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#1 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Allen, TX. USA
Posts: 210
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Dead Battery Delima
Anybody got any suggestion on what could cause the battery to go dead on my buddies 68 C10 . replaced the Inside wire harness..... after 2 day the battery Is completely dead....
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71 C10 LWB With Edelbrock 7101& 1406 Carb Accel HEI Blue Print Accel 8.8 Wires Soon to have possi & 186 Camel hump heads Dropped 2-1/2F&4R Dynomax Headers Duals Flowtech Aftburners Tonneau Cover Frm 89 F150 79 Monte C |
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#2 |
its all about the +6 inches
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Hilliard Ohio
Posts: 2,693
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If the altenater is working, and the voltage regulater is working, then there is something draining the battery through the night.
Has anything just been installed? A stereo amp maybe? |
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#3 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Allen, TX. USA
Posts: 210
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dead battery
Can't I by pass the voltage regulator since In has HEI??? and a
1 wire Alternator?????
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71 C10 LWB With Edelbrock 7101& 1406 Carb Accel HEI Blue Print Accel 8.8 Wires Soon to have possi & 186 Camel hump heads Dropped 2-1/2F&4R Dynomax Headers Duals Flowtech Aftburners Tonneau Cover Frm 89 F150 79 Monte C |
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#4 |
go bucks!
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: MIAMISBURG OHIO USA
Posts: 803
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i've been encountering the same problem and i think i've finally found my solution.grounding straps. both of them.the one from the engine block or head, to the cab and also the one from the frame to the body.the alt. is is putting out the needed voltage(by bench testing at your patrs store) but the voltage is not being returned to the battery to keep it charged because the ground is not being completed because of broken or brittle or just plain unhooked ground straps.i would begin there.this is all providing that you have checked both your alt.and your battery are okay.hope this helps some!later .
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#5 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Allen, TX. USA
Posts: 210
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dead battery
Wow I look right @ the ground straps and didn't think that could be the problem, because they are unhooked from the engine
replacement..... Thanks alot I hope this works ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
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71 C10 LWB With Edelbrock 7101& 1406 Carb Accel HEI Blue Print Accel 8.8 Wires Soon to have possi & 186 Camel hump heads Dropped 2-1/2F&4R Dynomax Headers Duals Flowtech Aftburners Tonneau Cover Frm 89 F150 79 Monte C |
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#6 |
its all about the +6 inches
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Hilliard Ohio
Posts: 2,693
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Was the alt just installed when the problem started?
Yes, it would be a good idea to bypass the external regulater. It is just in the way now. |
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#7 |
Registered User
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Allen, TX. USA
Posts: 210
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Dead battery
This Is a friend of mine's truck(68). He had a 350 Installed In it
an let it set for a year a now he want to restore it after seeing my truck. I did find the the ground straps were not hooked up. The Engine was freshly rebuilt never been on the road..... everything looks new......... I will get out my meter and check the out put volts from the alternator........
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71 C10 LWB With Edelbrock 7101& 1406 Carb Accel HEI Blue Print Accel 8.8 Wires Soon to have possi & 186 Camel hump heads Dropped 2-1/2F&4R Dynomax Headers Duals Flowtech Aftburners Tonneau Cover Frm 89 F150 79 Monte C |
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#8 |
Registered User
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: knoxville, tn
Posts: 155
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Re: Dead Battery Delima
Bringing back an old thread I guess but just wondering how to determine if I can unhook the voltage regulator since I put hei on my truck. Becaue I'm having battery trouble as well?
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#9 |
Big Red - Now its a SWB!
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Oroville, Ca
Posts: 1,624
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Re: Dead Battery Delima
HEI has no effect on if you need an external regulator or not. What determines this is if the Alternator has a regulator inside the housing (internally regulated), or if it has no regulator inside the housing (needs a regulator wired in somewhere else in the system, so caller external regulator). A little more detail is needed to help you out with you battery trouble.
