BATTERY FLATTENS PUZZLE

[blusmith]

82 spider complete rebuild. Got a new alternater from Csaba and new reduction gear starter from Mark . Both work fine BUT once installed even with ignition off, the "brown wire" and everything else switched off or isolated there is a 6Amp drain on the battery > If I disconnect the wire from starter to alternator the current drain drops to about 0.1Amp . What have I done wrong or have I damaged either of the starter or alternator? Chris

[seabeelt]

Brown wire goes to the ignition switch. I would start there. There is something on the other side of the switch that is drawing current. With the key off there should be no current draw. See http://www.mirafiori.com/faq/content/switch/switch.html.
R/

[redcars]

If you have a clock even with the key off there will be a very small drain, but nothing like what you have. To state I would pull the fuses one at a time and check after each one to see if it stopped the drain. Good luck!

[seabeelt]

Clock, cigarette lighter, parking lights, courtesy light, radiator fan, all are direct with the key off. Depending on the orientation of your fuse box, fuses 1, 9 and 10 ( the ones with the 25a fuses) are the main power pass throughs

Do you have a wiring diagram?
R/

[blusmith]

Thanks gentlemen; I do have a wiring diagram ( Brad's) but checking the current through the fuses was helpful advice and yes the "leak" is definitiely in the unfused "always hot " circuit s somewhere . My wiring had been cut and spliced when the car was converted to RHD and so I'm going have to crwal up behind the dash .

[majicwrench]

SHould be simple to find, 6amps is a lot. SOMETHING is on. Does alternator get warm when car is just sitting?? With what are you checking amps?? I wouldn't start messing under dash till you know what is drawing current. Like I said, 6 amps is lot, alternator field draw, fuel pump ( you would hear) hdlites (you would see) fan (you would hear) something, if it was in my shop I would hook my amp clamp around wires going to alt, it's one of the few things that can be sneaky about sucking that much current.
Keith

[blusmith]

Thanks Keith that makes sense. If that is the case why does the alternator do that and how do I fix it ? I'm in New Zealand so I'm a long way from help! Chris

[majicwrench]

What is the alternator doing?? Did you determine that it is indeed causing the draw?? Thru which wire?? And again, how are you measuring amperage?
Keith

[blusmith]

Sorry Keith I missed that part of the question. I have digital ammeter that reads up to 10Amps and I am interrupting each circuit and clipping the meter in series. At the Battery termianal its drawing 6Amp with IGTN off. key "OUT" fuel relay detached ( my brown wire conects directly to the fuel relay plug) when I check under the hood the big draw occurs whena Icheck the wire between starter stud and alternator output stud. this IS why I thought the draw was in the unfused always hot circuits but it does seem that its starting at the alternator. ( I have the radio detached ; cigar lighter seems fine and I have unplugged the aux power socket) . Chris

[azruss]

disconnect the wire between the starter and the alternator at the alternator and see if that stops the leak. If it doesnt, then you know the problem is downstream from the alternator. There are a couple of fuses that stay hot all the time. pull those and see what happens. Usually if it is a leak in the unfused power lines, it is a worn insulation on one of the wires. try wiggling the wires as you check to see if you get something to change.

[majicwrench]

Chris, so do you just have one big wire going to back of alternator, and then several smaller wires??
I would not recommend wigglilng wires. Damaged insulation results in direct shorts/blown fuses, not a consistant 6amp draw.
Keith

[blusmith]

HI Keith : One 30Amp wire goes back to stud on starter motor : the others are 15 or 20Amp and go to: IGNTION ; HEAD LAMP RELAYS : back to fuse board for the unswitched always hot circuit feeds.

[majicwrench]

"30 Amp wire" is not really a proper term, but I get the gist. Is there ONLY ONE WIRE on the big output post??

[blusmith]

Hi Keith ;they all attach to the alternator stud and there's another smaller wire which goes back into alterantor itslef

[majicwrench]

If there is three wires going to large stud then you still need to determine which wire is drawing current. Correct me if I am wrong, but likely the large wire coming up from the starter lug is providing current up to alt, yes?? If so, unhook all the wires from lug, and put meter tween big wire from starter lug and the alternator terminal, any draw?? Then tween big wire and the other wires, one at a time, any draw??
Keith