[gordont]

I just installed by circuit breaker across my battery disconnect switch. I left the car with the switch off with the breaker on. Got into the car and battery dead. Something in the gray/yellow wire circuit is drawing 2 1/2 - 3 amps and killing the battery. To solve the problem, I moved the G/Y wire to the switched side of the ignition switch. I guess that means that I no longer keep power to the computer. Is that going to cause me problems? What could be drawing 3 amps with everything off? I unplugged the couputer and still had the current drain. Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Tom

 

[jmimac351]

I've heard of alternators killing batteries when they go bad. Not from not providing a charge - but actually draining the battery. Something to do with the flux capacitor thingy in the alternator causing a current drain.

Jim

[ October 11, 2002, 01:21 PM: Message edited by: Jim McGovern ]

 

[Tim Cronin]

Can't help with the current drain you will need to trouble shoot further. You will want to restore power to the computer continuously. The computer takes some number of start and stop cycles to manage the engine controls effiently and the engine will run sub-optimally until it catches up. If you leave power off it will never run correct.
TEC

 

[paul burchett]

What year is your harness? I have diagrams for an '89 harness. I think my colors may be different than yours. Because the only GY/Y wire on the '89 is the one that powers the heated oxygen senors, circuit 687. If that is the one you are referring to, make sure it is on the run terminal of the ignition switch and not on the battery terminal. I think the wire you are talking about is circuit 38, which is BK/O on an '89 harness. The only place that wire goes is to the computer memory (pin #1) and to the EEC relay. Try unplugging the EEC relay. The contacts may be stuck in the closed position.

[ October 11, 2002, 02:38 PM: Message edited by: PAB ]

 

[Sleekcraft Steve]

I still have NOT connected the small wire across my cutoff switch to power the computer. I got the car on the road in June 2000. I haven't really noticed any problems, except for a surging idle for the first couple of minutes it starts.

 

[bwana50]

I've also got the battery-drain problem, but haven't started troubleshooting yet. Went dead in 24 hours when I left the battery cut-off on.

Stupid question: how do you determine current flow in a circuit?

 

[paul burchett]

Bwana50, disconnect one of the battery cables and hook a multimeter, selected to amps or milliamps, between the battery and the cable. This will tell you how many amps, or milliamps, the system is using with the key off.

 

[Muscle Motors Performance]

Disconnecting power to your battery should do nothing as it will read register all new codes that it reads on initial startup and driving.

I can tell you from experience from cars that need an on/off switch at the track we usually turn the switch off when recharging batteries between rounds. This doesn't hurt anything however I would try and figure out what your problem is as it is not normal.

MMP Sales
Muscle Motors Performance
[email protected]
http://www.musclemotors.com
818-888-7778
"Here to Make Racing Affordable for Everyone!"

 

[GenCobra]

Same problem my brother experienced with his Cobra: bad alternator (diodes I think). Changed alternator=FIXED!

While checking with ammeter unplug alternator and will likely = 0 amps

 

[bwana50]

Hmm, speaking of diodes.... there were two (blue wires) I cut out of the wiring harness, near the fuse box - was I too hasty to cut?

 

[gordont]

Hey thanks guys. I like the alternator theory. I forgot to mention that the charge indicator light is acting weird - all makes sense now. The light is on when I switch power on, then goes off when I first start the engine, and then comes on a few seconds later. I'll work on it in the am.

Thanks, again.

T

 

[BillKnight]

Place an Mutimeter with amps selected in series with battery cable and start disconnecting suspected parts until you have no more amps being drained on the battery. (Remember you read volts in parallel and amps in series, You are reading amps being drained here. ) Diodes have a high resistance in one direction and a low resistance in the other. You can test diodes out of the circuit with an mutimeter selected on ohms.