Power Drain - Truck Repair Advice


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Power Drain

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Guest
Anonymous Poster
pakuakid@yahoo.com

Jun 11, 2009, 6:13 PM

Post #1 of 3 (4326 views)

Power Drain	Sign In

1997
GMC
Suburban K1500
5.7l Vortec
180620mi

I went to start my car for work and the battery was dead.I got a jump and went about my day but when i came back to the car later the battery was dead again.

I had the battery and alternator tested and the battery was good but the alternator was putting out low amps.

So i had the alternator replaced and the battery was recharged and everything was fine for a few hours and the battery went dead again.

So i had a mobile mechanic come out today and go through the fuse boxes and all the loads on the top and bottom and he couldn't find anything drawing power.But something is drawing a full 12v from my battery all the time. I'm clueless as what to do at this point. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Jun 11, 2009, 6:35 PM

Post #2 of 3 (4323 views)

Re: Power Drain	Sign In

Tough call - there would be a "milleamp" draw so how tested counts.

Alternators in this if "Delphi" can wipe out in a second - own one myself - cooked alt and a new battery! Alt became a dead short and near melted. Killed a good battery as said. Who and how was battery tested?

T

Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jun 18, 2009, 7:45 AM

Post #3 of 3 (4310 views)

Re: Power Drain	Sign In

There is a procedure for finding a battery draw like that.

You will need a digital ammeter and a jumper wire with clips on the ends to do this.
First rig any door switches so you can have a door open without triggering the interior lights and unplug the hood light. Remove one battery cable and attach the meter in series between the battery cable and battery post. Take the jumper wire and also attach it the same way. Leave the jumper wire on for at least 10 minutes to expire all the automatic timers. Now remove the jumper wire and read the meter. Anything over 50ma is too much draw. The way you locate this is to start removing fuses one at a time until the meter drops to normal level. This will be the circuit with something staying on. Determine what components are part of that circuit and check them individually until the problem is isolated.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.

(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Jun 18, 2009, 7:45 AM)

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