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What could drain the battery?

Pull all the fuses then see if you still get a spark when hooking up the battery. If not replace one fuse at a time to see if you get a spark there.

Useing a volt meter for each of these procedures is better. Between the battery terminal and battery clamp. Across each fuse terminal with fuses removed, ect.

Check for a fuseable link in your srarting circuit also and see if it's bad.

I will have to try this. Where is the fuseable link located?
 
Where is the fusible link? is it easy to get too? Its funny I just checked the battery not hooked up and had 12+ volts. I hooked the cables up and nothing?

Sounds like a dead short with a big wire.
 
I bet it’s at the starter relay. Those terminals carry about all the current in the car, and are like a mm apart.
 
You can pull out your fuses one at a time, check for sparks at the battery. Unhook your alternator, horn relay, starter relay, etc... You shouldn’t have sparks when you connect your battery. By the looks of your bulkhead connector in your other post, you’ve got more problems than just a dead battery.

Yes, I agree, the guy who had it before me hack it to death. I'm also going to try what you suggested, thanks.
 
I bet it’s at the starter relay. Those terminals carry about all the current in the car, and are like a mm apart.

I thought about this, I should buy another one, they are cheap.
 
The rule of reconnecting battery,Positive first on.
When disconnecting Positive last off.

If the cables spark a lot when connecting the
battery something is drawing current.
 
Yes, I agree, the guy who had it before me hack it to death. I'm also going to try what you suggested, thanks.

Yeah that’s the ticket.

Have a decent multimeter? Pull the fuses and then use a multimeter to check amps drawn on the circuit.

But I’d bet if it’s drawing the battery down so quick, it’s before the fuse. The reason is the fuse would pop at that amperage. The starter terminal and starter are direct (unfused) to the battery. The next culprit is the alternator wire.
 
Yes, I agree, the guy who had it before me hack it to death. I'm also going to try what you suggested, thanks.

True, but they rarely fail like that. I’d tend to suspect you incidentally knocked on the wiring a bit and somehow touched the big battery wire to the ground terminal.
 
Hey All,
I have a 1969 rr and I'm trying to figure out why there is no power, not even the lights. I tested the battery with a meter and it was charged. I hooked up the battery and tested it again and it seems like it was dead, nothing? Could there be something that is draining the battery, its a new battery. I put my meter at the starter relay and nothing? Could it be a bad battery? It was running until I changed the steering box out but the battery would need charging because it sat. Could something be drawing off the power from the battery? I don't want to get another new one because this is new. Oh when the battery was charged and I hooked it up I would get a lot of sparks hooking the terminals up.
If it's dead at the starter relay? Then I would start there. Unless you have an aftermarket component hooked direct to batt? Like a tach? If it's shorting out there? It can drain enough so starter will not engage. Just throwing ideas out there.
 
If it's dead at the starter relay? Then I would start there. Unless you have an aftermarket component hooked direct to batt? Like a tach? If it's shorting out there? It can drain enough so starter will not engage. Just throwing ideas out there.

no aftermarket stuff on the battery.
 
Yeah that’s the ticket.

Have a decent multimeter? Pull the fuses and then use a multimeter to check amps drawn on the circuit.

But I’d bet if it’s drawing the battery down so quick, it’s before the fuse. The reason is the fuse would pop at that amperage. The starter terminal and starter are direct (unfused) to the battery. The next culprit is the alternator wire.

That makes sense if it were before the fuse, if it was after like you said it would have blown one. So that leaves the starter, starter relay correct?
 
Thanks for everybody's help. I think I have enough ammo to track this thing down! I also ordered a new starter relay. What a great board!
 
Well, I thought I found the problem, my two wires where they are crimped was touching each other on the starter. I moved them apart but still have the same problem. Do you think something like that could have toasted the starter relay?
 
I checked the alternator and disconnected it, it wasn't that. The only other thing I can think of is the starter or the starter relay? I can't get to the starter to disconnect it because its buried. I ordered a new starter relay, I hope that's it!
 
OK, get this. I only connected the positive wire to the battery and got a meter reading at the battery and the starter relay??? What the heck is going on?
 
If not already mentioned, check rhe Bulkhead connector for good measure. Careful, may be brittle.
 
If not already mentioned, check rhe Bulkhead connector for good measure. Careful, may be brittle.

Yes, I checked that, and everything is tight. Could a starter draw power when just the battery hooked up to the starter?
 
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