Severe battery drain!

[Cobraguy]

If it says with message center, it is because the harness includes wiring for the oil level/temp sensor in the pan.

This sender is not far from the location of the starter, so they bundled it all into one harness.

Correct. You will just have the extra wires. Or go look under Explorer and buy the one without the message center. But if you ever want to add that some day, you will have it if you get the correct harness now.

 

[Cobraguy]

EDIT: I also have a pimpin diagnostic multimeter on the way I'll find my short/drain soon enough.

Cool! I'm a gadget guy...I love cool tools. Post a pic of it when you get it!

 

[CDW6212R]

I forgot about the sensor in the pan, my aluminum pan doesn't have it. I definitely need to get the right pan for my engine.

 

[Turdle]

Evan-
real quick measure the resistance between the ground post and your header panel-

 

[MountaineerGreen]

New multimeter is nice!

Absolutely zero resistance between negative battery terminal and anywhere else- block, header panel, fender bolts. My original theory that the cable is bad may not be true.

Using my nifty new multimeter, measuring amps, I found a current draw of .35 amps. So, I started pulling fuses, my cigar lighter fuse netted a drop to .19. Pulling the GEM fuse dropped it to .01.

So, since the cigar lighter fuse was drawing so much, I pulled my radio out. When I wired in the CAD front diffy, I connected the power source to the cigar lighter- It apparently draws .16 amps all the time. I will connect it to a switched source from now on. I didn't think the solenoid would draw in "normal" position.

That leaves the GEM drawing .19. Is that normal? Seems high to me

I have no issues other than the battery going dead, so I don't think my GEM is bad, unless the current draw means something.

This has spurred on a whole new project- I am going to install a fuse block, tie it to a relay, run a dedicated wire from the battery to power it. The key switch will trigger the relay, turning on all my extra junk.

 

[CDW6212R]

...
This has spurred on a whole new project- I am going to install a fuse block, tie it to a relay, run a dedicated wire from the battery to power it. The key switch will trigger the relay, turning on all my extra junk.

Very wise project, I've done that twice for my mail vehicles. The GEM should draw a little, that's the main device for non drivetrain items.

Depending on how many extra devices you might need, consider an OEM PDB, like this from a Crown Vic or Mustang. The top one I added, after gutting two and swapping to add relay capacity and the flasher. The bottom PDB is stock.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

Nice idea I may scrounge around and find one like that.

 

[bt93]

Nice idea I may scrounge around and find one like that.

No you cant look at my mustang, nor can you rob any parts

 

[MountaineerGreen]

Who me??

 

[Cobraguy]

Evan...do voltage drop tests rather than resistance tests in cases like this.

 

[CDW6212R]

That amperage draw sounds normal, it's only 4 watts. My 98 has a dead battery after setting for a couple of months(door/hatch opened occasionally). A car that sets undriven goes down faster than a lightly driven car.

 

[Cobraguy]

I tend to agree CDW. That really doesn't sound like much to me either.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

I got my re-wiring done today, now all of my added accessories are switched with the key. I didn't use a single crimp connector- all wires are soldered together I zip tied the wires together to clean everything up, its very neat and organized now, BT93 can attest to that.

My factory negative cable was corroded to the point of no return a year ago. I cut the factory end of, put on a lug eyelet, stamped in the lug and attempted to solder it on. I couldn't get the lug hot enough to melt it in very well. So, today I got a butane torch and heated it up hot enough to get it to flow like it should, I got a considerable amount in there. I'm sure it has a better connection now.

I still need to get new anti corrosion washers to complete the installation of the new battery.

I left the meter in series between the battery and ground lead, turned it off. I understand some vehicles shut other systems off after a unknown time period, the way to test the true draw is to leave it undisturbed and see what the draw is after it sits for a while.

Lets hope my dead battery problem is behind me.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

After two days, my new battery is at 12.66 volts

I also located a nice six post fuse block at NAPA, it uses the regular automotive blade fuses, I have four connections- my switch for the CAD, CB Radio, Power Inverter and Electric Brake controller. The source for the panel is switched through a 30 AMP Automotive relay. I tapped into the +12v signal sent to turn on the radio when the key is on. The relay is behind the orange antenna wire in the picture below, the relay above the wire is for the CAD

The panel ended up tucked between the duct and side of the console, the pockets on the console piece prohibited it from sitting where it's pictured.

I know that looks like a mess of wires in there, but if you understand what's going on, it's not that confusing. I think

Pictures-

 

[bt93]

 

[CDW6212R]

Very good, the fuse panels available now are better and can be had in many variations. I'm about to need something for my Mountaineer

FYI, the circuit that feeds the 12v outlet on the console has a fuse of about 25 amps. It's the large 12 gauge wire in brown/violet I believe.

 

[MountaineerGreen]

The source for that is a direct run from the battery, 10 gauge wire with a 30 AMP in line fuse next to the connection.

Battery is still at + 12v today, I think I'm in the clear.

 

[Cobraguy]

Well done MG.

I always admire the work on your transfer case shifter. I guess I'm going to have to do that some day. I just want it to look like it came from the factory that way and that is very hard to do. I'm still looking at doing it with a cable too. Right now I would have to crawl under the car to shift it to 4WD. Of course, living in Phoenix, we don't worry about snow too much around here...

 

[dblake79]

Hope This Helps

There is some good info here, I had a some volt problems in my X.
I hope this helps, I agree with Cobraguy that you should be looking for volt drop. you have a multimeter so here is where to start ( I could not get a clear pic of the back of my alt. in the car so here is one that out of the car).
Ok now wright down voltage from the back of alt. this is your reference point.(with the car running ) them check at the battery, them I would also test at any new buss location you have added with the aux thing you have added turned on. record the voltage at each location. if you do not have volt drop at battery but you do at your aux power location than you need a bigger feed wire for you aux.

Grounding...Grounding ok so in my system I installed a 240 alt. 2nd battery, 0 gauge wire every were and was still get volt drop bad. the dash volt meter was so low any time I ran my stereo, lights, A/C, fried my front battery and had a hair pulling time with how to fix it. so were I started was running a o gauge ground right from the back of the alt. to the frame ( also used 3/4" heater hose around it to help with heat) 2 gauge from alt. to front battery, 0 gauge to back battery, 4 gauge from front battery to input of main fuse buss under hood (note all power had been done and still had volt drop the only thing I added in this testing part was the ground)
then I added a 0 gauge ground from frame to back battery. retesting after frame ground all volts were stable from front to back even with the stereo lights a/c all on at the same time.

so if you have volt drop from alt. to battery I would not trust the ground from the engine do a frame ground from alt. then a frame ground to battery.
if that does not fix it I would try adding to the + off of alt. to battery do not remove stock wire just add to it unless you now you have a sort in it. I would also recommend running a better ground from frame to the chassis, most thing in the car will pull a chassis ground and I find it is not a good ground, once you have a good frame ground you can always added to the chassis were you need it.

I was so supprised that with all the power and the gauge of wire that my problem was just grounding.

the problem with volt drop is that anything in you elec. system works at a given voltage and draws a given amp at that voltage if you have volt drop it takes more amps to do the same job more amps means more Heat and heat is what will kill your system and the components in it (ie you battery alt lights fan blower) all of this is affected, so big stereo or not volt drop from bad grounding is probably the best thing to fix for the elec. system and its not that hard to do.

well now I feel just like I am rambling on so hope this helps and PM me if you have ? I have spent allot of time with the power in gen 2 X's

 

[dblake79]

some more pics