Battery Drainage
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Battery Drainage
I have a 92 f250 7.3l diesel 2wd that has a battery drainage problems i went mudding with it and after that the battery started to die so i replaced battery and alternator and it still having drainage problems i checked all the wiring.Any ideas?
Thanks
Randy
Thanks
Randy
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You have a short somewhere in your electrical system, or a device won't turn off as it should. My suggestion is to place a camp-on current probe over the main battery cable and start removing fuses one at a time. Each time you remove a fuse check to see if the current changes at the current probe. This method will at least get you down to which circuit is the problem. After you have identified the circuit you are going to have to check each electrical device and the wiring harness. Again, the clamp-on current probe will come in really handy.
You don't need anything fancy. I have a cheap volt meter + current probe instrument from Sears. Works well enough for what I need.
Good luck and happy hunting!
You don't need anything fancy. I have a cheap volt meter + current probe instrument from Sears. Works well enough for what I need.
Good luck and happy hunting!
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Same thing happened to my 2003 F350 went through 2 alternator changed both batteries. I checked wiring it was find ended up being the starter. Pull it out and have it checked.
Good luck hope everything works out.
Rick
Good luck hope everything works out.
Rick
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I'm not sure how Ford sets up the starting circuit but in heavy duty machinery the starter is not a fused circuit. That means the high current cables to the starter motor are connected directly to the battery, and you won't detect high leakage current through the fuse panels.
Maybe somebody with more experience with these trucks can advise whether or not the starter cranking circuit is connected directly to the battery?
Maybe somebody with more experience with these trucks can advise whether or not the starter cranking circuit is connected directly to the battery?
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[QUOTE=QwkTrip]You don't need anything fancy. I have a cheap volt meter + current probe instrument from Sears. Works well enough for what I need. /QUOTE]
Sears sells a clamp-on device that measures DC? That's great. Hall-effect, I guess? I haven't been keeping up...
To the original poster, you have to measure the current drain when everything is off. If you don't have a clamp-on meter, this means opening up one terminal on each of the batteries, and then inserting a current meter in series with the open lead on one of the batteries. Be careful, because if you draw too much current (e.g. crank the starter), you will blow a fuse in the meter at best, or blow the meter out at worst.
If you see more than a few milliamps, you need to start disconnecting stuff (pulling fuses) until the drain goes away.
/QUOTE]Sears sells a clamp-on device that measures DC? That's great. Hall-effect, I guess? I haven't been keeping up...
To the original poster, you have to measure the current drain when everything is off. If you don't have a clamp-on meter, this means opening up one terminal on each of the batteries, and then inserting a current meter in series with the open lead on one of the batteries. Be careful, because if you draw too much current (e.g. crank the starter), you will blow a fuse in the meter at best, or blow the meter out at worst.
If you see more than a few milliamps, you need to start disconnecting stuff (pulling fuses) until the drain goes away.
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Originally Posted by KelVarnson
Sears sells a clamp-on device that measures DC? That's great.
But my memory of cost isn't too good. I thought it was less expensive. But still, if you can fix the problem on your own then you'll pay for the tool several times over. That's how I justify my tool collection to my wife! 
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=03 482369000&cat=Electrical+Shop&subcat=Multi-Meters%2C+Testers+%26+Accessories
Last edited by QwkTrip; May 29, 2007 at 05:27 PM.
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Battery blow up
so i changed both batteries and the alternator and i checked the starter so i charged everything up and took it for a drive and when i parked the battery blew up what happened i have no idea
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Whoa!!! I hope you got free replacement of your batteries and alternator! The new alternator likely had a shorted regulator right out of the box which caused overcharging of the batteries. But that was the new alternator... what caused your electrical drain before the new alternator?
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