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Old Dec 1, 2004 | 10:44 AM
  #1  
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yendor
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From: northern mn
Question Drain on battery

Here is story 1986 aero 2.8 5 speed has AC. The fuseable links draw power all the time. The brown one off the celinoid draws from 12.33 to11.72, blackred draws from 12.33 to 12.19 black draws from 12.33 to 11.82. OK. With them all hooked up it draws from 12.33 to 12.20. Battery goes dead over night.
If I take cable off it stays up.Had alt checked said it was fine.Should these wires draw current all the time. Does this sound like computer or would this be other problems.
 
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Old Dec 1, 2004 | 11:30 AM
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Those are voltages you are reading there. (I hope)

Turn off everything you can find, take off the + battery terminal, and using a multimeter measure the current flow. Start off at the 10 amp setting, the cheapo ones often have a different socket for the 10 amp range. Step down till you have a reading. Something like 5mA is normal, 5 amps is not. The size of the current drain will almost tell you what is doing it.

If you cannot measure more than a few milliamps though, you need a new battery.
 
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Old Dec 1, 2004 | 04:26 PM
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From: northern mn
With my tester on 250 dc,ma the draw is about 180ma.Dont know for sure but that seems like a lot.What could be stuck on to draw that much,elertic is not my best trade
 
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Old Dec 1, 2004 | 05:07 PM
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Aftrmidnite
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I had a battery drain too, unplugged the fuses till I found it. It was the cigar lighter in the rear, someone plugged a cheap cellphone charger in to it and pulled it apart. I was able to reassemble it and its fine.
 
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Old Dec 1, 2004 | 05:17 PM
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From: northern mn
I have pulled all fuses and shut everything off that I can find still it drains.
Does any body out there know of a site or manual were i can find what draws that amount of power
 
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Old Dec 1, 2004 | 05:27 PM
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Do you have the trailer tow package? On the left side, next to the rear seat is a panel in one of side bins. Check to see if you have a relay pulled in all the time there. I would think that would be off with the lights, but I'm not sure how its wired. Also does your key in the ignition chime work? If not, you could be pulling a worn key out of the ignition before its turned all the way to off. Starter solenoid could also be leaking across to ground.
 

Last edited by Aftrmidnite; Dec 1, 2004 at 05:31 PM.
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Old Dec 1, 2004 | 05:44 PM
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Aftrmidnite
solenoid was bad when I got the van.Just put a used one on it from a tempo,hopping it was the same. That could be problem.Will check boxes in back also but it is a shorty
with no tow pack. Colum was all broken up when I got it. Key switch is new
 
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Old Dec 1, 2004 | 05:48 PM
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Look between the back bumper and the spare, center line of the vehicle. If you don't have a wiring harness with two plugs the size of your thumb, you don't have the towing package.
 
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Old Dec 1, 2004 | 06:00 PM
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From: northern mn
No wires back there at all so no tow pack. With solenoid unhooked all but ground the 3 fuseable links still drew power.
 
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Old Dec 1, 2004 | 07:13 PM
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My vans not here so I can't check under the hood for you. The Haynes manual shows three wires coming of the hot battery terminal, first to the solenoid, second to the ignition switch, and third to the illuminated entry; its a light grey wire, and shows a fuse in that circuit (#8 15A). It includes the ACT. assembly. Do you have the original radio? There is a Battery memory wire Light grey w/yellow stripe, it should be covered by #8 fuse.
 
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Old Dec 1, 2004 | 07:48 PM
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From: northern mn
Aftrmidnite
found out that draw is comming from solid blackwire with one orange fuse link on it. How do I find out witch section this wire operates? Its draw is 180ma. The other 2 wires would hardly move needle, color of wires brown,blackred stripe,solidblack
 
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Old Dec 1, 2004 | 08:40 PM
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Does the wiring look original? You don't have an alarm added do you?

On the old 91 I used to have the aux power relay was stuck closed. The rear blower would work with or with out the key in the van. If the rear control was set to low I wouldn't hear the motor running and it would drain the battery.
 
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Old Dec 1, 2004 | 08:54 PM
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The manual doesn't show the color code coming from the battery. Also it looks like you are on the load side of the starter relay. Black=Starter; Black/Red or Black/Orange=Feed from altenator; Brown=Power to Ignition??? I'm doing this from memory, so not sure if I'm right.
 
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Old Dec 1, 2004 | 09:43 PM
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I think you're right that bk/o is to the alternator.
I've seen an alternator with a draw before. Just unplug the connectors on the alternator and see what happens.
 
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Old Dec 1, 2004 | 09:56 PM
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Know that I learned how to read & run tester BR draws 4ma,black draws140ma,gray draws 17ma. It is all most like switch isnt shut off but motor and ele all stop when key is turned off. Switch assembly is out of a tempo. They looked the same so I put it in is it possable that it is not wired right for that plug.
 
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