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Triumph TR6 - electrical short

My '76 TR6 battery dies unless I drive it every 4-5 days, hook it to a charger, or disengage the battery (I have one of those un-screw devices on the negative terminal). I'm guessing I have a short somewhere in the wiring. I'm ignorant of how to proceed. I have a volt meter, but the instructions aren't user-friendly. I'd like to A) find and fix the short or B) install a power shut off switch accessable from the drivers seat (which would act as anti-theft, too). Advice? Sources of info? (I tried a search of this site)
Karl Prager

Karl
As an electrician I've found that in the majority of cases it's the simple things that cause the problems (guess that applies in all areas of life). Anyhow it doesn't really sound like a short but just a drain. In other words look for something left on. Possibly the trunk light or the glove box light are not turning off. Perhaps your battery has had it and not holding a charge, or maybe a loose fanbelt etc.

Doug Campbell
D.W. Campbell

I agree with Doug about the drain. When I first installed a radio/tape deck I had it directly wired to the battery, and it drained the battery after 4-5 days. The station memory used it, I guess. I then rewired it to the ignition circut and never had a battery drain problem again. Of course, the stations have to reprogrammed if it sits any longer than 2 days, but which is the greater inconvenience ;)?
Brent B

I had the same very problem as you did Karl after I worked on many components of my car restoration.

For the longest time it had me stumped as it was a minor short, something that took a week to drain it unless I drove it.

It turned out that I had miss-hooked up the oil pressure sender switch with the leads reversed. While the gauge worked fine this switch affects the idiot light.

It is a very easy thing to screw up as no noticeable sequence to hook it up and it is easy to disconnect by accident when changing the oil filter.
Steven

Thanks. I'll sit in the dark garage tonight to see if any lights are on. I've tried a new battery, with the same results, so I don't think it's a bad battery. If the ignition is turned off, should any wires be showing electricity thru them on the volt meter? There is an aftermarket stereo, but I always turn it off by removing the faceplate.
Karl Prager

Hi Karl

You don't need to sit in the dark.

On your meter you will see a seperate connection for your red test lead, Will say something like 10A. Then set the dial whatever to 10A DC range.

With the ignition off only remove your positive battery cable and connect positive and negative cables on the meter in between +cable and +battery. Make sure your insulated from a ground when doing this on the cable end. Look at what it is drawing.

Your Stereo sounds newer and should only draw .3 milli-amps? for memory if hooked up right. Will take all winter to drain a good battery. Now if the CD player in the trunk is not hooked right and on you will see the current flow.

Voltage means nothing current drain is what your looking for. And that will show it.

Do a test read hookup and remove and replace fuses. That will help narrow down. Likely a bad light socket or switch?

If you narrow it down let us know the year of car and which fuse kills the drain?

Bill
Bill Brayford

This thread was discussed between 14/05/2003 and 15/05/2003

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