Battery Drain

AdamsFastback · Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 6:14 pm Post subject: Battery Drain

Alright so i've been trying to figure out what is causing my battery to drain in about 3-6 hrs (depending on full power of battery). Battery is also new, I have checked the front of the car for shorts. Nothing that i can find really, all lights work, windshield wipers work, but I'm starting to wonder if the alternator was ever wired correctly. The Generator light is always on unless revved up (if that's a hint?). Here's a picture of the voltage regulator, but I'm not exactly sure what the other 2 small boxes are.

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If anyone could point me in the right direction, i'd really appreciate it. I'm use to working on bugs, but i had no idea the T3 was so much of a different monster Twisted Evil

Erik G · Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 6:51 pm Post subject:

If your gen light is on, it's not charging. fix that. how are the brushes on the generator?
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Russ Wolfe · Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 7:06 pm Post subject:

The smaller of the 2 relays is the FI power relay. The other relay is the rear window defogger control relay.
My question is? What the hell is that voltage regulator. Never seen on like that one before. And most regulators that I know of, need to be grounded. That one is not.
Has your car been converted to some kind of alternator?
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AdamsFastback · Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 7:08 pm Post subject:

Good to know, here's some of the weird nuances of this car (just bought it recently)...The voltage regulator is a Ford Regulator (the last owner told me it was the only way he could get it to charge), the motor is from a Type 411 and it is definately not FI.

Russ Wolfe · Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 7:14 pm Post subject:

OK, so if it has a T4 alternator, then it needs the alternator regulator. I would check to see if you could find a T-4 regulator. He probably did not know that he had an alternator.
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Society is like stew. If you don't keep it stirred up, you end up with a lot of scum on the top!--Edward Abbey

Gary: OK. Ima poop.

AdamsFastback · Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 7:16 pm Post subject:

Excuse me if this is a dumb question, but would the wrong voltage regulator cause the battery to drain? Because while it's running the battery is getting a charge

Russ Wolfe · Posted: Fri Mar 13, 2009 7:22 pm Post subject:

Yes, it could.
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Society is like stew. If you don't keep it stirred up, you end up with a lot of scum on the top!--Edward Abbey

Gary: OK. Ima poop.

AdamsFastback · Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 8:58 pm Post subject:

So today I swapped in a voltage regulator for a type 4. Hooked it up, battery gets a charge just fine. However it's still draining within 3 hours. Any other ideas? I completely disconnected the FI power, and the rear defogger to see if that changed anything, but of course it didn't.

Russ Wolfe · Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 9:40 pm Post subject:

You need to start eliminating various things.
Hook an amp meter in series with the negative or positive battery cable, and start pulling fuses. Watch for when the problem goes away. If it is not at the fuse block, then disconnect the alternator. NOt it, disconnect something else.
3 hours to drain the battery, sounds like a dome light or something like that.
Maybe the coil.
_________________
Society is like stew. If you don't keep it stirred up, you end up with a lot of scum on the top!--Edward Abbey

Gary: OK. Ima poop.

AdamsFastback · Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 8:42 am Post subject:

with the key in the off position, it should be pulling 0 amps, correct?

Russ Wolfe · Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2009 8:46 am Post subject:

Correct.
And the dome light off, and the modern radio disconnected.
_________________
Society is like stew. If you don't keep it stirred up, you end up with a lot of scum on the top!--Edward Abbey

Gary: OK. Ima poop.

AdamsFastback · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 6:57 pm Post subject:

thanks for all the help so far Russ! So i used my meter and it was pulling 1.25 amps, I narrowed it down to the DF wire to the alternator. If i pull this off the voltage regulator my amp draw goes away. Why would this wire be pulling amps?

Russ Wolfe · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 9:01 pm Post subject:

With the charging system you have in that, It is hard to say. You could have a bad voltage regulator. You could have a shorted diode in the alternator.
Possibility of many things with a bodged together charging system.
_________________
Society is like stew. If you don't keep it stirred up, you end up with a lot of scum on the top!--Edward Abbey

Gary: OK. Ima poop.

AdamsFastback · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 9:27 pm Post subject:

Well I did go out and get a brand new voltage regulator for a Type 4 alternator, so that at least matches up now...

AdamsFastback · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 10:14 pm Post subject:

I just read something a little crazy on the forums. Please tell me if i'm wrong here, but on an alternator you need to attach the wire coming from the Generator light, because it completes the circuit. I looked at a Type 411s wiring diagram and it has the blue wire attached to the positive lead coming from the battery to the voltage regulator. I might be way off base here, any thoughts?

AdamsFastback · Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2009 11:09 pm Post subject:

alright so I tried putting the blue wire from the gen light in circuit...not the issue...

Russ Wolfe · Posted: Tue Mar 17, 2009 9:18 am Post subject:


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