electrical drain

Discussion in 'General Maverick/Comet' started by bigkat79, Jun 24, 2008.

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  1. bigkat79

    bigkat79 Member

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    does anyone know why my car would mysteriously drain its battery?

    here's the background info:
    -good battery (tested 1 month ago)
    -brand new alternator (also tested 1 month ago straight out of the box)
    -1 yr. old battery cables.
    -1 yr. old starter solenoid
    -the alt. dumbie light is barely lit

    i drove the car yesterday afternoon and night, interior lights were bright as new. today i drove the car throughout the day (approx. 70 miles). then i go to leave my buddy's place around 9:30pm and the thing doesnt want to start, dash lights are bright still. jump start, drive home, head lights get more and more dim as i go (approx. 20 miles home). i pull into the driveway, and my lights are barely visible and my fasten seatbelt light is on. when i open my door, the cabin light doesnt even light up. the alt. light was on yesterday, but i figure there is no way it could have gone bad in one month! any suggestions?
     
    bigkat79, Jun 24, 2008
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  2. blugene

    blugene Senior member Supporting Member

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    voltage regulator? :hmmm:
     
    blugene, Jun 24, 2008
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  3. rayzorsharp

    rayzorsharp I "AM" a Maverick!

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    Like Gene said...regulator. It is very possible however that the alternator has gone bad. One of my employees put one on his truck the other day that was bad straight out of the box. They can and do go bad.
    I would suggest getting the system checked. Might save you a lot of guesswork and labor changing out parts.
     
    rayzorsharp, Jun 24, 2008
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  4. bigkat79

    bigkat79 Member

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    what do you mean by getting the system checked? as in taking each indvidual component off and having them tested?
     
    bigkat79, Jun 24, 2008
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  5. 71gold

    71gold Frank Cooper Supporting Member

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    you will need to charge the batt. to full charge...then drive it to one of your local parts stores...they can load test the whole system...:Handshake

    ...Frank...
     
    71gold, Jun 24, 2008
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  6. bigkat79

    bigkat79 Member

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    and that will tell me where the problem is?
     
    bigkat79, Jun 24, 2008
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  7. blugene

    blugene Senior member Supporting Member

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    If they know how to test the system properly they will be testing the system with and without the regulator, which helps identify which of the two is bad if either IS bad.
     
    blugene, Jun 24, 2008
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  8. bigkat79

    bigkat79 Member

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    "identify which one of the two..."

    meaning the regulator and alternator?
     
    bigkat79, Jun 24, 2008
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  9. blugene

    blugene Senior member Supporting Member

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    Yes...
     
    blugene, Jun 24, 2008
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  10. bigkat79

    bigkat79 Member

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    thanks for the help so far guys. i wont have time before thursday to get to autozone for the test. i'll post an update then.
     
    bigkat79, Jun 24, 2008
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  11. 71gold

    71gold Frank Cooper Supporting Member

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    put that battery on charge and good luck...:thumbs2:

    ...Frank...:Handshake
     
    71gold, Jun 25, 2008
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  12. bigkat79

    bigkat79 Member

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    well, i dont really know what's going on. i took it to autozone, and they said the battery and alternator are both good. i went ahead and got the voltage regulator, but havent put it on yet because i havent had any more problems. but, i havent driven it at night since then either, so i havent had the lights on to pull more electricity.
     
    bigkat79, Jun 27, 2008
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  13. blugene

    blugene Senior member Supporting Member

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    The light switch works during the day also...:hmmm:
    When they tested the alternator, did they disconnect the regulator? How many amps was the alt putting out when full fielded?
     
    blugene, Jun 27, 2008
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  14. 71gold

    71gold Frank Cooper Supporting Member

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    as Gene said..."The light switch works during the day also."
    that is the best time to run down an ...electrical problem...:tiphat:

    ...Frank...:Handshake
     
    71gold, Jun 27, 2008
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  15. bigkat79

    bigkat79 Member

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    they didnt tell me what the amps where, they only said that the alt. and battery where good. they didnt disconnect the regulator.
     
    bigkat79, Jun 29, 2008
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