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Power drain 83 Coupe One More Time Might have found it


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I am so confused now...frustrated too. Just yesterday I bought a brand new battery for my coupe...cause the other one wouldnt hold a charge...hooked it all u..everything appeared fine yesterday. Go out today to start the car and work on it some more and the new battery is dead ..stone cold dead. Put the jump pack on and start the car up let it run for awhile and let it charge the battery...which it did...turn it off and then put my battery tender on it. Go out a few hours later and the battery tender cant even keep up with the draw ( yes I kept the battery hooked up for an experiment...it is disconnected now)

 

What could possibly be causing that big of a draw?

 

Thought it was my ign switch cause its alittle wierd..turn the key off and the car shuts off a second later swapped in another switch..still does the same.

 

Starting to think sledge hammer will fix it??

Edited by Bucky92
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Remove the battery and put an ohmeter between the battery terminals. Pull the fuse the controls the clock power and there should be no continuity between the terminals (unless you have a radio that has been installed with a constant power tap.... usually off the ignition harness. If that's the case you will have to disconnect that as well). If there is still a path to ground somewhere - start pulling fuses till you isolate the offending circuit. Then you can determine from a schem. what devices are powered from that circuit and check each one and it's connections.

 

GD

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Thanks guys....I have had small drains before but nothing that will take out a new battery overnight.

 

Let me explain alittle more here. I didnt have this problem with the old motor. ( even after pulling it ..resealing it and putting back in). It has only been since the new motor was installed. I originally thought it was a bad battery since someone moved the battery from the workbench to the cement floor and it stayed for a few weeks.( might be a wives tail but that has trashed a couple for me)

The XT6 alt has been installed exactly as it was on the privious motor...literally ..everything is the exact same except the longblock.

 

Could something be pinched and grounding to the body?

 

We are going to look into it on Sat and see what we can find...looking for ideas on where to start.

 

Thanks a ton...but are you sure a sledgehammer wont fix it??

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...but are you sure a sledgehammer wont fix it??

 

Well... I have had that Feelin` Too, but then I just take a Shower, Relax and Back to Square one again! ... Until Solved... Maybe Next day.

I Believe that GD Already posted the Better Start Point of All: At the Fuses Box and you`ll Need a Tester Hooked between one Battery Terminal and its Wire.

Also, Since the Battery Drain Started with the Engine Swap, I would Start Searchin` Between the Engine Wires at the Engine`s Bay ... do you Remember the Gasoline Cutoff Electric Valve (A.K.A: Anti Dieseling) that the Original Hitachi Carb Had? ... Well maybe their Wires are Grounding Somewhere loose after the Weber Swap...

But I Believe that the Strongest Power Draining Point should be Around the Headlamps` Wires... so I Suggest you to Start There.

Good Luck!

Kind Regards.

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I plan on doing what GD said thats for sure....and unfortunately ..it originally had the carter/weber and not the hitcrappy.

 

OK no sledgehammer...how about 5 gallons of gasoline and a match??:grin:

Just fed up...try and fix one thing and find 5 more things bad...well ..its looking more like the coupe will be a no show for carlisle. Somethign as simple as a motor swap and its been a nightmare.

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I can understand that being its from an XT6 and they were never the greatest things. and if it is I am screwed cause its been modified to take the XT6 alt..I dont have another alt for the car anywhere in this house.

 

But the Alt does charge the battery just so all knows

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Just charge the battery and disconnect that main wire on the alternator and let it sit overnight. If the battery has a charge the next day than there's your problem. Don't believe you have a wire short anywhere. Every short I ever had caused the shorted wire to melt.

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the clock was never working right? think i read that in another trhead.

Maybe the clock not working, has a current draw somehow.

not sure, but these digi dashes could be related as well.

do you have any aftermarket stereos? I have seen them pull a battery down if something is loose.

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:lol: and you always said BUCKY was a li'l brat!

 

LB here is throwing a full blown temper tantrum (for MONTHS) :lol:

 

 

I have a regular ea81 alt if you want it to try...

 

Naaaa... Bucky was always an Angel..never gave me much grief at all... he behaved pretty well...well you know..you have him now.....

 

ROCKY on the other hand was the demon spawn...but I think LB has surpassed Rocky fully..and is soon going to be dubbed the Lord of Darkness

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I also think you should suspect the alternator if that came with the motor. It may be back feeding to something on the engine. If you have a test light probe you can wire it in series between the negative ground lead and the negative battery post. If the light glows bright due to a good current draw then disconnect the small connector to the back of the alternator and see if that changes the light. If it goes out or very dim then you have found the trouble inside the alternator. You may also have to disconnect the output lead of the alternator but if you do remember that it is tied to the battery so don't touch the lead to anything. Keep it isolated.

 

If the alternator isn't the trouble then you can pull fuses and see which one turns off the light.

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A quick check on the alternator is to use a DMM, set to AC volts, and check the output of the alternator at the stud. If you read more than .3v AC, then replace the diodes. Very simple, and much cheaper than a new alternator.

 

Usually they read .1vac or less, or 3vac. An alternator with a bad diode will still charge, I have one on my Courier right now. It'll also cook the battery, since it's feeding pulses of current in the wrong direction.

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Started looking for stuff...My hubby brought home a tester that electricians use to track wires and look for broken ones etc.. Started up the car and let it run for a good 15 minutes to finish charging up the battery. I then shut it off and disconnected the ground. took the wire tester over the wires and it was just beeping like crazy...no beeps from the Alt wiring ( this is good) but a bundle of wires to the pass side of the carb..many are unplugged because I believe they belonged to the old carter/weber carb...and the AC and the cruise. It does appear to me that something just isnt grounded. I did find that the O2 sensor was unplugged but that wouldnt cause anything.

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