What is draining my battery over night?!?!?!?!

[Cruizin64]

Originally Posted by Sillyoldman

I'd check into the most suspect things first. If your battery only shows 12.02 volts while running your charging systems is messed up or the battery is wasted. Your battery should show 12.60v resting or 13+ v charging. A bad battery can show normal voltage but little to no CCA. Get the battery properly tested with an analyser or carbon pile tester. Next V-reg & alt as mentioned.

Battery us brand spanking new as well are the alt n voltage regulator....
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[Cruizin64]

So I woke up to rain today kinda bummed about that but then it started clearing up a lil bit so I got out there with my voltmeter to check my fuse box....

Yesterday before I called it a day....my friend that was helping me yesterday wanted to check the fuses....took his lil light tester and with the car off....keys out....when he grounded it and check the fuses THEY LIT UP!!!!

So fast forward to this afternoon got my voltmeter and check the fuses....this is what I got with battery hooked up but the truck off....

FUSE 1,2 & 4 and PLUG 1,2,5 & 6 was reading 1.38
FUSE 2 was reading 11.00
FUSE 5 & 6 [which has no fuse] and PLUG 4 was reading 11.45
and PLUG 3 with the car off was reading nothing 0.00

Anyone ever run into this problem? Another thing I should mention is I am now finding out that when I turn on my headlights....I have HIGH BEAMS and no LOW BEAMS....thought I might have had a bad dimmer switch [the one on the floor] changed it out....still no luck

[Clownpuncher]

Like Br3wCity said, there might be something on an igntion hot circuit that is always on that your not noticing. Hence why I said the ignition switch in the ACC position. There is no door chime to let you know if anything is left on. For you to go through that many batteries just to have them drain over nite is a pretty big draw.

Also check to make sure your headlight switch isnt turned to the dome lamp position.

[Cruizin64]

Originally Posted by Clownpuncher

Like Br3wCity said, there might be something on an igntion hot circuit that is always on that your not noticing. Hence why I said the ignition switch in the ACC position. There is no door chime to let you know if anything is left on. For you to go through that many batteries just to have them drain over nite is a pretty big draw.

Also check to make sure your headlight switch isnt turned to the dome lamp position.

I double checked that dome light is off....thing about the ignition....the wrong one was on there when I got it....found the right one on Ebay BUT the one tar was on there before had only 3 prongs in the back of it....as the correct ones for our trucks I believe has 5 prongs so they rewired that too and I had to fix that....
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[rbar]

Years ago I had an overnight drainer that took some time to resolve. I had an alternator that would charge fine while running and tested good. But after changing it the problem went away. A mechanic told me that my bearings in the alternator were really bad and that when it wasn't running it would settle and short out. I don't know if that is possible, but the new alternator fixed it. I also had another truck that the horn was not working, but the loose wire under the horn button was shorting out.

[Cruizin64]

Originally Posted by rbar

Years ago I had an overnight drainer that took some time to resolve. I had an alternator that would charge fine while running and tested good. But after changing it the problem went away. A mechanic told me that my bearings in the alternator were really bad and that when it wasn't running it would settle and short out. I don't know if that is possible, but the new alternator fixed it. I also had another truck that the horn was not working, but the loose wire under the horn button was shorting out.

Possibly the new alt could be faulty....I'll check that out....and I'll check out the horn too....THANKS
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[Cruizin64]

So yesterday figured out what is draining my battery....the wire that runs from the positive terminal to the horn relay is constantly keeping it on....so me and my friend think we have tried almost everything to figure out why but can't seem to find it....so answer is now wire up a kill switch to that wire and come march for the good guys car show n swap meet and I will pick up a brand new fuse box and engine harness....
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[lil hoodlum]

I am by no means an expert on anything electrical but it sounds like your horn relay is faulty.

Years ago I had a problem similar to yours. One day while messing around under the dash, I touched the horn relay. That thing was blazing hot. It actually melted the finger print ridges. OUCH! I quickly unhooked that sucker so that my truck wouldn't burn down.

Hopefully you found out your problem. I know how frustrating it can be.

Keith

[Woogeroo]

Glad you got it isolated to the area... that's a start!

-W

[1Bad62Pro/Street]

Also cold weather will drain a battery. Especially below 32*.
And if your truck sits for a long time.
Here is some good info on a batteries.
It mainly applies to newer vechicles but still good info like CCA & RC.
But if you have a later model engine with al the electronics you need a battery that will stand up to the electronic drain.

Goss' Garage: Battery Replacement - YouTube

[awbrown]

The wire you described is the wire that runs everything on the truck , and if you look close the wire doesnt actually run the horn relay , but is the junction for all the acc. or all the power for all the truck ,with out that wire it just wont run .. what you need to do is hook that wire up to the battery with a bulb in it and be sure it is lit this will indicate a draw on the wire , then you must isolate each and every circut on it .. this is done by pulling one fuse at a time while a buddy watches the light .. when it goes out you have found the offending circut.. find everything that runs on that circut and slowly cut wires to each accessorie (with the fuse back in place ) til the light goes out again when you cut the wire that puts the light out trace the wires everywhere they go , and you will find your short , either in the powered device or a bare wire touching grond .. been there done that ........I am not saying it is not the horn relay , but you can bypass the horn relay by attaching all the wires at that juction together and see if it doesnt draw any more ,if it doesnt then you found your draw...

[Cruizin64]

Originally Posted by awbrown

The wire you described is the wire that runs everything on the truck , and if you look close the wire doesnt actually run the horn relay , but is the junction for all the acc. or all the power for all the truck ,with out that wire it just wont run .. what you need to do is hook that wire up to the battery with a bulb in it and be sure it is lit this will indicate a draw on the wire , then you must isolate each and every circut on it .. this is done by pulling one fuse at a time while a buddy watches the light .. when it goes out you have found the offending circut.. find everything that runs on that circut and slowly cut wires to each accessorie (with the fuse back in place ) til the light goes out again when you cut the wire that puts the light out trace the wires everywhere they go , and you will find your short , either in the powered device or a bare wire touching grond .. been there done that ........I am not saying it is not the horn relay , but you can bypass the horn relay by attaching all the wires at that juction together and see if it doesnt draw any more ,if it doesnt then you found your draw...

WOW! kinda sounds like an all day job....but question....if i replace the whole wiring harness and the engine harness....this should fix the problem....might sound like a lil expensive one but getting brand new wiring and starting from scratch to me sounds a whole lot better....im sure you can picture the wiring hell i been going thru....the previous own must have been a DIY-er when it comes to wiring cause there are things in there i have no idea where they run to....a barrel here a clip there....

[Chevyman680063]

Have you had the alternator tested? I put a new one in my truck once and it killed the battery as well as the replacement battery. I took it and had it tested and it had bad diodes in it even though it was new.

[awbrown]

Like I said , isolate the offending item or circut first , it could be that the ignition switcxh has come appart inside and could be on acc all the time .. so you have to find the problem first , follow the instructions I gave , it has always worked for me ...just start unplugging things til the draw disappears...

[Cruizin64]

Originally Posted by awbrown

Like I said , isolate the offending item or circut first , it could be that the ignition switcxh has come appart inside and could be on acc all the time .. so you have to find the problem first , follow the instructions I gave , it has always worked for me ...just start unplugging things til the draw disappears...

I will! Thanks for your input....let you know how it goes....
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[Cruizin64]

Originally Posted by Chevyman680063

Have you had the alternator tested? I put a new one in my truck once and it killed the battery as well as the replacement battery. I took it and had it tested and it had bad diodes in it even though it was new.

That's what I am planning on doing....like someone told me on here....new doesn't mean working....
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