Wiring woes

[Devotion]

I’ve been searching to no avail so here it goes. I have a 1971 campmobile. Recently started to notice battery drain. Thought it was just a bad battery, but it tested (at the auto parts store) just fine. Key in ignition accessory’s work, turn ignition on and nothing. Battery reads 13.5. Took negative cable off to test each circuit for draw. Multimeter places between negative terminal on battery and negative cable and it reads 13.5! Started pulling fuses from right to left and these are the results from negative post to negative cable:

Pulling fuse #

1- 13.5
2- 13.5
3- 13.5
4- 12.35 (draw)
5- .35 (huge draw)
6- .35
7- .35
8- .35
9- .31
10- .44
11- .41
12- .35

I am stumped as to what could be making such a gigantic draw. Any feedback or ideas would be greatly appreciated. I have checked all switches and lights for bad connections.

[busdaddy]

Welcome,
What range was your meter set to while taking those readings?
Did you try removing all the fuses at once and testing for a draw?
What happens if you disconnect the battery overnight?, still dead in the morning?
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[Devotion]

My meter was set at 20v same as when I checked the battery pos to negative. With all fuses removed the meter still reads .45 from neg post to ground cable

I’ll test the battery again in the morning to see if it’s viable.

[telford dorr]

Fuse #5 from which end? From the left, it's a headlight fuse. From the right, it'a the dome light.

By definition, you will read battery voltage from a disconnected ground cable to ground. What is more important is what the CURRENT reading is. Set your meter on the 10 amp scale, then connect it from battery negative to ground, with the ground cable disconnected. Make sure everything in the bus is switched off. Don't forget the dome light! Ideally, the meter will read zero (adjust the meter to smaller current ranges as needed). If not, start pulling fuses until you find the draw. Don't forget the stereo - it has a "keep alive" circuit that draws a small amount of power. If you have a clock, it does too.
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'Experience' is the ability to recognize a mistake when you're making it again - Franklin P. Jones
In theory, theory works in practice; in practice, it doesn't - William T. Harbaugh
When you're dead, you don't know you're dead. The pain is only felt by others.
Same thing happens when you're stupid. - Philippe Geluck
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[Devotion]

Well this is fun! With all fuses in place when I turn on the headlights, one comes on. Pull the high beam lever and that light turns off and the other pops on. To make it better...I tried pulling the fuse that does the headlights (5) and they stay on. Just to double check I pulled #5 from the other side just to make sure, and the light stayed on then too

[telford dorr]

No wonder you have a parasitic current draw - sounds like someone, sometime "fixed up" your wiring for you. Time to download the schematic from Technical, print and laminate it Then, checklist style, go through the whole bus wiring and sort it all out. Mark off each circuit on the laminated schematic with an erasable marker as you check it. When your schematic is nothing but marks, you're done, and all should work.
_________________
'71 panel, now with FI
'Experience' is the ability to recognize a mistake when you're making it again - Franklin P. Jones
In theory, theory works in practice; in practice, it doesn't - William T. Harbaugh
When you're dead, you don't know you're dead. The pain is only felt by others.
Same thing happens when you're stupid. - Philippe Geluck
More VW electrical at http://telforddorr.com/ (available 9am to 9pm PST)

[Tcash]

[Wildthings]

What is the voltage between the 12+ lug on the starter and the engine block both with the key in the "OFF" position and in the "START" position?

You can't really read "draw" with a high impedance meter, a cheap old low impedance analog meter is the way to go or you need to use an amp setting instead of the volt setting on a digital. A 12v test light is sometimes the easiest way to go.

From what you have posted so far, it don't see evidence of a draw at all, maybe you have a bad ground strap on the engine or a dead solenoid?

[Devotion]

Thank you! I’m going to go get a better multimeter with amp setting and try that out and see what I come up with. This was a daily driver for months with zero electrical issues.

