Draining battery

[twanger1994]

Hello everyone,
I lost my license a year ago today. Now that New jersey says I can have it back I started getting my car ready. 1994 Mustang GT. So I gave her a couple new tires new battery new headlights (smashed in accident) drove it to my new place and the next morning the battery was dead. The car was running long enough to charge the battery around 7:00-8:00 pm the next morning it was dead. The atlernator is giving a charge no lights are staying on. Everything is off in the car. The car sat for a year, then about 2-3 months ago I changed a bad radiator and redid the whole cooling system (flushed, new coolant, new gaskets, thermo.) Car drove fine for about 90 miles when I moved it telling me that the battery is getting a charge. Now I dont know what to do. I dont really have the money to start changing the electrical system piece by piece. I have been told that often the starter can short out from sitting for so long. (starter works fine) But may have short. Friday I make that rediculous trip to DMV. Im trying to get what I need now so this weekend I can fix her. Theres no way I can get my lisence back and drive another car. My baby deserves to be driven this weekend. Please help me...... Thanks.....MIKE

 

[ajc7755]

I am having a similar battery draining problem. What I did though was yank the battery out of the car and hook it up to a charger. Once it was complety charged I took it off the charger and let it sit for a day. The next day I plugged it back inot the charger and it had already dropped 5 in the charge. Give that a try or you could just take it into a autozone and have them test it.

 

[dave'sgreenGT]

I had the same problem when I came back from deployment in the Navy. I fixed my car by changing the alternator. I went to autozone and had them checks it out but they said it was fine. I figured it out after working on the problem for a couple of day's. If you hook up a multi meter to the battery with the car off you will see a slow drain on your battery. Then start pulling fuses to isolate the problem. Mine was with the voltage regulator on the alternator. Another thing you could look at, is go out to your car in the mourning after it has been sitting all night. Touch the alternator if it is the problem you will not want to keep your hand on it very long it will be very hot. I hope this helps....