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68 3/4 ton ![]() ![]() 41 3/4 ton ![]() 01 Tahoe LT 4WD (my daily driver)-Magnaflow Muffler, Rollin on 22's 02 Ford Mustang Convertable (Wife's Car)-Flowmaster 50, Clear corners, Intake, sittin on 18's Last edited by Jacfourteen; 11-25-2010 at 01:53 AM. |
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#10 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Riverside Ca.
Posts: 47
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Re: Dead Battery Delima
How would one know if the ltenator has a regulator built in?
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#11 |
Msgt USAF Ret
![]() ![]() Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Posts: 8,714
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Re: Dead Battery Delima
The external regulator alternator is low amperage and the plastic plug goes into the rear of the alternator whereas the internal alternator plastic plug goes into the topside.
Your drain is not the ground wires unless one of them is shorting on a live wire or terminal. If that were the case you would have a much larger current draw.
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VetteVet metallic green 67 stepside 74 corvette convertible 1965 Harley sportster 1995 Harley wide glide Growing old is hell, but it beats the alternative. |
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#12 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Riverside Ca.
Posts: 47
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Re: Dead Battery Delima
Thanks for the pic, I blieve mine is the one on the left but I don't see the regulator anywhere in the engine bay. there is two wires going to the positive and one small wire going to the firewall (I assume it goes to the dash meter.) There also appears to be a another post for a groun on the altenator on the right of the altenator.
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#13 |
Msgt USAF Ret
![]() ![]() Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Posts: 8,714
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Re: Dead Battery Delima
The regulator is mounted on the drivers side of the radiator support by the horn. See post 6 it's the black box under the jumper wires. I don't want to get into much more because we are hi-jacking Big l.a.'s thread. If you want to start a new thread in the electrical forum we will get in depth on your problem. I'm going to post a link to the FAQS on finding a key off drain for BIG l.A..
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VetteVet metallic green 67 stepside 74 corvette convertible 1965 Harley sportster 1995 Harley wide glide Growing old is hell, but it beats the alternative. |
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#14 |
Msgt USAF Ret
![]() ![]() Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Posts: 8,714
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Re: Dead Battery Delima
In order to find a key off drain you need to isolate the circuit that is drawing battery power. It will most likely be a circuit that is powered directly from the battery, not from the fuse box unless the fuse is hot with the key off.
Disconnect the negative battery cable and connect a test light between the cable and the battery post. Start pulling fuses and watch to see if the light goes out. If it does then the draw is in that circuit. Examples are, the horn relay. If the horn is disconnected you won't hear it blow, but the relay will be energized and drawing juice. That might be caused by the horn wire in the steering column touching a ground. Any light that comes on without the key, dome light, glove box, heater control light, cigarette lighter, brake lights, a short in the light switch, or any aftermarket device not wired off the fuse box. Another favorite is the diode in the alternator. Disconnect the wires to it and see if the test light goes out. Having the two small wires reversed in the plastic plug on the alternator will also drain the battery. Here is a website with some more great information. http://www.aa1car.com/library/battery_runs_down.htm
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VetteVet metallic green 67 stepside 74 corvette convertible 1965 Harley sportster 1995 Harley wide glide Growing old is hell, but it beats the alternative. Last edited by VetteVet; 12-05-2010 at 02:14 AM. |
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#15 |
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Riverside Ca.
Posts: 47
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Re: Dead Battery Delima
Thanks....Sorry Big l.a
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#16 |
its all about the +6 inches
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Hilliard Ohio
Posts: 2,693
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Re: Dead Battery Delima
this thread is 8 years old, i doubt anyone's toes were stepped on
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#17 |
Chemist under the hood...
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Fort Erie,ON, Canada
Posts: 617
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Re: Dead Battery Delima
Voltage regulator is under the washer fluid bottle if you still have that. The key-off drain is the most common problem. See the electrical forum for lots of good advice.
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