Date: Wed, 28 Feb 2007 13:20:50 -0500
Reply-To: Mike <mbucchino@CHARTER.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Mike <mbucchino@CHARTER.NET>
Subject: Re: Battery Drain
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="iso-8859-1";
reply-type=response
Doing it that way won't tell you what you need to know. You need to see
current flow in series (amps), not voltage in parallel (volts).
First, shut off the dome light(s), as Boston Bob suggested.
Then, remove all the fuses, make notes of how many amps fuse goes in which
slot (refer to owners manual or Bentley for correct fuses).
With dim daylight, install each fuse, one at a time, watching to see if
there's a spark when touching it to the terminals. If there's a spark,
something in that circuit is drawing current.
Small spark = small current draw/ big spark = big current draw.
Only one fuse should show a spark, that's your problem circuit. Reinstall
all the rest, leave that one out, see what doesn't work now. Or refer to
the manual(s) to determine what that fuse provides power to.
Don't forget, the radio may draw a tiny spark for memory/ presets, etc.
and the clock will always draw a little (not usually a battery-draining
problem). Chase that circuit to see if there's any shorts to chassis or
add-on current consuming accessories (like an alarm or something).
If you have to, leave that fuse out overnight or for extended storage.
You could also use an ammeter to check current draw at each fuse, that'll
tell you the same thing.
HTH,
Mike B.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dave Vickery" <davevickery@HOTMAIL.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, February 28, 2007 11:52 AM
Subject: Re: Battery Drain
>I was hoping I could just turn the voltmeter (or maybe it is a multimeter
>or
> ammeter--it has a lot of settings on it) to the proper setting and touch
> one
> side each of the fuses until I get a reading that means something.
>
> Like I said, electrical stuff is a weakness for me.
>
> Thanks,
> Dave
>
>
>>From: Bob Stevens <mtbiker62@HOTMAIL.COM>
>>To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>>
>>" and now my batteries drain down in a couple weeks time."
>>
>>Dave,
>>this may or may not be germain to your situation. I added gauges to my
>>dash
>>top and used a + spade on the back of the main fuse panel. Little did I
>>know
>>that these gauges constantly draw on an open electrical circuit and my
>>battery would run down in about 7 days. I fixed this by taking the
>>steering
>>column shroud off and literally poking around near the ignition switch
>>until
>>I found one that came on when the key is not, off when the key is off and
>>my
>>problem disappeared.
>>
>>your mention of "a good quality digital voltmeter" makes me wonder if this
>>is a hand-held instrument you use to check elec. circuits on your van, or
>>if
>>it's a gauge you've wired into the "new" system and sits on your dash? If
>>so, this just might be your culprit .... I don't know?
>>Makes me wonder also what "accessories" you've wired into this battery. If
>>one of them has the tendency to draw current if it's available, like my
>>dash
>>gauges, and may need to be "switched"?
>>
>>
>>
>>Bob Stevens
>>'87 Westy Syncro
>>"Passion Fruit"
>
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