Went to a party last night for around 5 hours. When I cut the car off and got out, I noticed the lights on the climate control were still lit up. Barely lit, but they were. Oh well. Moved on to some drinking and fun with friends. Went to leave after 2 hours of sobering laughter at a guy who almost ate a band aid without realizing it. Starter didn't have enough juice to turn the flywheel. It just clicked like it had a bad ground, but all my grounds are good. Luckily I keep jumper cables in the back of my 91 crx. I have a Odyssey PC680 relocated to the cargo area.

Today I got my multimeter and test power at the battery with the car off. 12.0V (I disconnected the ground when I got home so it would have power when I woke up from a coma). Started the car up and I got 14.6V at the alternator and 13.6 at the battery and starter. Cut the car off and got 12.4 at the battery and starter.

anyone got any ideas? TIA.

 

Well, I'd probably start looking at the reason why your climate control lights are staying on, obviously there's a power leech somewhere.

 

based on the voltages you measure, it sounds like your alternator is OK.

 

I agree, but there is no reason for it. The battery has been relocated for two weeks now with no problems. Any ideas what or where to test for the drain I got going on? After I get a shower, I'm going back out there to see if the battery has any juice since I left the ground on from testing earlier.

 

Easiest way to diagnose a parasitic load is to hook up a 12v test light in series with the battery... ie unhook the negative terminal on your battery, wrap one wire of a test light up to the terminal and the other wire of the test light to the terminal on the battery. Whenever any current is being drawn, the light bulb will light up. Just dont try to start the car or even turn the accessories on or youll burn up your thin gauged test light wires or the light bulb.

Now since you have a parasitic load, the light bulb should be glowing when you do this, so just start pulling fuses until the light goes out. If youve tried all the fuses and the light still is on, its probably the alternator because its not fused.

 

so basically, connect the wire on the power light to a ground on the chassis and touch the other end to the positive battery terminal, then start pulling fuses to see what turns the light off?

Could this problem have anything to do with the main relay? I got a code 43 for the fuel system, but I made it go away by simply unplugging the ecu for an hour or so. I'm pretty sure that means the main relay is going bad.

 

Well, I tried that and the light was not on by connecting the grounding wire to the disconnected ground terminal and then touching the positive wire. I even pulled every fuse individually to see if that may have made the light come on, but still got nothing. tried this with the key on and off.

The day it happened it sat for near 6 hours. It sat for about 7 the yesterday and did fine. It sat for about 7 this morning also and it started right up with no signs of a weak battery. Those lights above the mode selectors on the climate control were still lit softly, but everything worked fine.

 

hmm...updated news: after further trouble shooting, I found that the lights only come on when the buttons are on recirculate and the vents are set to the face. put either one on another setting and they turn off...has this never happened to anyone? Again, that battery drain test showed nothing being drawn...

 

you are stupid....

READ THAT GUY'S POST!!!!!!!!

disconnect your negative battery cable...Hook up your test IN SERIES with the battery.

For you stupid folk that means clamp your test light to the battery post and hold the other end to the NEGATIVE battery cable. If you have a draw it will light up. Pull fuses until the light goes out, fix the problem and recheck to see if you have any more draws.

******* read....christ..some people just need to take their cars to a qualified mechanic. Where is Darwin when you need him.

 

wow. you are a true dick. Simply because I have never done a draw test like that, you go apeshit. lick my *******.

so, I'm not an electrical guru. ???

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by biggee &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">disconnect your negative battery cable...Hook up your test IN SERIES with the battery. Clamp your test light to the battery post and hold the other end to the NEGATIVE battery cable. If you have a draw it will light up. Pull fuses until the light goes out, fix the problem and recheck to see if you have any more draws.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thanks to your so eloquent description of how this is done, I tried again. Got the faint light using the test light in series with the ground. I pulled every fuse I could on the car, and still the light remains on. the only fuses I didn't remove were the 60A and 50A fuses that have screws holding them in place in the under hood fuse box. But the smaller pullable fuses were tested as well. The light stays on no matter what fuse is pulled. Sound like a relay to anyone who may have had this problem before or any other electrical geniuses?

btw: I have plenty of mechanical skills, just not a ton of electrical experience like this. these are problems that don't usually occur to me or anyone I know.

