Battery drain 1984 corvette

[stick105]

I just recieved my rebuilt dash today and installed it. Lo and behold... It lit up like a Christmass tree!!! Nice to see it worked great. I hooked a light up between the negative battery cable and the battery and still have battery drain. I pulled my L.C.D. fuse and the light went out. Can anyone tell me what exactly this fuse controlls? I also found my center console lights dont work and I have found 5 cut wires. That I think went to the radio harness, but maybe not I don't know. these wires are colored 1-pink w/white stripe, 2-solid pink, 3-brown, 4-grey, 5-black. Anyone have any ideas where they go? The factory radio is gone with an aftermarket radio in its place. I have turned the radio on and it lit, but I didn't see if the speakers worked or if it held memory. Any ideas? I need help!!! Thanks again Guys!

Stick

 

[David-F]

First of all the days of using a test light to check for a draw is over don't do it, it will not tell you anything you need an amp. meter that reads mA an 84 should have a draw of under 50 mA you may have an excessive draw from the dash cluster but unless you check it correctly I just don't know. Get a meter and check it out and let us know. Then we can look at which wires are cut I need to know were you found the cut wires, location.

David Fulcher

 

[stick105]

Thanks for the reply. Do I put the meter between the negative battery post and negative cable like I did the light? I have a meter and will check it. The cut wires are located behind the center dash pannel, behind the driver information center/radio area. Also, the directional arrows and hi beam indicator don't light when applied. The exterior lights blink with the corresponding siginal, but the arrows don't illuminate on the cluster. When the signal is blinking the dash dims slightly in sinc with the blink. Maybe a bad ground on the head? I checked them reciently. I am lost in this thing and appreachiate the help.Thanks again for the quick reply.

Stick

 

[stick105]

I just checked my terminal to cable with a volt meter and I made sure nothing was on or running and had the hood closed and I got a -0.004ma to -0.001ma reading. I switched it over to voltage and got 12.20 volts. ARGHHH!!!

 

[77-85]

I just checked my terminal to cable with a volt meter and I made sure nothing was on or running and had the hood closed and I got a -0.004ma to -0.001ma reading. I switched it over to voltage and got 12.20 volts. ARGHHH!!!

You said that you were reading -0.004ma to -0.001ma and then you switched to volts. Did you move the cables on your meter ? Every meter I have ever seen uses a common lead, and a lead that is connected to one output for Voltage and Resistance, and a second output for reading current.

Here is how I would test the current draw. Open the hood, and disconnect the negative battery terminal. remove or disconnect the underhood lights. Connect one of the meter leads to the common port, and the second meter lead to the port labeled current or amps. Set the meter range to be amps to begin with (so you don't blow the meter)

Then place one of the leads on the negative terminal of the battery and the other lead on the battery cable. You should get a reading of 0.0050 amps or so. Then change the meter range to millamps and check the reading again, it should be around 50. Any reading which is significantly higher indicates a current drain from something in the car.

 

[stick105]

Thanks 77-85. I will try that. I did switch the leads, but I will do it per-batum the way you suggested and I will report back. Thanks again for the reply.

John

 

[stick105]

Ok. I just checked the checker. This is what I did.

With the lower fender removed and the hood closed I put my meter on the battery and then on the neg. cable. I was reading 12.20 volts DC. I moved the red lead on my meter to the mA port on my meter and left the black lead in the COM port. I moved the switch on the meter to the mA setting and got -0.001 to -0.002. I turned the knob on the meter untill I got some other readings that were 0.000 - 0.0050 ranges. When I switched to the Vac setting I got 0.069 to 0.088 Vac. The Vdc setting was 13.8 to 15.8Vdc. These readings were with the red lead in the mA port and the black lead in the COM port. I really hope this means somthing to someone.

John

 

[stick105]

^^^^^^^

 

[stick105]

^^^^^

 

[sriat]

After Market Radio

May be too simple, Here is my thought. If the cut wires are behind radio. Radio is after market. Is it hooked up correctly.

Does the radio come on with the key out? Maybe it is connected to constant power?

I would remove the plug (Power and etc should just be one) Then see what happens?

Also, if you still have the factory Bose speakers, whomever installed the aftermarket radio, may have left constant power to these amplifiers causing drain.

Just my thoughts...