System Drawing. Need help identifying

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System Drawing. Need help identifying

May 07, 2005, 06:31:27 PM

Ok today my dad and I tried to figure out what the draw is on the system thats causing my battery to die at various times.

So...
sometimes it goes for a week and its fine, starts right up
other times i turn the car off for 2 hours and its dead.

Ok found where the draw was on this wire when the car is off. But have no idea what and where it goes to.

At the starter selenoid there is 2 wires appears to be one green wire and one black wire at the hot terminal at the selenoid. Both are the fused about 8 inches from the part of connection. Both of those wires (green and black) are the fused seperatly into two yellow wires. From there it appears to go into a harness or something.

Its drawing quite badly off, But lately its just about everytime getting more worse everyday.

I looked up in the chilton manual but doesn't help me.

If anyone has the free time and is willing to give me a helpful note on what to do or where the wires lead to it'd be appriciated.

Re: System Drawing. Need help identifying

Reply #1 – May 07, 2005, 06:36:52 PM

Sorry I'm no help, but I just had to say how much I like that drawing.

Re: System Drawing. Need help identifying

Reply #2 – May 07, 2005, 07:35:45 PM

They go to your ignition switch and fuse panel, so that's not really going to help you narrow down the cause (BTW, the green and black wires themselves are the "fuses", otherwise known as "fusible links" - the black things are just splices).

To find the system that is causing the draw, put an ammeter on the battery in series with the ground cable, and make sure the dome light and glove box, console and all interior lights are out (remove the bulbs if you have to), then start pulling fuses one by one. When the ammeter drops you've found your draw.

If pulling all the fuses one by one does not lower the draw, try disconnecting the ignition switch. I've seen it happen before that the switch wears and the metal filings "bridge" circuits inside the switch, causing a draw. If you pull the ignition switch harness and the current drops IMMEDIATELY replace the switch! That "bridging" is very dangerous and can cause fire.

Re: System Drawing. Need help identifying

Reply #3 – May 07, 2005, 08:55:28 PM

this might help

Re: System Drawing. Need help identifying

Reply #4 – May 07, 2005, 11:47:21 PM

sweet thanks guys

will work on that tomorrow morning when i get up!!

Re: System Drawing. Need help identifying

Reply #5 – May 18, 2005, 10:39:19 PM

Well Did just about all i know how to do... Decided not to risk anymore since i dont want to start a fire or damage the car.... anyways

Well as most of you know, my car has a serious electrical problem.

Well since day 1 about every 5 minutes my dash beeps and flashes the battery symbol. So i have a problem. But was never able to identify it.

Well since over the winter my car hasn't been able to keep a charge. At first it was like once a week it died. Then once every 3 or 4 days, then once every other day, to every day, to now every 3 hours, to now 30 minutes later.

This is extremely dangerous and with it draining that fast, fire can happen.

SOOOO.... trying to do some fixes my dad an I... first.

1) Make Sure everything is turned off
2) Took it to advanced for a batt. alt check. They passed.
3) brought it home and decided to swap batteries from the white cougar to my blue one. No luck. And white one has brand new battery.
4) Called Alt./Starter/electical Shop in DuBois,pa . Tells me it has nothin to do with the starter itself but maybe other components that deal with starting. Ok so we buy new starter Selenoid, New Positive and Ground cables. Everything.

Still doesn't work. Its so bad now that has soon as we charge it, and looses it.

well anyways... its 3 days from prom and my car is now going into the shop. My goal since I bought the car was to drive it to my senior prom. Doens't look like its going to happen. My goal of taking it is being cut short by a few days. Tried so hard and just my luck this had to happen. This could be very expensive if its something major. I'm really frustrated at it all. Did everything I can and still nothing. Major setbacks hurt. I hate taking my car to shops,but I have no choice. I am wasting a lot of money on parts and stuff that are actually still in working order in order to find the culpret. :mad:

Oh well... wat do ya expect for an older car.

Re: System Drawing. Need help identifying

Reply #6 – May 18, 2005, 11:02:34 PM

ignition switch

Re: System Drawing. Need help identifying

Reply #7 – May 18, 2005, 11:17:08 PM

Why not wire in a kill switch or just disconnect the battery when you park as a temporary solution? Then you could at least take it to prom.

