Searching for battery drain solution

[Green_Monster]

Ok

This is not on my Ford truck but on my backhoe just looking for some troubleshooting guidelines.

I have a mystery drain on my batteries and am going to be troubleshooting in the morning. I know you have to isolate any possible drain points but what is teh correct procedure?

I remember although not sure if correctly using a test light on hooked to the negative battery terminal/cable if you ground it out to the frame and the light goes on then there is a draw on the battery by process of elimination you would find and fix?

Is this the correct prcedure is there a better one /tool?


Thanks

Matt

[3000 FPS]

How about using an amp meter and putting it in series across the fuses with the fuses pulled out. Do this one by one until you find out which one has current draw that should not be there. You can also do this on the battery connections.

[69cj]

3000 has the correct procedure, just make sure you do not put the meter across pos to neg while in the current function. It will cost you a meter. The fuse isn't quick enough to protect the meter.

[toolman05kr]

Matt both the test light hooked between the neg. post and neg cable or an ammeter hooked the same way will work. considering the machine is probably exposed to extreme conditions you might want to disconect the alternator and see if your drain is still there, Its not uncommon for a diode to short out due to rust and corrosion.

[Green_Monster]

1975 no fuses, so the test light idea is what I will go with. There are only a few elec sytems on the machine so I will disconnect and elimionate 1 by 1. Going to check the alt this AM.

[lowell75]

Mismatch parallel batteries can asmuch be the problem ( one less than good cell will do it ! ). Replace both batteries at a time if parallel or go to a series setup!!