Electrical Problems/Chasing Gremlins

[Herbst '71]

My battery has been dying in cold weather. I can jump it with no problem and then after a few days, it needs another jump. My guess is that the VR is bad and I will check that in a few minutes.

On the other hand, when I am driving and turn on the headlights, the radio turns on and then back off. I thought this was odd since they are not hooked up to the same fuse or ground. Lately, when the headlights are on and I turn on the blinker, the radio turns off and then back on.

Where should I begin looking? I can read a wiring diagram, but troubleshooting is not my strong point.

Thanks for any advice,
Rik
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Rik
'71 Deluxe/1600 DP

"Fortunately my mistakes are serving as a warning for others."

[1977_L63H_P27]

Do you have a hot lead directly from the battery for your stereo? Or have you ran it to the fuse box? I'm betting fuse box, as a lot of newer stereos sense even the slightest drop in voltage and behave as if the vehicle has been turned off. A dedicated hot wire should cure it, and you can use a simple relay if you'd like it to come on with the ignition. Peace!
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[autiger78]

[Wildthings]

It sounds like you are not getting a full charge on your battery. Check the voltage at the battery with a multimeter, it should read 14 volts or so when running and revved up a little.

You also should check to see that there is nothing drawing your battery down when the engine is not running. With the key off, along with the stereo and anything else that might draw current (like the dome lights), remove the negative cable from the battery and read the voltage between the cable end and the battery post. If every thing is A-1 you will see no or very little voltage. The higher the voltage your are seeing the more your battery is being run down while sitting.

[Herbst '71]

Thanks to everyone.

I will run the dedicated line to see if that corrects the problem. I was going to add a second fuse box for an aux. battery anyway.

I checked each of the fuses with a test light to rule out any electrical draw. There was not. While I was at it, I cleaned the battery posts and the fuse box spades.

I took the bus to the local flaps and I am getting 13.95 at the battery when the bus is running.

Thanks again,
Rik
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Rik
'71 Deluxe/1600 DP

"Fortunately my mistakes are serving as a warning for others."

[Wildthings]

[Jody '71]

Sounds like your battery is no longer holding a charge. How old is it? If you have to jump it in the cold every two or three days, it's not holding 12 volts, but, since you say you're getting a reading of almost 14 volts while the engine's running, that means the generator is doing what it's supposed to. What kind of battery is it? Put a voltmeter on it after it's sat for a few days and see what the battery reads prior to starting the engine. 11.5 Volts will barely do it. It should read about 12 1/2 prior to turning the key for start -up.
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'66 Beetle
2011 Hyundai Elantra Touring