Something is drawing power when the car is parked...can't figure it out....

[BlackFox5.0]

My g/f has a '94 V6, and I assume it has the same charging system/wiring as the 5.0 '94. So I'd figure I'd post this here.

About a week ago she said her brake light was coming on, I checked it out filled the resivour, and found the leak, the front plug on the stock proportioning valve. Ok, so I go and get some parts aver the next few days, and in the meantime this thing is still leaking. Well it's her only car so it has to be driven, and it was leaking very minimally with her standing on the brake witht he engine started. It was slowly dripping.

Anyways I fixed it, then 2-3 days later (which would be today) she calls me from her work, and says her car wont start, so I go and jump it, and she drives home. She said it did the same thing this morning, only it started after 4 tries.You can hear the solenoid clicking away very fast.

I remember seeing this wire loom that ran down from the fuse box, and in front of the prop valve where the plug is that I replaced, and it was covered in brake fluid. I opened it up and sure enough it's loaded with fluid. I tried to clean up most of it, and wiggled the wires, and I'm still getting a heavy heavy draw from the battery. It killed the battery after about 1 hour. Whats in this loom besides the battery cable to the soleniod? Could the fluid eaten away at the insulation and shorted somehow? I don't understand it. I pulled fuses and tested for draw as well, and that did nothing.

 

[mo_dingo]

If you tested the correct fuse for that circuit, and you got no current reading, then it's probably not a short.

Your battery/alternator/regulator may be bad. Take it to autozone and have them test it. It free anyway!
Scott

 

[HISSIN50]

Hey Chris, i did a double-take when i saw your post over here. (hello Scott, too. did you run at the track a couple weeks ago? gears nice, i hope!)

Chris, what happens if you disconnect the connector in question? does the battery still get killed off?

i like Scott's idea (and i know you know this too, Mr whiz) - take it for a charging system test. a bad diode in the alt (as Scott said) could be the culprit. that is a real quick way to find out (easier than pulling the alt and bench testing it).

good luck bud.

 

[HazMat404]

well test all that stuff but it doesnt sound like an alt/bat/reg drain. it wouldnt be a short cause that would screw stuff up good but rather a ground that would drain power. im waiting for the day that i buckle down and get rid of my drain cause if i dont power my car (put a charger on it) every other day, my car will not start and have the clicking sound of a dead battery. im too lazy to find out what it is but i drive it enough (at least 3 times a day) to charge it up where is wont die. i think you might have to start checking each ground to see if you are losing power cause a short willl screw something up but a ground will drain power

 

[BlackFox5.0]

If i take the wire from the alt off the fuse box, and connect it to the battery cable thats also there, I don't get a draw. it's only when the battery cable is connected to the fuse box.