MAYHEM Posted May 13, 2003 Share Posted May 13, 2003 I have a little issue that I'm trying to track down, on my '77 Z. When I hook up my battery I noticed I have a power being drawn. I found out, with the ignition off and the battery hooked up that my voltmeter is registering, I'm trying to track down why (hopefully with out ripping out the entire dash. Any ideas ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fl327 Posted May 13, 2003 Share Posted May 13, 2003 z cars are infamous for battery drain issues, mine will start losign charge if i dont drive it at least two days a week maybe more, when i am not going to drive it for a few days i unplugg the battery. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastzcars Posted May 14, 2003 Share Posted May 14, 2003 MYham, Try this test, get one of those test probes with the light on the end of it. Disconnect the NEGETIVE or Ground wire from the battery and connect the test light BETWEEN the the battery and the ground cable , Completing the curcuit. If there is a drain the lamp will light up. Then go inside and remove one fuse at a time from the fuse box. When the light goes out , you found the circuit thats causing the problem. Then it's a matter of disconnting each component from that curcuit to isolate it further. You'll need a good wiring diagram to trace it easier. Hope that help's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAYHEM Posted May 14, 2003 Author Share Posted May 14, 2003 Thanks fastzcars, for that bit of info. I'll give it a shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest greimann Posted May 14, 2003 Share Posted May 14, 2003 Just so we are clear on this, a volt meter will register a volltage reading regardless if there is a draw on the battery or not. You should always have a ~12V reading at the battery. An ammeter that shows a draw when everything is off is an indication of a leak. Mr. Fastzcars test is a good one to find the source of a draw. Putting an ammeter in there instead of a test light (?) would show the quantity of current in the draw, if there is indeed one at all. Does your battery run down after a couple of days of sitting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted May 14, 2003 Share Posted May 14, 2003 I think Mayhem was saying the voltmeter in his dash is showing a voltage reading with the key off. If true, then I don't think pulling fuses will disconnect the problem. Something is getting past the ignition switch to power up the dash. Could be a bad switch, or could be a chaffed wire contacting another chaffed wire to bypass the switch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fastzcars Posted May 14, 2003 Share Posted May 14, 2003 griemann. I stand corrected. A voltmeter will read voltage regardless. But not many people have an ampmeter, and the test light is a cheap quick way to test for a draw. Jim Powers your also right, I didn't read the original post correctly, I ASSumed a battery drain was his original problem. my guess would be the switch also. Good luck Mayhem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAYHEM Posted May 14, 2003 Author Share Posted May 14, 2003 Hummm !!! I think it might be a switch too... an the starting. Now the car won't start. I here the solenoid clicking but the stater is not engaging. And I have a good battery hooked up. I tried tapping on the starter ( aka Chevy, style ) But still a no go. It looks like I'll be go for a starter here first. I'll let you all know how it turns out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted May 15, 2003 Share Posted May 15, 2003 Clean your battery posts and fully recharge the battery before replacing your starter! A dead battery (or bad connection) will click the solenoid but not have enough umph to crank the starter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAYHEM Posted May 15, 2003 Author Share Posted May 15, 2003 Clean your battery posts and fully recharge the battery before replacing your starter! A dead battery (or bad connection) will click the solenoid but not have enough umph to crank the starter. I took it off last nite, and I'm going to take it into work, and do a bench check. Thanks JP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAYHEM Posted May 16, 2003 Author Share Posted May 16, 2003 Yup, my starter is Tango Uniform (TU) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAYHEM Posted May 22, 2003 Author Share Posted May 22, 2003 Well got my starter. car runs good. I got this reply from another post to my original question. The voltmeter is always on. Regardless, it draws next to no current (less than 1mA). If you've got a significant current draw with the ignition off, I'd check elsewhere... Nigel I did'nt know that Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomoHawk Posted May 29, 2003 Share Posted May 29, 2003 The voltmeter in my '78Z also shows voltage with the key off. I assumed it was normal, because it uses very little current to operate. No? I'll take a look at the wiring diagram to see if the voltmeter is on the switched side. Otherwise, hat type(s) of things would I look for? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 DELETE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snork Posted July 7, 2003 Share Posted July 7, 2003 iv also noticed the same thing on my 77 z, among other problems (electrical). would a chiltons manual give a diagram on how the dash comes out (bolts, wires, tach, ect.)? little scared of ripping apart the dash without knowing what all i will have to deal with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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