Re: 4kq Battery Drain

["Daniel Adams" <adamscs@interserv.com>]

> I seem to have a small problem.  Brand new battery, works fine on
>other car.  When I bought car it had a dead battery.  Charged it and would
>go dead in about one HOur sitting in car but I know battery was almost
>toast anyhow.  Put new battery from other 4kq in and works great.  Now,
>after a few weeks, it was dead tonight!!!  What gives.  My voltage meter
>in car reads about 13-14 volts when driving and Shucks put Alternator on
>tester and got 63amps at like 1,500 rpm.  That is about right isn't it?
>Seems to be as that is what my other car is.  So, Charging seems ok,
>Battery seems ok.
> Worst case scenario?  I figure I have a short somewhere that is
>causing a slow power drain when parked and in the cold weather with the
>car only doing short trips it got drained fully over time.  A long trip
>would probably charge it back up again.  Does this sound feasable.  If so,
>where do I start checking?  I dont think the 4kq has a Junction anywhere
>like 5ktq has under Passenger Footwell carpet.  What do I check.
>Everything?  Thats alot of wires!!!


Sounds like a voltage leak to me.  I recall a friend who had a '74 Dasher
(aka Fox) with the same problem.

We traced it by disconnecting the ground from the battery and placing a
light tester or amp-meter between ground wire and the negative battery
terminal.  Then we began pulling fuses, beginning with the clock and radio
fuse since they would draw current with the car off.  The brake light fuse
did the trick and then we started checking the wires in the trunk against
ground, etc.  It ended up being the brake light switch sticking.

good luck,
Daniel
(also had '74 Dasher but w/Fox interior!)