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Battery keep going down...

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mylillooker

mylillooker

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My battery keep going down. I've got a 1500 Midget and I've had the alternator checked and they said it was fine. Any ideas on how to proceed? I don't have a radio. I just got it back on the road after about a year and a half (maybe two). This is a problem I had before the really major engine/transmission issue I just resolved. Any suggestions?
Mario
 
Good golly Mario! I thought you would have given up on that midget by now. BTW, I still have that fender in my basement if you ever decide to fix that dent.

If the battery checked out good and you suspect a power drain, the most obvious place to look is the boot light.
 
Light on on the trunk?
 
Oops, Trevor said as much ..
 
Thanks. I'll try that, but I don't think I have a boot light. I thought it might be the horns, so I unhooked them both. BUT I'll be darned if at least one of them didn't sound last night as I was driving. What's that mean? If it wasn't one of the horns, then what could it have been? But, I swear I think it was a horn!!
Oh, Trevor... NO!, I haven't given up yet!! With the time and money I've put into this thing, I need at least 4 (darn near) maintenance free years to recoup. That said,... even when it's sitting on block and can't take me to the corner of my street, I still love this car. I think I sick with it. I may need to see a shrink!

Mario
 
Look at the horn wireing more, should not have sounds when ground or power is disconnected. Hmmm. might be your problem area.
 
disconnect the battery and connect a small 12v test light in between the battery post and the clamp. If there is a draw then the light should light up (at least just a bit). Then if the light does come on, start unhooking things until you find the culprit. I wish I was close enough to help you with this. I love solving these kind of problems.
 
On second thought you could still have a draw and it not be enough to light a light bulb. I saw this once on a ford escort. I had to connect a multimeter set on milliamps in between the post and the connector, turned out to be a light in the back of the escort wagon that was turned on but the connections were so poor that the light would not come on but would drain the battery in about 3 days.
 
How long does it take to go flat? Are we talking days, weeks, a month...? If there is some extra current drain, the time it takes to discharge might give you a clue as to what it might be. Of course, a battery with one foot in the grave (so to speak) can go flat quickly even without current drain.

All batteries self-discharge over time. If it's taking a month or so to go flat, it might just be this, combined with marginal charging when the car is running. Might be worthwhile to try charging it completely with a separate charger. (All LBC owners should have one!)
 
The old BE has a screw you can adjust on the regulator for the potential drain on the battery. I don't know anything about the later midgets and their alt. but, dam, the weather here in KC is miserable. Rain, mist or sleet, but it is coming down. Had to add something just because it is pretty quiet on the home front. Good luck on your solution, we love a delima for the potintial solution.
 
You're really having trouble with the weather, eh? We've had 3 days straight of snow and cold. Welcome to winter -- good time to have a heated garage and a Bugeye. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/smile.gif
 
Thanks. It's taking a couple of days to drain. When you say post and connector, which post? I'm sure that's probably a very simple question, but electrics are not my forte and this is a first for me.

I won't be able to do this until Tuesday. It's cold and rainy here too, KC. That's the first time I'll have a garage to work in, I will definitely keep you all posted. You guys have always been a great help here!

Hmm? Sarastro? Is that a opera reference... Mozart?

Mario
 
You can get an Analog multimeter at Sears for $10. It is a good tool to have. then disconnect the positive battery cable. Set your multimeter to measure DC Milliamps in the highest range. Connect the leads to the battery positive post and the the positive cable lead you just removed. If you get no movement of the needle on the multimeter, then set it to a lower range and see if you get a current draw. You should have no current draw since you do not have a radio or clock. If you have a current draw then it is time to start looking for what is drawing power.

Stop by some time if you want help with this. You can use my garage as long as we do not get the car stranded here.
 
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