Date:         Sun, 17 Dec 1995 05:04:20 -0600 (MDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         Jack Reed <jackr@fortnet.org>
Subject:      Re: Coil Draining Battery?

On Sat, 16 Dec 1995, Joseph F. Fournier II wrote:

> Well, I can't figure out what's draining the battery in my '71. I 
> replaced the voltage regulator and upon investigation noted that the old 
> one had a buildup between the contacts on one of the points inside...so I 
> though I had the problem solved.

This is normal with points.  Current flow will cause metal migration over 
time.  File the points flat or put new ones in when you notice this.

> 
> I fired up the bus and let her idle in the driveway for awhile. I noticed 
> that the gas gauge was reading full and jiggled some wires under the 
> dash; went back down to 1/4.
> 
> Maybe I'm naive, but I wouldn't think that a simple dash short (the 
> jiggle wire kind) would drain the battery in a few minutes.

It shouldn't but it depends on the condition of your battery.

> 
> Could the coil be fried and sucking the juice out of the system? Should I 
> investigate the alternator next? I'm getting *some* juice out of it as I 
> have an ammeter attached in place of generator light...because I can't 
> figure out what's wrong with the generator light.

The points complete the circuit between the battery and the coil.  If 
your coil was "fried" and completely shorted, the bus wouldn't even run.  
I'd put that ammeter across each one of the fuses to find out where 
current flow is occuring, then start checking each component on that circuit.

Jack