 

Listen I never said you had to be an electrical genius, just read the post...R E A D the words that are on the page.

anyways...if you think it may be something else just keep disconnecting things until the light goes out. remember that most test lights are 6 - 12V. unplug your alt and see if the light goes out, or your relays. AT least when the light goes out you will have the best area to start from...

 

chris bring it by my shop.. i'll run some tests for you.. since biggee there wants to be an *** about " people should let a qualified mechanic " work on their car...


sorry took me so long to answer you post(pm) bro. been really busy just finished up on a k20 swap and a b20vtec and built d series also a fuking 330 in a 64 olds. oh yeah not to mention that fuking kid i did the turbo b16 in his HF blew it. told him 15lbs was to harsh for his " stock " motor some people just dont listen.. lol

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by B16CRXT &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

The light stays on no matter what fuse is pulled. Sound like a relay to anyone who may have had this problem before or any other electrical geniuses?
.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Dang dude, i wish you would have read my original reply better.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by liljonwask &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Now since you have a parasitic load, the light bulb should be glowing when you do this, so just start pulling fuses until the light goes out. If youve tried all the fuses and the light still is on, its probably the alternator because its not fused.</TD></TR></TABLE>

 

well, I have pulled the plug and the power wire from the alternator, and the light was still on. Today I unplugged every plug I could see under the dash,especially the climate control since it is the only thing giving me evidence of the drain.

I suspect the ignition now. Tomorrow morning when I get off work, I will pull the power wire from the starter to the fuse box to see if the light remains on. if it does, I'll investigate the starter power. I'm stumped by this.

Billy, you may get a visit by me soon.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by B16CRXT &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Today I unplugged every plug I could see under the dash.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Don't forget the fuses in the engine compartment...

 

yea, I already posted that I got those. I can't find it and I don't feel like messing with it today. I'm exhausted from work. Maybe tomorrow...

 

well, today I took the power wire off the starter (which left only the power to the fuse box) and the test light stayed on. I then removed the power wire from the fuse box (engine bay) and the test light turned off. So, there is definitely something, somewhere, that I can't find or haven't thought of drawing power...this sucks...

I don't understand how it drained it in 5 hours that one time and it sits for 8-9 hours now and powers the car fine when I have to leave for work... I haven't left it plugged up during work yet, as I am worried it will die within the 11 hours I'm there, and traffic sucks trying to get out of there so getting a jump would screw me hard on getting home at a decent time.

someone told me that if you move a compass around the car, it will tell you approximately where the draw is coming from by the needle shaking around or something...any truth to this?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by B16CRXT &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">well, today I took the power wire off the starter (which left only the power to the fuse box) and the test light stayed on. I then removed the power wire from the fuse box (engine bay) and the test light turned off. So, there is definitely something, somewhere, that I can't find or haven't thought of drawing power...this sucks...</TD></TR></TABLE>

I would double check the engine bay fuse box. Make sure that you removed each one individually and then check to see if the check light stays on.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">someone told me that if you move a compass around the car, it will tell you approximately where the draw is coming from by the needle shaking around or something...any truth to this?</TD></TR></TABLE>

sounds like BS. If that were the case, you wouldn't be able to use a compass in your car because it would be dancing all around, but obviously compasses work fine in cars.

 

put a voltmeter across the battery as it sits. then you can run and ammeter down each line to see whats causing your parasitic draw. good luck to you, chasing wires is a BITCH.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ComeOnKip &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">put a voltmeter across the battery as it sits. then you can run and ammeter down each line to see whats causing your parasitic draw. good luck to you, chasing wires is a BITCH.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Will that give him more info than just using the test light like he's already doing?

