07 Impala short
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Joined: Oct 2017
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07 Impala short
Hello, my problem is as follows
Wife parks car at house for approx 3 hrs. Battery goes completely dead during this time. I charge battery back up, it holds a charge. I think there has to be something drawing a low of current when it isnt running. So i put a test light in series with the ground connection of the battery. It lights up and stays lit, great there is something drawing current with the vehicle off and keys out of ignition.
i start with the under hood fuse box, one by one i remove every single fuse. List stays on. i move to the fuse box in passenger foot panel, remove fuses one by one light stays on.. Any ideas on what i am missing?
Ive even pulled the both the power wire and the plug to the alternator and light still stays on.
Update:
If i remove the wires to the alternator and then remove the power wire going to the under hood fuse box, the light does out. But as soon as i reconntect power to the underhood fuse box, lights comes back on.
if alternator wires are hooked up and i remove power to fuse box light stays on.
I have no idea if this is normal
Wife parks car at house for approx 3 hrs. Battery goes completely dead during this time. I charge battery back up, it holds a charge. I think there has to be something drawing a low of current when it isnt running. So i put a test light in series with the ground connection of the battery. It lights up and stays lit, great there is something drawing current with the vehicle off and keys out of ignition.
i start with the under hood fuse box, one by one i remove every single fuse. List stays on. i move to the fuse box in passenger foot panel, remove fuses one by one light stays on.. Any ideas on what i am missing?
Ive even pulled the both the power wire and the plug to the alternator and light still stays on.
Update:
If i remove the wires to the alternator and then remove the power wire going to the under hood fuse box, the light does out. But as soon as i reconntect power to the underhood fuse box, lights comes back on.
if alternator wires are hooked up and i remove power to fuse box light stays on.
I have no idea if this is normal
Last edited by comeback_kid559; Oct 27, 2017 at 1:42 PM. Reason: Additional info
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 9,175
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-have the battery load tested...alway rule out the battery before any charging system diagnosis. this all may be from a bad cell...rule it out. if the battery is good, fully charge it for the parasitic draw test with a dvom. low voltage will increase the amp draw.
-instead of a test light..connect a dvom and measure the actual draw...50mamps is normal. I use a battery isolator to prevent blowing the meter fuse
Hansa Battery Isolator - BCF Australia
-the alternator field winding connector should not be powered with the key off. the large red wire is a direct connection to the battery.
-instead of a test light..connect a dvom and measure the actual draw...50mamps is normal. I use a battery isolator to prevent blowing the meter fuse
Hansa Battery Isolator - BCF Australia
-the alternator field winding connector should not be powered with the key off. the large red wire is a direct connection to the battery.
Last edited by tech2; Oct 28, 2017 at 9:35 AM.
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Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 9,175
Likes: 520
i prefer to do voltage drop measurements across the fuses... any fuse with 0.1 volts on it is a powered circuit.
key out of the ignition, doors shut...allow 15minutes for all the module to go to sleep. if you have a hood light...take out the bulb or pull the connector. take the measurements and report back on all circuits that have voltage.
key out of the ignition, doors shut...allow 15minutes for all the module to go to sleep. if you have a hood light...take out the bulb or pull the connector. take the measurements and report back on all circuits that have voltage.
