Electrical Short?

[elreyjuan]

I have a 2001 mustang v6, for the past year i have had to disconnect the battery to my car so it does not drain. the battery has been replaced by new one and still drains. the alternator is good. the only modifications i have made are install hid bulbs, foglights, and an led interior panel. There are no blown fuses, the wiring to the stereo is good, the wiring to the foglights and headlights are good. Whenever i lower the windows or turn on my headlights, the instrument panel dims briefly. Is this an electrical short or something else? If so, how can i fix it?

 

[wmburns]

IMO, you do not have a short. What is have is called a parasitic drain. It can be very difficult to locate a parasitic drain.

For the Mustang, the most common causes of parasitic drain are radios, power seats, and add on modifications.

For the power seats, look at the power seat switch. Is it loose, broken or stuck in one position? If so, start there. Perhaps disconnect the power seat electrical connection to see if this stops the drain.

For the radio, pull all of the radio fuses. Does this stop the drain? If so, focus there.

For all others, the usual way to trouble shoot is to connect an amp meter to the battery negative. Measure the current. Remove fuses one at a time and record how much the current drops by. Post the fuses with the largest drops.

A set of wiring diagrams would be a big help. If interested in getting a copy for yourself, I maybe able to help. PM if interested.

 

[elreyjuan]

the fuses from the fuse box next to the battery or the fusebox under the steering wheel?
also now that i think of it, my dad replaced one of my fuses with a fuse of higher amperage because he didn't have one that matched. Could that be an issue as well?