dead battery

[AndyReit]

I have a 1996 Cobra and just put a new battery in it and it goes dead in a week unless I disconnect the battery when I am not driving it. I only use it about every other weekend now because it is a work in progress. the other problem I am having is an oil leak off the left front corner of the engine. I had a shop look at it and they told my it was the oil pan gasket leaking and to repair it was about $1,000 labor and $25 for the parts because they have to lift the motor

 

[wmburns]

The oil pan is so expensive because not only does the motor have to be lifted and supported from above, the K-member needs to be disconnected and lowered. It's a ton of work if paying a professional to do. Sounds like an "opportunity" to save some real $$'s by DIY'ing it.

Finding a parasitic draw can be a real challenge. Are you looking to find it yourself or just some ideas for common areas to look for a lucky guess?

If the latter, try:

• disconnecting the radio to see if this makes a difference.
• disconnecting the small alternator connector to see if this makes a difference.
• cleaning the top of the battery of any acid migration.
• CLEAN all battery terminals. Make sure all are CLEAN and TIGHT. Do the same for the grounds around the radiator core support.

If looking for a "method" to use try reading the voltage drop across all fuses. If possible make sure that the door switch is closed and enough time as past for the PCM/GEM to go to sleep (generally about 10 minutes). Record the voltage drop across each fuse and the size of the fuse. Use the fuse numbering in the provided link. Sort by voltage drop with the largest at the top. This will tell us which circuits to focus upon.

Howto perform charging system voltage drop test

Howto perform charging system voltage drop test

To anyone else reading any of my posts I usually include the line: Today's cars simply will not run right without a strong battery and charging system! Cut corners here at your own risk I'm a big believer in starting with the basics. As such I...

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1999-2004 MY fuse panel schedule:

1999 Mustang GT with 2001 motor swap, wont fire. Please help

First off thank you for taking the time to read this, I hope that you will be able to help me out in some way to get a 4 month project off the ground and back onto the streets. I'm not a master mechanic but know just a little bit, enough to do your typical maintenance, overhauls, and swaps. I...

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