Battery Drain... New everything.
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 152
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From: citrus heights California
Battery Drain... New everything.
Alright, here's some back drop.
I picked up an 85, that had been sitting for about 8 months. ($2000)
Receipts for entire rebuild
Receipts for new clutch
Battery warranties
Literally aside from the block heads and crank. Its completely new. Runs and drives FLAWLESS.
I'm on my 3rd week of owning it !!!
OUT OF THE BLUE, batteries dead.. (3.98 volts)
I jump the truck, thinking I left something on, again next morning (4.35 volts)
Warrantied the batteries (one had a dead cell)
Same thing next morning (5.15) volts
Replaced alt. and voltage reg.
(Alt was broken, and over charging)
REPLACE ALT AND REG AGAIN, cleaned up the original owners wiring... Still a hack job.... But a lot better now, took 24 hours to drain to 5 volts, instead of ten hours -_-...
Alt is warm, compared to the rest of the engine/accessories.
I'm thinking it's the original owners wiring to the alt... But, it's odd it worked for the month without this being an issue, and now it's a problem.
WHAT IN THE HECK HAPPENED!?!
1985 f250 flatbed
6.9 - T-19
36,438 miles since rebuild
IM AT MY WITS AND END!!
I picked up an 85, that had been sitting for about 8 months. ($2000)
Receipts for entire rebuild
Receipts for new clutch
Battery warranties
Literally aside from the block heads and crank. Its completely new. Runs and drives FLAWLESS.
I'm on my 3rd week of owning it !!!
OUT OF THE BLUE, batteries dead.. (3.98 volts)
I jump the truck, thinking I left something on, again next morning (4.35 volts)
Warrantied the batteries (one had a dead cell)
Same thing next morning (5.15) volts
Replaced alt. and voltage reg.
(Alt was broken, and over charging)
REPLACE ALT AND REG AGAIN, cleaned up the original owners wiring... Still a hack job.... But a lot better now, took 24 hours to drain to 5 volts, instead of ten hours -_-...
Alt is warm, compared to the rest of the engine/accessories.
I'm thinking it's the original owners wiring to the alt... But, it's odd it worked for the month without this being an issue, and now it's a problem.
WHAT IN THE HECK HAPPENED!?!
1985 f250 flatbed
6.9 - T-19
36,438 miles since rebuild
IM AT MY WITS AND END!!
More Turbo
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 597
Likes: 2
From: Prague Czech Republic
Measure the drain with the amp meter and disconect the fuse one at a time and check which does the drop to 0.00something. The clock draws tiny bit and radio memory. But your drain has to be in amperes when it drains the batteries overnight. What about the glow relay? Might be bad.
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2012
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From: citrus heights California
I've completely removed the glow plug relay. Don't have them anyway, don't care about them. Everything in the cab has been transferred to a switch. (Ip,radio) since then the only fuse I'm running is for head lights and power windows. I've removed all the others.
But the hot alt is what's concerning me. Anyone have a picture of the way their alt is wired? I have all the fsm scans. Id rather just see a picture... Oh and does the alt need to be grounded?
But the hot alt is what's concerning me. Anyone have a picture of the way their alt is wired? I have all the fsm scans. Id rather just see a picture... Oh and does the alt need to be grounded?
Senior User
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 188
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ground makes the circuit
[QUOTE=84&04;15597358]I've completely removed the glow plug relay. Don't have them anyway, don't care about them. Everything in the cab has been transferred to a switch. (Ip,radio) since then the only fuse I'm running is for head lights and power windows. I've removed all the others.
But the hot alt is what's concerning me. Anyone have a picture of the way their alt is wired? I have all the fsm scans. Id rather just see a picture... Oh and does the alt need to be grounded?[/QUOTE
You're onto something now!
But the hot alt is what's concerning me. Anyone have a picture of the way their alt is wired? I have all the fsm scans. Id rather just see a picture... Oh and does the alt need to be grounded?[/QUOTE
You're onto something now!
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 152
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From: citrus heights California
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Logistics Pro
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 3,737
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From: Western Mass
You shouldn't have to ground the alternator. It grounds though the mounting bolts to the engine block.
Sorry I don't have a picture for you, but if the alternator is warm, either the diodes are bad, or the voltage regulator has a problem.