 

all a test light does is show that theres power wherever you touch it. an ammeter will allow how to trace down by bunch and then to the wire exactly thats pullin amps off the battery. It's an elimnation process, but if its a short to ground or something thats not impossible to reach, you can find the issue in usually under an hour. still not fun tho.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ComeOnKip &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">all a test light does is show that theres power wherever you touch it. an ammeter will allow how to trace down by bunch and then to the wire exactly thats pullin amps off the battery. It's an elimnation process, but if its a short to ground or something thats not impossible to reach, you can find the issue in usually under an hour. still not fun tho.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

Actually the test light (the way the OP has it wired) shows when current is being drawn from the battery. The brighter the light, the more current thats being drawn.

The only thing the amp meter can do that the test light cant is tell how much current is being drawn. And amp meters are usually expensive, and the amp/current function on multimeters usually can't handle more than an amp or two of current.

So i think an amp meter would in no way help the situation...

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by LilJonWask &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Actually the test light (the way the OP has it wired) shows when current is being drawn from the battery. The brighter the light, the more current thats being drawn.

The only thing the amp meter can do that the test light cant is tell how much current is being drawn. And amp meters are usually expensive, and the amp/current function on multimeters usually can't handle more than an amp or two of current.

So i think an amp meter would in no way help the situation...</TD></TR></TABLE>

Well a test light just shows if there is power at the point in the circuit that you are diagnosing. Thats why it connects to a ground, because electricity always wants to take the easiest route to ground, and when you touch it to a point in a circuit that has uninterupted power from the battery, it goes through the test light and back to the ground, thus lighting up the bulb along the way. If you want to stare at a bulb and guess at how bright it is and try to diagnose it that way , have a blast.

The correct way to do it seeing as how all the fuses have been pulled and the draw still hasn't been found is to put an ammeter in-line with the cables coming off the positive battery terminal. Then by finding out which one of those is making the draw, you can go to the next power distribution point down the chain until you can find the wire that is shorted to ground or otherwise screwed up. Please remember that your ECU does draw a very small amount of power when the car is off to retain CEL codes, short term and long term fuel trim and a host of other things. But it by far isn't enough to ground a battery down to below the level of turning the car over unless it sits for QUITE a long time. Hope this helps the OP.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ComeOnKip &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Well a test light just shows if there is power at the point in the circuit that you are diagnosing.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

Actually, it doesn't show "power" at a point. There is really no such thing as "power" or current at a single point, just a potential difference (ie voltage). A test light in series with either the ground, or in series with the positive terminal of the battery will glow when current is flowing through it. This is electronics 101.

A test light in series will do the same exact job as an amp meter, it just won't specifically tell you how much current is flowing through it. But if you do a little math, you can make a good guess. Lets say you have a 10 watt turn signal bulb for your test light. We know that its a 12volt system, so divide 10watt by 12volts and we get a little less than an amp of current. So when an amp of current flows through this test light, its gonna be full brightness. If the light is super bright, we know that its prolly a little more than an amp, and if the bulb burns out instantly, we are drawing a lot more than an amp. However, if the OP's battery drains slowly, taking around 5 hours, so we know that the parasitic load is going to be hovering around an amp.

In order to use an amp meter, you have to break the circuit, and run the meter in series with the flow of current, the same exact way the test light is wired. So no, an amp meter is not going to do anything for this person.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If you want to stare at a bulb</TD></TR></TABLE>

Stare at a bulb or stare at an lcd screen, doesn't matter to me. In fact you can use periperial vision to see the bulb.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
The correct way to do it seeing as how all the fuses have been pulled and the draw still hasn't been found is to put an ammeter in-line with the cables coming off the positive battery terminal. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Correct way means the way that works, and both test light and amp meter will do the same job in this situation. If the OP wants to know that oh he has 1amp load or a 1.4amp load, then by all means use a meter.