Help! Slow Battery Discharge

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Mopar Friends
Thanks for all the suggestions. Here's an update. Used my DVM across the ground cable and negative battery post. Have a 13.1 VDC draw. The car is a radio and heater delete so it only has 4 fuses. The owner before me added a separate fused terminal block with 5 fuses. I have pulled all fuses and still have the draw. I have disconnected the alternator and still a draw. Today I put my battery disconnect back on but I would like to fix this issue. I will trace out the wires from the previous owner terminal block. He added a Holley blue pump, an MSD 6AL and MSD retard box. The car has no hood or trunk light. 'm guessing it must be something outside of the fused circuits. It has done this since I purchase it 6 years ago. I will continue to post my results. Thanks for all the help.
 
You need to re-read my destructions. You do NOT measure draw with the voltage scale. Carefully re-read my post, and then come back with what you don't understand. WHAT IS the model number (and or clear photo) of your meter?
 
Disconnect ground terminal of battery. Connect one lead of the meter to the negative terminal on battery, other lead to the ground cable itself. Make sure the red lead on the meter is plugged into the AMP terminal and black lead to black terminal. Turn the dial to the AMP/20A on the meter. That will be your AMP draw. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO START THE CAR, YOU WILL BLOW YOUR METER !!!
 
My 69 Barracuda was doing the same thing till I got out there at night one time and noticed a glow coming from the glove box. The glove box switch was pushed in somewhat and the light circuit never shut off with the door closed. I could have found it earlier with an ammeter but was just too lazy.
 
Well I decided to put my battery disconnect back on until I can trace this rascal down. I have a more serious problem that just cropped up, drive line vibration between 5 and 7K rpm. I will concentrate on that first and post more results on the electrical issue as soon as I get a chance. Thanks fellow members, your suggestions are great.
 
You're getting your AMPS and VOLTS mixed up. Amperage is the amount of current flow which is what you need to measure. Put your meter in DC current mode in series with the positive side of the battery and read the current (measured in amps or milliamps). It should read "zero" amps with everything off, doors closed etc. If it shows a current draw you'll need to start pulling fuses to find out which circuit is pulling power.
 
I have a silly question. What kind of battery do you have? I scanned the thread but didn't see if you posted that or not.

Is it an Optima? If it is, I've got ten bucks that says you don't use the car as a daily driver.

I have the same issue and own three red tops. The only one that won't keep a charge is in my Cuda.
 
I have a 1973 Dart with a built 360 that has a holley blue fuel pump that i have had similar issues with the battery going dead. We discovered and corrected an issue with the brakes and rear brake lights that was causing a draw on the battery while the car was sitting. I still have an issue with the battery's power being drawn down while starting the car and it will go dead. Could the fuel pump be the issue and would switching to an Optima red top battery help? I only drive the car on weekends. I appreciate your help and suggestions.
 
You really don't have to guess, here. I doubt very much that it's the fuel pump, unless it's wired pretty weird.

Read the thread, use a meter and a test light as suggested. IT IS IMPORTANT to start with a test light, because it is very much POSSIBLE that if you have a large draw, you might pop the current fuse in your meter. What happens "when that happens" is you look at the meter and it reads zero, and you think, "I have not draw" when in fact the meter is not working!!

I know nothing about Optima batteries, but if they are that unreliable, I'd say it's money wasted.
 
Hello All,

I'm also dealing with a slow current draw on a 1972 Dodge Dart Swinger with a 318. Kills the battery in about 2 weeks time. Vehicle features and aftermarket radio and amp but other than that, bone stock.

I'm going to purchase a proper meter to test as you've all instructed earlier in the thread, but I thought I'd share what I gleaned from my test light. As instructed, I hooked it up in series with the negative terminal and the ground and I had a very dim light. Pulled all of the fuses one at a time, disconnected the stereo, and all of the lights one by one on the car. Couldn't find the draw.

Then I loosened up the nut that holds the starter relay and that killed the draw. I'm not all that familiar with electrical problems. What would I have disconnected that would be giving me trouble? Did I actually isolate the problem, or did I just break the circuit.

Thanks for the help,
Ben
 
You really should start your own thread. You may have just broken the circuit, as the main harness feed --the fuse link to the bulkhead-- comes off that post. Hook it back up, and try disconnecting the alternator output lead.
 
blewbyoutobad said:
Mopar Friends
Thanks for all the suggestions. Here's an update. Used my DVM across the ground cable and negative battery post. Have a 13.1 VDC draw. The car is a radio and heater delete so it only has 4 fuses. The owner before me added a separate fused terminal block with 5 fuses. I have pulled all fuses and still have the draw. I have disconnected the alternator and still a draw. Today I put my battery disconnect back on but I would like to fix this issue. I will trace out the wires from the previous owner terminal block. He added a Holley blue pump, an MSD 6AL and MSD retard box. The car has no hood or trunk light. 'm guessing it must be something outside of the fused circuits. It has done this since I purchase it 6 years ago. I will continue to post my results. Thanks for all the help.
Click to expand...

Everyone may have missed this and I may have misread but if you are on volts scale and you are reading 13 volts between your negative battery post and vehicle ground... you have a super ground problem and more like a very poor grnd, almost a open circiut. THAT needs to be resolved first.
 
67DARTGTCONV said:
Everyone may have missed this and I may have misread but if you are on volts scale and you are reading 13 volts between your negative battery post and vehicle ground... you have a super ground problem and more like a very poor grnd, almost a open circiut. THAT needs to be resolved first.
Click to expand...

Everyone,
Thank you all for the posts and ideas. I have not been able to get back on this issue as I have been chasing a vibration issue. I'll do some more testing this coming weekend and make a post.
 
67DARTGTCONV said:
Everyone may have missed this and I may have misread but if you are on volts scale and you are reading 13 volts between your negative battery post and vehicle ground... you have a super ground problem and more like a very poor grnd, almost a open circiut. THAT needs to be resolved first.
Click to expand...

I took it that he disconnected the ground, and put the voltmeter in between. It would be exactly an open circuit.
 
67Dart273 said:
I took it that he disconnected the ground, and put the voltmeter in between. It would be exactly an open circuit.
Click to expand...

I would agree. If not he has a draw prob due to feedback with such a bad grnd.
althought that bad it would not crank over
 
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