For the wiring, the voltage regulator should have letters labeling the terminals, something like S, I, B, A (not the correct order, and maybe some letters wrong...) The alternator should have at least some of the corresponding letters and the wires will go between them. The 'I' terminal is for ignition, I'm not sure where exactly it runs to in our trucks, but should only have voltage when the key is on.
Sorry I don't have a picture for you, but if the alternator is warm, either the diodes are bad, or the voltage regulator has a problem.
For the wiring, the voltage regulator should have letters labeling the terminals, something like S, I, B, A (not the correct order, and maybe some letters wrong...) The alternator should have at least some of the corresponding letters and the wires will go between them. The 'I' terminal is for ignition, I'm not sure where exactly it runs to in our trucks, but should only have voltage when the key is on.
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Postmaster
Joined: Dec 2011
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I just ran into this.
Make sure that your regulator "I" terminal goes to /switched/ power /through a light bulb/.
If it's not switched, it will drain the battery. If it's not run through a light bulb, some regulators will feed a ton of power into the alternator making it hot when the engine is /not/ running. I ran into that while rigging up a new Ford 1G alternator on a 1950's tractor.
In my case, I just used a spare tail light bulb, not having any existing lights(like the one on the dash that it should be using).
As far as overall drain goes, just get yourself a continuous duty relay off Ebay. Hook that in between the battery accessory line and /everything/ else, put a switch on the dash somewhere to control it. Kill that switch, and you've effectively disconnected your batteries.(The only unswitched line is the one to the starter, but that shouldn't be a problem anyway).
I've been running like this for like 4 years now? Worked great.
Make sure that your regulator "I" terminal goes to /switched/ power /through a light bulb/.
If it's not switched, it will drain the battery. If it's not run through a light bulb, some regulators will feed a ton of power into the alternator making it hot when the engine is /not/ running. I ran into that while rigging up a new Ford 1G alternator on a 1950's tractor.
In my case, I just used a spare tail light bulb, not having any existing lights(like the one on the dash that it should be using).
As far as overall drain goes, just get yourself a continuous duty relay off Ebay. Hook that in between the battery accessory line and /everything/ else, put a switch on the dash somewhere to control it. Kill that switch, and you've effectively disconnected your batteries.(The only unswitched line is the one to the starter, but that shouldn't be a problem anyway).
I've been running like this for like 4 years now? Worked great.
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 8,476
Likes: 37
From: Madison, WI
I just ran into this.
Make sure that your regulator "I" terminal goes to /switched/ power /through a light bulb/.
If it's not switched, it will drain the battery. If it's not run through a light bulb, some regulators will feed a ton of power into the alternator making it hot when the engine is /not/ running.
Make sure that your regulator "I" terminal goes to /switched/ power /through a light bulb/.
If it's not switched, it will drain the battery. If it's not run through a light bulb, some regulators will feed a ton of power into the alternator making it hot when the engine is /not/ running.
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2012
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From: citrus heights California
Its not an active light, no lights, just flip pump on and bump push button and go. Thing tractor without keys hahah.... I think I may have fixed the charging issue, original owner wired starter incorrectly so the alt kept getting got and stopping the charge. He also wired the cab to alt, so it was charging the cab, and then the battery... Bright headlights, and no power. The sense wire was tied into the cab, reading cab voltage, so it wasn't pumping... Haven't checked the drain issue. I've got work in hour, and can't afford dead battery's again Hahahah so both negative leads were pulled last night with in 45 seconds of the truck being shut down.
Thread Starter
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Senior User
Joined: Aug 2012
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From: citrus heights California
Alright so, while driving the 50 miles to work. My volt gauge in the truck dropped back like it wasn't charging about 10 miles into it... But when I tested the voltage it said 13.8... This truck is beginning to make me homicidal...
What in the ever loving hell is going on
What in the ever loving hell is going on
Lead Driver
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 8,476
Likes: 37
From: Madison, WI
Electrical and Vacuum Troubleshooting Manual - contains all the wiring diagrams for the vehicle, and troubleshooting procedures for the various systems. It's the place to start when doing the sort of mods that have been done to your truck. A study of the charging system section would reveal that the failure warning light on the dash MUST be in the circuit for the alternator to produce a charge (see Macrobb's light bulb reference above).
It sounds like the previous owner got a little hairy with the electrical modifications, without consulting the EVTM, which is bound to create a "what in the ever loving hell" sort of situation.
It sounds like the previous owner got a little hairy with the electrical modifications, without consulting the EVTM, which is bound to create a "what in the ever loving hell" sort of situation.