiver.

Or, just unplug one end or the other of the receiver and leave it unplugged until you need it.

 

[Gunny65]

I finally was ablel to check the draw on the battery. With the Warn Remote and the CB connected, engine off and key out, the draw was 0.06ma.

I unhooked the Warn Remote and it dropped by 0.02ma.

I then unhooked the CB and it dropped to 0.00ma.

So, the CB is drawing 0.04ma and the Warn remote it drawing 0.02ma. Not bad. I was surprised though. I would have thought the remote was drawing more.

I am going to figure out a way to hook the CB up to ACC power. I noticed while doing this test that my ignition switch will not stay in the ACC spot. It rotates back just enough to stop ACC from working. I have no idea how to make it stay on ACC but I will do some research and figure it out.

Thanks for helping me figure out what is drawing power. While it isn't much, it is enough to cause problems over a few weeks of no starting the vehicle. I travel so I am not around to start the truck for weeks at a strech. Right now I just unplugged the CB and unplugged the remote. Now there is no draw at all with engine off and key out. Which is kinda wierd considering my radio keeps its presets just fine. Hmmm.

 

[rampage]

Presets may be stored in flash memory (or EEPROM) which doesn't need any electricity to store memory. Depends on what kind or a radio you may have.
Are you sure that you're reading you ammeter correctly? Are you sure it isn't 60 ma and 20 ma. I think you may be reading it as .06A and .02A.

 

[Gunny65]

Presets may be stored in flash memory (or EEPROM) which doesn't need any electricity to store memory. Depends on what kind or a radio you may have.
Are you sure that you're reading you ammeter correctly? Are you sure it isn't 60 ma and 20 ma. I think you may be reading it as .06A and .02A.

It is Kenwood deck about two years old. Single disk player with wirless remote, USB, etc.


I listed the actual reading off the meter up here because I wasn't exactly sure if it was 40 and 20 ma or how the decimal/thousanths worked out with the meter. I did switch the meter over as described in the manual for checking MA.