View Single Post
Old 04-28-2016, 08:28 PM   #2
brcidd
AF Enthusiast
 
brcidd's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: troy, Ohio
Posts: 2,313
Thanks: 2
Thanked 173 Times in 171 Posts
Re: montana short impossible to find

First of all- you have a battery drain problem, not a short problem--a short would either blow fuses or create heat and smoke.

I always do the amp draw test, not voltage test. Take all positive cables off battery, set up your DVM (turn knob to dc amps) for DC amps on the 10 amp connector- connect one end of DVM to battery positive, the other to the load cable. Keep doors closed, hood light off etc. Watch the amp draw go down as various components go back to sleep (BCM, light modules etc.) amp draw should read less than 50 milliamp (0.050 amp) like around .025 or so - this is after about 10 minutes and is the minimal draw of ECM etc.

If amp draw is greater than .050 amp after 10 minutes- then pull one fuse at a time (no replacement) until you see it drop-- if you replace fuses, expect components to have to go back to sleep again.

If all is fine, then do amp draw on starter positive lead, and alternator lead- alternator could have an internal short- seen it once- telltale sign is if it is warm after 6 hr sit.....
__________________
Automotive A/C Engineer with:
'99 IH 4700 Toy Hauler
(2) '95 GEO Prizms both maroon
'99 GMC Yukon
'95 Chev 3500, 454 Dually Crew Cab- 145k miles-
Wife's Camel trailer puller.
'94 Astro- 370k miles
'94 Firebird Formula- 5.7L 180k miles- gone-
'92 Chevy Lumina Van 3.8L 264k
'86 GMC S-15 - 2.8L 154k
'87 Buick Park Ave . 187k
'86 Buick Park Ave 3.8L 199k miles- gone
'77 Chevy Vega- 2.5L 175k miles gone but not forgotten
'68 Camaro 396 4 spd RS/SS -72k miles-
brcidd is offline   Reply With Quote