battery drain?
 

ok...before any of youll jump me... i know i have discussed this before. i tried disconnection the neg battery cable and connecting a multi meter between it and the battery. also tried between pos and battery. both read 12+ volts, which is same reading i got when connecting the multi meter from post to post. i know i have something draining the battery, i tried pulling the fuses to see which circuit it was, but with the multi meter connected the volts wouldnt change. should i have it on volts or amp? or what? something didnt seem right, it looked to me like there was 12 volts always draining from the battery.. may i am stupid or something...... somebody... preferrably wiser than i am please help me out here............

have you installed any electrically powered components as of late? Radio, CB, etc...???

yes, had the CB for quite some time, before it started draining,.....put a new radio in,....after it started draining. i have added a few lights, 2 through the bright switch, 2 more on thier own switch. i realize it could be those, i am just trying to track down the circuit, then i will look at the components on that circuit.

Has a '73 a few years ago with similar symptoms.

Turned out to be grounded out turn signal wire inside the
steering column. Disconnected the big connector on the column
and the draw went away .Had to change the column.

Also try disconnecting the wires from your alt. Sometimes they
can go bad and act like a motor drawing current.

my alt is acting up also, so that may be it. sometimes it shows that it is charging properly. other times it wont get above 12. other times it will fluctuate with throttle....

Last night has to replace my alt. Less voltage to the battery
when the engine was running. Fusible links good .
$17 ,yes $17 later for a rebuilt alt ,2-3 hours of fussing around
and its a whole new world.

Big difference ,that alt must have been going bad for some time.

Gotta love these Chevys . Cheap parts and easy to work on.

$17 for an alt.. .damn where did ya get that from?

Local parts house called Knecht's. Parts are rebuilt locally.

$17.00 and $10.00 core charge. Yesterday bought a brake
master cylinder for $17.00 and a $4.00 core.

Must be something about $17 ......................

Jon take a test light and mount it between the ground and the (-) battery post. It should stay lit. When you take out each of your fuses from the block go look at the test light. When it goes out then you know which circuit the draw is on. Just make sure to tape the door light sensor shut.

B, if the multi meter said 12 volts, wont the light stay lit anyways... but you gave me an idea.... a few years ago i cut the door pin switches and used them for other lights. well i ripped the other lights out. i thought i tapped off the wire. but i will check..

I'm not sure what dc amp rating your vom has but the 2 I have are 10 & 20 amp. OK that said disconect your positive battery cable and take an amp reading between the cable and the positive battery post (with your meter at its higest amp setting). That will show how much (if any) a current draw you have.( Now what on your truck uses that much of a draw?) Then hook the battery cable back on and do the same test at the fuse block for each circuit, (pull each fuse and test between the fuse connections). This should help locate the problem. Good Luck Jon

77bowtie. it reads 12.5 volts approx.. same as if i put the multimeter between the neg cable and the neg post. same reading i get going from post to post. same reading everytime. thats what has me confused. i will try again though...

Its a 12 volt battery it will always read around 12 volts. Amps is what you need to be checking.

thats what i needed, i should have read closer........... :banghead: i need to change my user text back to village idiot.

Batteries and electrical
 

To check modern vehicle electrical, a digital multimeter is required. A 12 volt lead acid battery, as used in cars and trucks, will indicate 12.6 volts with a DVM. A battery that measures 12.0 volts is 75% discharged. A digital volt meter is a great electrical test tool. Even the very cheapest digital meter will give lots of valuable information. A battery voltage that is low will not "excite" an alternator to begin a charging voltage of about 14.7 volts. The alternator voltage must be higher than battery voltage.

To determine if there are any phantom electrical loads on a battery, connect a horn or any 12 volt lite between the battery negative post and the battery cable. If the lite come on or the horn beeps, there is a load. By unplugging and removing lite bulbs and disconnecting the wires to the alternator, the battery drain may be located. The only acceptable load is the clock, whichs rewinds the clock very quickly. The most common loads are the alternator, heater motor, trunk and glove box interior lites...... Frank