12v Battery Draw when engine is off?

I have a 1987 ford escort wagon. It has recently developed a problem wherein something in the engine continues to draw power off of the battery when the engine is turned off. I have checked all of the fuses with a multimeter, and they are not the problem. Both wires that are grounded to the driver's side frame in the engine are drawing, but I do not know what they lead to. I do not have a wiring diagram, and do not want to have to go out and buy one of those expensive booke just so I can fix one thing, as I am disabled, and don't have that kind of money. We have also checked the output on the alternator, and it sems to be putting out just fine. :banghead:

This is a pretty large constant power drain (12v). I usually drive in the evenings, and even with knocking out most of my driving, the battery dies due to power loss in about a week. The battery is fine, as it will take a charge. The car drives fine. I already replaced the fuel pump relay.

Any help/ideas would be GREATLY appreciated.
Thank-you,
-K

I have a 1987 ford escort wagon. It has recently developed a problem wherein something in the engine continues to draw power off of the battery when the engine is turned off. I have checked all of the fuses with a multimeter, and they are not the problem. Both wires that are grounded to the driver's side frame in the engine are drawing, but I do not know what they lead to. I do not have a wiring diagram, and do not want to have to go out and buy one of those expensive booke just so I can fix one thing, as I am disabled, and don't have that kind of money. We have also checked the output on the alternator, and it sems to be putting out just fine. :banghead:

This is a pretty large constant power drain (12v). I usually drive in the evenings, and even with knocking out most of my driving, the battery dies due to power loss in about a week. The battery is fine, as it will take a charge. The car drives fine. I already replaced the fuel pump relay.

Any help/ideas would be GREATLY appreciated.
Thank-you,
-K

This type of a problem can be difficult to find. I found one draw on a Toyota being the anti-theft system. I unhooked it and no more draw. I'm not saying that this is your problem. What I am saying is that one has to look every where.

You could try by unpluging all of the fuses and see if the draw is still there. You could remove the positive cable from the batery and take an ohm meter and measure between the positive cable and ground. I'm not sure how much resistance should be there. However, this would be some place for you to start testing. It could be the voltage regulator in the alternator. Try disconecting the alt and see if the draw is still there.

Something to try.

DAn

We DID test the fuses by taking them out one by one. We unhooked the battery and put the multimeter on the wire and the battery bit to see the draw. Then we unplugged each and every one of the fuses one at a time and plugged them back in. Pull, check, plug, pull, check, plug, etc... Untill we had checked them all. That what I meant by my previous statement about checking the fuses with the meter...

My car has no anti-theft mechanism that I know of besides door locks (unless it was standard, and I was never given a controller? doubtful though IMO, ad this is a 1987), the only electric interrior things in the car are the passenger-side seat belt and the driver's side mirror. My car has no dome light, no radio attatched, and no light in the glove compartment. We tested with the multimeter and singled it down to the 5 wires that are merged into two flat doughnut-shaped connections that slide onto a bolt attatched to the body of the driver's side of the car right close to the battery. I think the two-bolt thing attatched there is called a cylinoid maybe? Maybe it is just REALLY close to the starter cylinoid? *shrug* I know if you take a screwdriver/wire and link the thing with the black rubber cover (with the metal inside it) to the battery that the car will start without the key...

I don't know a whole lot about cars in general, but I know my car pretty well, and not even my mechanic can tell me where those wires lead to in my car because he does not currently have access to his book with the wiring schematic in it. (he let someone borrow it)

Are you saying that the alternator could be sucking more power out of the battery while I'm driving, while it is feeding acceptable power into it?! *boggle*

I'll have to test the resistance between the battery and the ground. *nod* It will give us a good idea of the base-line we are working with.

I really just need to know what those wires lead to so that we can figure out what is causing the draw and fix it... Anybody got a scan of the wiring schematics? I could print them out and take them to my mechanic?
-K

Try your local library for automotive manuals. Many libraries subscribe to online databases that can be accessed from home for free. All you usually have to do is enter your library card number.
Did you check the fuses in both panels?
Did you remove all the fuses at once, then check the draw? Putting the fuses back in one at a time measuring the draw making sure the draw is not adding up from multiple circuits.

I've seen the old mechanical voltage regulators do this. If you have one of these try unhooking it and see if you lose the draw. I think I had this problem on a couple '88 Crown Vics. Might be the same setup. There's a relay in it that sticks.

Here's what it looks like:

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/500/353032VR166.jpg

I don't think mine has one, but I'll check. *smile* I just got back from the library with photocopies of the wiring diagram, so Now the real fun begins :D
-K

Like it has been said, the alternator could be sucking current back from the battery through the diodes in the voltage regulator which could be bad. Usually if this is the case with the engine off the charge light will come on all the time with the key out of the ignition. Don't give up. Sooner or later you will get a post from someone who has had the same problem or you will find the draw.

Like it has been said, the alternator could be sucking current back from the battery through the diodes in the voltage regulator which could be bad. Usually if this is the case the charge light will come all the time with the key out of the ignition. Don't give up. Sooner or later you will get a post from someone who has had the same problem or you will find the draw.

I'll pull the positive cable off of the 93 I have sitting in the driveway and check the amount of resistance I get when testing from the positive cable to a known good ground. I'll post the amount when I can.

Regards

Dan

I'm getting the ignition switch (not the place you put the key, the other one) replaced tomorrow then I'm going on a trip. I don't think it could possibly be the alternator, because when you start the car and disconnect the battery, the car still runs. Am I wrong in this assumption? Since the alternator pumps 14 volts out when running, it's not sucking power out even when the car is off, and the alt isn't running? *boggle* I can't understand how both it working (feeding power) and it not working (sucking power) could happen simultaneously...

You're right, it can't happen simultaneously while the engine is running. You're also right about disconnecting the battery and the engine still running to determine that the alternator is putting out. The rectifier or diodes change the alternating current to direct current going from the alternator to the battery. When the engine is off current from the battery won't travel back to the alternator and discharge it because the diodes only allow the current to go one way. I was just adding some info. I'm sure the alternator is OK.

W00t! Thanks! I was getting a bit concerned. *smile* Thought maybe my knowledges were a bit muddled for a while there. *laugh* We didn't get packed up in time, so we are heading out in the morning. :D