Re: System Drawing. Need help identifying

Reply #8 – May 19, 2005, 06:23:46 AM

True, but the draw on the system is crazy. Like its reading 12v. 2 seconds later 11.99 2 more seconds 11.97 2 more seconds 11.95 and so on...

You think its the ignition switch??

Re: System Drawing. Need help identifying

Reply #9 – May 19, 2005, 08:36:26 AM

Disconnect your hood lamp and trunk lamp. The mercury switches in one of them (or both) could be staying on. I've had this happen many times...they are both on the same main circuit as the alternator. It'll drive you nuts unless you know this!

Also...just because the alternator passed a test doesn't mean a diode isn't sticking. It could be the ignition switch, certainly. You'd have to remove the steering column covers and check a lot of wires at the switch with a test light to find out. If it makes no difference whether the key is turned forward vs. the switch in the OFF position, then that's your answer.

But try disconnecting the hood/trunk lights first.

Re: System Drawing. Need help identifying

Reply #10 – May 19, 2005, 12:33:49 PM

please do the voltage drain test like thunderchicken said.

have your meter set to vdc and put the red lead on the pos terminal and ground out your black lead somewhere or even to the battery. You should see the battery draining with your meter on it.

now pull fuses one by one till the drain stops.
narrow it down to which fuse(s) are the issue and well dig through some evtm drawings.

If you dont find any fuse is the cause including the circuit breakers,, that helps alot cause you know its gonna be one of the "unfused" runs.

let us know,,

Re: System Drawing. Need help identifying

Reply #11 – May 19, 2005, 10:22:35 PM

Did that and i pulled fuses 1 and 2.
Drain is gone, but dash lights and interior lights are gone, also CD player & clock, but Electronic Climate Control is still on.

Tomorrow after I get back from my geaga lake physic's field trip I'm goin to strip the cars interior to find the short. Well since the drain ruined my two batteries had to get a new one. Man do I owe my parents, A. for my new one, and B. for the one i used to test in my car. Err..

its either the dash, interior lights, cd player, clock.

Re: System Drawing. Need help identifying

Reply #12 – May 19, 2005, 10:54:50 PM

save your self an extra half the time worth of steps and check this out

try disconnecting the items that get power from fuse 1 and 2. then one by one, plug in each device and see when the draw returns.

see pic and unhook each one. If you need help locating these items or connectors,, just holler.

fuse 2- hot *hot only in accy or run (as far as i can tell)
wiper motor connector
wiper switch in steering col

fuse 1- hot either in accy or run depending on component power and which side of the fuse power is coming off the fuse holder

Ign switch- hot at all times, yellow
cornering lamp relays-lh side of inst panel support brace
(two round looking three wire conn****hot only in accy or run)
speed control-lh side center of inst panel
(a box with several wires,, ******hot at all times , changes color from LG/R at fu panel to LG going into speed control)
stop / hazard- on steering col ****hot at all times, (changes color from LG/R at fu panel to W/R at multi-function Switch.

It would not be a bad idea to consider your Multifunction switch is shorting out. it seems reasonable.
also.....
id consider the ign switch cause its a realy busy body of a switch and does go bad as well.

I still cant find what fuse 2 and fuse 1 have in common. its not likely that both circuits have separate problems but anything is posssible. fuse one and fuse two converge somewhere im sure in the ***hot at all times mode.

see pic

Re: System Drawing. Need help identifying

Reply #13 – May 20, 2005, 10:31:29 AM

Quote from: Cougarcruisin

its either the dash, interior lights, cd player, clock.

not really, id be looking into the hot at all times circuits.

Re: System Drawing. Need help identifying

Reply #14 – May 20, 2005, 11:19:32 AM

Quote from: jcassity

not really, id be looking into the hot at all times circuits.

Agreed. Something that has constant 12v+ power--and is supposed to be switched off when the car is not running--is now stuck on. There are only a few things in your car that can suck down that much power, that quickly:

- Alternator diode stuck.
- Bad battery.
- Fuel pump circuit stuck.
- Bad/incorrect radio circuit.
- Interior lights left on.
- Mercury switch in hood/trunk lights stuck open.
- Ignition switch stuck/malfunctioning.

Now out of this list, Steve...which do you think is the most likely? Considering that the problem goes away when pulling fuses 1 and 2, my bet's on the ignition switch.