My 96 dodge I purchased a few weeks ago has a electrical problem maybe someone knows about. After three weeks or so, the batt was almost dead. I put a charge in it. This is a new battery. What I have done in the past is pull a one of the cables off, and touch it to the batt post, if I get a spark that means something is on. Now on my batt I pulled the ground cable and got a small spark, then after a short time I got another spark, but not a continous spark. With the pos cable still connected, and the ground disconnected what can be causing this small spark? Can smoething in the alt. be causing a drain? Stan
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Leyland-270
Member
You will always get a spark but not always visible due to the components that require constant power, clock radio ect.
Watch out for the wire harness in the dash on that truck, we had a couple melt down, not burn just melt every wire in the dash.
Watch out for the wire harness in the dash on that truck, we had a couple melt down, not burn just melt every wire in the dash.
buickanddeere
Well-known Member
Just charging a filter capacitor with that first flash.
Janicholson
Well-known Member
If a small 12v light bulb (parking lamp) will light when placed between the post and clamp (where the spark is) and stay lit, it has a drain that is equal or greater than a light bulb. Leave the bulb in place, and remove fuses or bulbs one at a time until it goes out. Then fix the issue drawing current. Jim
Antique Hay Company
New User
Check the relay for the air conditioner. We had the relay go bad in our 95. It was sending power to magnetic switch to engage the air conditioner. All the time, key on or off. Look at conditioner lines, if frosty, thats your problem
MarkB_MI
Well-known Member
- Location
- Motown USA
Stan, that's not a great test for battery drain on any vehicle made in the last thirty years. There are too many electronics in the car these days that are always on. In fact, manufacturers will actually put cars in a "sleep mode" when they're shipped overseas so the batteries aren't dead when they arrive at their destinations.
As B&D said, you probably were charging capacitors in various electronic parts.
You can hook a voltmeter up in series with the battery and read the voltage as you pull the fuses. Once the voltage drops well below 13 volts you'll only have a few microamps of current. The problem is this is a bit too sensitive, it's hard to tell the difference between a trickle and a torrent.
As B&D said, you probably were charging capacitors in various electronic parts.
You can hook a voltmeter up in series with the battery and read the voltage as you pull the fuses. Once the voltage drops well below 13 volts you'll only have a few microamps of current. The problem is this is a bit too sensitive, it's hard to tell the difference between a trickle and a torrent.
guido
Well-known Member
Hello stan,
Parassitic drain should be no more then .035 of an amp or 35Ma. With one cable off, positive or negative, you will get the same spark.
voltage between the disconnected cable and the battery should also be fraction of a volt.
Check the battery voltage before you cannect the cable. Then check it every hour or so, it should not chage only a fraction of a volt if any.
Fully charged battery voltage is 12.6 Volts at 70 degrees F.
Guido.
Parassitic drain should be no more then .035 of an amp or 35Ma. With one cable off, positive or negative, you will get the same spark.
voltage between the disconnected cable and the battery should also be fraction of a volt.
Check the battery voltage before you cannect the cable. Then check it every hour or so, it should not chage only a fraction of a volt if any.
Fully charged battery voltage is 12.6 Volts at 70 degrees F.
Guido.
Geo-TH,In
Well-known Member
I have seen parassitic drains from a tiny bulb in a sun visior drain a good battery in 12 days. My electric brake controller uses 12 ma and along with the rest of the drains, my truck battery was flat after 15 days. Had a Caddy that the seat belt release for the passanger side would drain the battery in 4 days. The light under the hood on my old truck wouldn't shut off and it would drain my battery over night. Go to harbor freight and by a VOM for $3 and measure the amp drain on your battry. Also purchased a $20 100a load tester from HF to check the condition of your battery. These are 2 tools I can't live without.
guido
Well-known Member
Hello George Marsh,
You are right a bulb on is a enough to drain a battery pretty fast, because is a 12V drain. Parassitic drain is a fraction of a volt or amp. It takes a few milliamps to keep the clock and radio presets running, that does not drain the battery in 12 Hrs. You would have a dead battery every morning.
Guido.
You are right a bulb on is a enough to drain a battery pretty fast, because is a 12V drain. Parassitic drain is a fraction of a volt or amp. It takes a few milliamps to keep the clock and radio presets running, that does not drain the battery in 12 Hrs. You would have a dead battery every morning.
Guido.
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