1997 cutlass issue

[Z06 KID]

so bought a car and it drove fine for a couple months (and it still does). theres just one problem... the battery keeps on draining. its not the alternator or the battery. battery has been replaced and the alternator was tested and checked out. so now im thinkin i got a short somewhere. any suggestions on common places to look for something like that because i dont wanna spend a long time trying to find it. any suggestions would help

[Car Guy]

First get a reading of the 'off' voltage by putting a meter between the negative battery cable and the negative battery post. Just make sure all the accessories are off including the under hood light bulb.....

EDIT: Forgot to ask, do you have an aftermarket sound system with amps and sh!t...???






:3gears: :3gears: :3gears:

[Z06 KID]

EDIT: Forgot to ask, do you have an aftermarket sound system with amps and sh!t...???






:3gears: :3gears: :3gears:

no, a system does nothing for me haha

[Car Guy]

Well then continue on with the voltage test and report back.....:thumbsup






:3gears: :3gears: :3gears:

[Z06 KID]

sounds good

[Windsors 03 Cobra]

I fixed a friends electronic gizmo laden to the gills pos 89 bonneville that was drawing a new battery down in a matter of hours just a few days ago.
Took me 10 minutes with a test light in between the negative battery cable and the negative battery post. When the light glows there is a draw, if the light is bright there are multiple draws (radio-clock memory/dome light/hood light) or a big one like a bad alt. diode.

So I had the test light in there and it was glowing bright as hell and I had checked all the things underhood it could be, the underhood light was dead on this auto.
I went inside and started pulling fuses, pulled the first row and the light was still glowing bright, pulled the second row and the first one I pulled (the one that was drawing) you could tell was sucking juice as it kinda sparked/arced/made a little noise as I pulled it out. It fed the radio, stock amplifiers and power aerial, pulled the rest of that row a ride control system fuse, gauges and dome light fuse and the test light was out, COOL. :thumbsup.
Put the level ride fuse back in and the test light was glowing very dimly, put the dome light fuse back, closed the door and it was still glowing dimly.
Car fixed, no more radio/factory amps or power aerial<~~~was already busted but did not seem to be the cause of the issue and the car had a aftermarket stereo I do not know where the problem was but suspect it was in the radio wiring. I left the fuse out and did not fix the radio, 199,300 miles and the car will be gone shortly after 200k. 3.8 :thumbsup

Hope this helps, and here is a pic of the test light I used, just a 194 marker light in there. Some use a DVOM on amps setting to monitor amp or mA draw, I have never done it this way but own 3 nice DVOM's so I may try it next time, would be nice to be able to use a VOM for more than checking if a car is charging or not. :rolf
Car should be using about half an amp or less.
http://www.northerntool.com/images/product/images/154059_lg.gif

[Z06 KID]

damn that helped a lot i never knew what people were talking about putting the light between the battery and the cable but this explained it well. ill give it a wirl and if i still have a problem ill end up checkin back

[Car Guy]

You can either pull fuses to watch for the light to go 'dim or read the voltage. I personally like to read the voltage because it's hard to tell how 'dim' the light is supposed to be.....






:3gears: :3gears: :3gears:

[jbiscuit]

I have a multimeter if you guys need to borrow it Michael

J

[Z06 KID]

sounds good ill let you know if i need it

[slow90z]

If using a dvom on amps, it should be 40ma, or .04 amps or less. I would say that is the most accurate method. Make sure the doors are closed n everything, or tape the door switches shut. Also, on newer cars (doubt it matters on a 97), the hood switch needs to be closed for the computers in the car to go to "sleep"