battery keeps dying, cant find draw! - Zilvia.net Forums | Nissan 240SX (Silvia) and Z (Fairlady) Car Forum

anfitch2k5 · 01-17-2010, 01:48 PM

so if i let my car sit over night its dead the next morning. ive hooked up my test light to the battery to find the draw, hooked it up series with the negitive cable with it unhooked like your supposed to. and if i pull the big 75a fuse in the engine bay fuse box (s14) the light goes out and thats the ONLY one that i can pull that the light goes out on. all the others get pulled ad the light stays on, even the ones on the inside. what all does this amp controll? i know it goes to my battery on one end but what to on the other side? im not awesome with electrical but im okay with it. i have a blacktop sr20. any help would be priceless! where do i starttt?

Darius · 01-18-2010, 07:10 AM

First, get a multimeter and go through the same procedure. The draw could be in the power cable from the positive terminal on the battery or in the alternator housing. I had the same thing happen where I couldn't find the draw until I disconnected the alternator from the system. Alternator still tested out okay in the store, but I made them replace it anyways because it had an internal short. This was after I already made Sears replace the battery

anfitch2k5 · 01-18-2010, 07:21 AM

yeah ill do that, my battery is in the trunk, and i ran a seperate power wire outside the car to the distrubtion block to the battery and still same thing, and i took off the power source to the alternator and it kept doing the same thing there too. but im guess its somewhere in the alternator also but how if its completly unplugged and its still drawing :'(

Darius · 01-18-2010, 02:56 PM

If the alternator is completely unplugged, it cannot draw so you're good to go there. The main power harness also goes to the starter so it could be that. If you disconnect the starter and it is still drawing, it is either in the wire from the fuse block to the battery or you're missing something in the fuse-pulling process at the fuse block.

anfitch2k5 · 01-18-2010, 06:06 PM

like i can disconnect all the lower harness from fuse block, all three plugs and it still draws! so im thinkin its not engine related. gotta be body related, lights, horn, radio ect. i think im gunna replace my battery cause it all started like 2 weeks after i replaced it. ill let you know lol

Darius · 01-19-2010, 07:09 AM

yep, battery could do it too.

anfitch2k5 · 01-31-2010, 10:56 AM

bad alt! i love being able to start my car in the morning for work now! lol
thanks for your input/help

Darius · 02-02-2010, 07:05 AM

Yes! I guessed right on my first post!! haha glad its working again. When you got it tested, did they say it tested out okay or did you just replace it without testing the old one? I'm curious because mine tested fine on the machine, but I made them accept the return anyways due to the internal short/ground.

anfitch2k5 · 02-03-2010, 09:05 AM

well i just replaced it without being tested. but i also replaced the battery at the same time. soooo coulda been either or

01-17-2010, 01:48 PM	#1
anfitch2k5 Zilvia Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: austin, tx Age: 34 Posts: 256 Trader Rating: (5) Feedback Score: 5 reviews	battery keeps dying, cant find draw! so if i let my car sit over night its dead the next morning. ive hooked up my test light to the battery to find the draw, hooked it up series with the negitive cable with it unhooked like your supposed to. and if i pull the big 75a fuse in the engine bay fuse box (s14) the light goes out and thats the ONLY one that i can pull that the light goes out on. all the others get pulled ad the light stays on, even the ones on the inside. what all does this amp controll? i know it goes to my battery on one end but what to on the other side? im not awesome with electrical but im okay with it. i have a blacktop sr20. any help would be priceless! where do i starttt?

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01-18-2010, 07:10 AM	#2
Darius Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 346 Trader Rating: (5) Feedback Score: 5 reviews	First, get a multimeter and go through the same procedure. The draw could be in the power cable from the positive terminal on the battery or in the alternator housing. I had the same thing happen where I couldn't find the draw until I disconnected the alternator from the system. Alternator still tested out okay in the store, but I made them replace it anyways because it had an internal short. This was after I already made Sears replace the battery

01-18-2010, 07:21 AM	#3
anfitch2k5 Zilvia Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: austin, tx Age: 34 Posts: 256 Trader Rating: (5) Feedback Score: 5 reviews	yeah ill do that, my battery is in the trunk, and i ran a seperate power wire outside the car to the distrubtion block to the battery and still same thing, and i took off the power source to the alternator and it kept doing the same thing there too. but im guess its somewhere in the alternator also but how if its completly unplugged and its still drawing :'(

01-18-2010, 02:56 PM	#4
Darius Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 346 Trader Rating: (5) Feedback Score: 5 reviews	If the alternator is completely unplugged, it cannot draw so you're good to go there. The main power harness also goes to the starter so it could be that. If you disconnect the starter and it is still drawing, it is either in the wire from the fuse block to the battery or you're missing something in the fuse-pulling process at the fuse block.

01-18-2010, 06:06 PM	#5
anfitch2k5 Zilvia Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: austin, tx Age: 34 Posts: 256 Trader Rating: (5) Feedback Score: 5 reviews	like i can disconnect all the lower harness from fuse block, all three plugs and it still draws! so im thinkin its not engine related. gotta be body related, lights, horn, radio ect. i think im gunna replace my battery cause it all started like 2 weeks after i replaced it. ill let you know lol

01-19-2010, 07:09 AM	#6
Darius Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 346 Trader Rating: (5) Feedback Score: 5 reviews	yep, battery could do it too.

01-31-2010, 10:56 AM	#7
anfitch2k5 Zilvia Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: austin, tx Age: 34 Posts: 256 Trader Rating: (5) Feedback Score: 5 reviews	bad alt! i love being able to start my car in the morning for work now! lol thanks for your input/help

02-02-2010, 07:05 AM	#8
Darius Zilvia Junkie Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Chicago Posts: 346 Trader Rating: (5) Feedback Score: 5 reviews	Yes! I guessed right on my first post!! haha glad its working again. When you got it tested, did they say it tested out okay or did you just replace it without testing the old one? I'm curious because mine tested fine on the machine, but I made them accept the return anyways due to the internal short/ground.

02-03-2010, 09:05 AM	#9
anfitch2k5 Zilvia Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: austin, tx Age: 34 Posts: 256 Trader Rating: (5) Feedback Score: 5 reviews	well i just replaced it without being tested. but i also replaced the battery at the same time. soooo coulda been either or