ok so my bronco is carging but when ever my bronco sits the battery dies? im sick of it so i think im gona gut it make a stainless dash new guages(speedo, tach,oil,temp,fuel) any ideas on going about this and who makes custom wiring harness's where do i start any advice is good advice?

 

im willing to bet it wil be a lot easier to find your existing problem than to replace all of the gauges and make a dash, unless that is something you want anyway. What year is your bronco? Sounds like your batt has crapped out, but do the simple things like replace batt cables ( cheap ) I have seen them look good from the outside but be completely corroded from the inside. Check the wiring behind the alternator make sure everything is clean and tight and not broken. If you have a voltmeter hot it on the batt + and - terminals, you should have around 13 or 14 volts. also check to see that the batt has water in it.

 

disconnect the cables and see if it is still discharged the next day, if it is, Time for a new battery could be a internal short plates touching. Is your battery mounted properly (hold downs) I always put a piece of rubber or carpet under battery to protect it from vibration!

 

yep put ane battery in it new cables checked all the connections everything. i think the short is in the printed circuit on the back of the dash cluster. even a repair shop couldnt find the problem. i know i can keep the part of the harness that runs the headlight turn signal breaks etc. i would basically be making or buying a new harness for just the ignition and charging system. oh ya my bronc is an 82

 

First off, how did you check for the short.

Here is an easy way to check for a short or a draw(Battery drain).

Make sure you have a fully charged battery, (A load test on the battery would not be a bad idea either, can only be done on a fully charged battery anything below 9.6 volts while cranking the motor over fails the battery) then make sure everything is off and that you have disabled the door interior switches (taped closed or disconnected.)

Next hook a VOM meter to the battery, once this is completed verify by moving the negative terminal off and onto the Battery negative post that you do indeed have a draw on the battery.

You will be able to tell because if there is a draw because if the terminal is off the post the battery voltage will go up a bit to around the reading it was before you connected it.

Once you have proven that there is a draw it becomes a simple matter of disconnecting or unplugging the components from the truck until the draw goes away (Battery voltage rises like when you disconnected the negative battery terminal from the battery post)

If it is the Printed circuit board when you unplug it from the harness the draw should go away. then you would only have to replace the circuit board and not the harness or anything else.

GL man I hope this helps.

Rick.

 

wow thanks a bunch im gonna save this info and try it this week end your a great help ill keep you guys updated and thanks for the help!

 

You will need a wiring diagram to complete it.

Once again make sure you have a fully charged battery next again check and make sure you have a Draw on the battery by diconnecting the negative battery cable from the battery post, if the voltage goes back up you have a draw.

Now this part is easy make sure the leads for the VOM Multi meter are hooked up to the battery take note of the voltage reading now one at a time pull the fuses from the fuse panel until the draw disappears.

Which ever fuse you remove that makes the draw disappear is the circuit that is your problem once you know that you can check the wiring diagram for that circuit.

Or hook the fuses back up and verify your findings the first way I posted.


This should find your problem for you, GL.

Rick.

 

Big , reminds me of the same problem i had with my 1985 f-150. Had bought a new battery and it discharged as u stated. Took back to sears and they asked me why they feel my battery died i said the battery was made in mexico thats why. Took battery #2 home same results. So ( foot mouth)i explored the possiblity of it disachargeing with results of the choke relay being shorted. How did i find this , luckily undoing the pos lead, tracing the wiring diagram and up under the dash when disconnected hooked up sev times saw an arc. refusing to pay 80 bux for a new relay i took a relay i had and rewired it with a spare to boot. PATIENCE is a must and a good wiring diagram is also Good luck TR