[Devotion]

My battery dropped .25v overnight not plugged into anything. My funky light situation from last night magically changed. As soon as my battery was plugged back in my taillights were on. The light pull switch was pushed all the way in. I pulled it out and my passenger side light worked, including high beam, but drivers side no light. Pushed the light switch back all the way in and they (taillights and front passenger light) turn off as they should. I think I have a gremlin in the light switch at the very least.

[Wildthings]

A fully charged lead acid battery will have a resting voltage of 12.7v or so.

That your lights are acting differently at different times indicates corrosion/poor connections, including bad grounds, to me.

[Tcash]

[Devotion]

Huge help! Thank you. I got my new multimeter and between negative terminal and ground wire on the 10 amp setting its reading just .02

[jtauxe]

0.02 amps?
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John
"Travelling in a fried-out Kombi, on a hippie trail, head full of zombie..." - Colin Hay and Ron Strykert
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1969 Transporter, 1971 Westfalia, 1976, 1977, 1976, 1977, 1971, 1973, 1977 Westfalias,
1979 Champagne Sunroof, 1974 Westfalia Automatic, 1979 Transporter, 1972 Sportsmobile, 1973 Transporter Wild Westerner, 1974 Westfalia parts bus, 1975 Mexican single cab *FOR SALE*, 1978 Irish 4-door double cab RHD

[Wildthings]

With the key on you would have a draw on fuses #1-3 and with the door open you would have a draw on fuse #4, which is what your initial test was likely showing. I am counting the fuses from the right end.

As I said, I don't think your problem is a draw, but a problem with wiring connections, including grounds.

[Devotion]

Sounds correct. I had some nasty grounds in the rear lights. I’m going through everything I can get to and cleaning it all up. New connectors as needed. Still no starting. I’m going to try the screwdriver across the starter trick to see where that leads me

[SGKent]

20 milliamps sounds like a radio keep alive.

My head was swimming trying to follow this. The only way you would have voltage of any significant amount between the battery negative post and ground is if there is corrosion in the ground strap. If the ground strap is good that should read almost zero volts across it.

On the sable wagon we recently had a high quality six month old battery go bad on one cell and it took me several months to determine that it was the battery and not an intermittent parasitic drain. That ammeter you bought will only handle a small amount of current - turning the bus on, or trying to start it will damage the meter. 10 amps isn't much. Buy extra meter fuses if it is fused. Fry's has them out here.

I would also have the battery tested. I went out to the 2004 Sable wagon the other night at 11pm and the voltage between battery posts was 12.45 volts - completely normal, car had been starting fine all week. I was trying to find what I thought was a parasitic drain because the battery kept dying once in a while over several days of sitting. Happened to have the positive cable off when testing voltage, and was too lazy to put it back on at 11pm. Came out the next morning and said, WTF might as well check it again, cable is off and I can see if it dropped last night (usually it doesn't drop except randomly but it was a good test since nothing was connected to it). 10.45 volts. Went and got another meter. 10.45 volts. Went to a 3rd meter and it was the same. Said, I must not be awake yet, put the cable on and the engine turned over slowly and the lights were way dim. I am thinking, "Can't be right - its only six months old and has been treated well." Took it to the place I got it, they threw their capacitance based battery checker on it - one cell bad. Wasn't parasitic at all - was an intermittently bad battery. The one before it lasted 7 years.
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[Tcash]

Pop the light bulb out of the dome light, disconnect the Radio +hot wires, disconnect the clock if you have one and anything that would stay on with the key off, and Retest.

[Devotion]

She’s alive again! Thank you all for the help. Still not sure I understand exactly what happened. Zero amp draw now, battery seems to be good. I did find that the dome light had 3 wires running to it. Only two were being used, just not the correct two! Also found that the added on light in the cabin from PO was shorting off and on I believe. There was also a hot wire going towards the back of the bus inside that was just tucked up into the ceiling, totally exposed. Capped that off she fired right up. Front lights seem to be good except for no low beam on one. Thank you all that took the time to help! I learned a lot.

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[Tcash]

Don't get to exited. You may have solved the parasitic drain on the battery. But you still have a starter gremlin.