battery drain

[mccomas]

Can someone give me some troubleshooting steps for a battery drain? If my rig sets for any more than 3 days, my battery will drain. My alternator is putting out good voltage and my battery is testing good. I disconnected all my extra circuits (stereo, lights and such) and it still drains. Not sure how to go about determining what is draining it. Do I buy some type of automotive amp meter and just start clamping it on pos wires?

 

[ryoken]

disconnect ground from battery. hook testlight from battery ground to that ground you just took off. should show a draw... start pulling fuses till ya find the culprit..

 

[mccomas]

After disconnecting the negative battery cable from the negative battery terminal, I placed a circuit tester between the loose negative battery cable and the negative battery post as ryoken instructed. The circuit tester lit up and I assume that this indicated that somewhere in my rig, I had a positive wire touching ground. I started pulling fuses to see if I could extinguish the test light but no luck. I did not pull any of the wire leads in the fuse panel; only fuses. After no success with fuses, I went to the starter and worked my way up to the alternator. When I disconnected the positive lead that goes on the alternator post (BAT terminal) my test light went out. Does this mean that the BAT terminal wire is shorted out somewhere? Where does the other end of this lead go? Any suggestions on my next step?

 

[mccomas]

ttt

 

[MarcS]

When I disconnected the positive lead that goes on the alternator post (BAT terminal) my test light went out. Does this mean that the BAT terminal wire is shorted out somewhere? Where does the other end of this lead go? Any suggestions on my next step?

Is that the smaller red wire on the positive battery cable to the alternator right ???
Was the battery still connected to the starter ??? (The large positive cable)
If it was, it sounds like your alternator crapped out. Needs the regulator rebuilt or just replace the alterator.
The vehicles wiring harness (To the fuse block) is usually hooked up down on the starter. So if this is connected and the alternator is disconnected, and the light goes out, you just found your problem.

 

[ryoken]

thanks for getting to that for him...

 

[MarcS]

No problem Paul.