Battery Connection Help Options

[AvalonFal]

I've been having problems with the battery draining over a couple of days of non-use, so I'm intending to replace the PO's battery cables (a few splices in the current ones) and go from there. PO relocated battery to the rear trunk & that's OK. However, I came across this situation:

- Engine off, key out.
- (+) battery cable disconnected at battery
- (-) battery cable still connected

I measured across the disconnected (+) cable to the connected (-) cable & got a voltage of around .6 - .75 volts. Is this normal to have voltage across a disconnected (+) cable??

Car starts fine when battery is charged, but, as I said, battery loses juice after being idle for a couple of days.

[ClayPerrine]

Here is another way to measure amp draw on a car electrical system.

1. Buy 100 inches of 1 gauge bare copper wire, two big copper loop connectors, and two wires for your meter.

2. Cut the wires into 8 - 12 inch pieces.

3. Put the 8 copper wires into the loop connectors, and solder together. You will need to use a torch to get them hot enough to take the solder.

4. Remove the probe ends from the meter wires, and solder them on each end next to the loop connectors.


This makes a current shunt. If you did this right, you can set your meter to the millivolt scale, and place the shunt in series with the battery. Read the meter as if millivolts were amps, I.E. 10mv = 10A.


Oh..and always place the shunt in the negative battery cable circuit. That way if it hits ground, it won't throw sparks.