Car: 1986 mazda 626, 2.0L (no brand bashing or anything, it's a waste of time)
Initially one night I go out to the car, everything has been fine, go to start it, there is a massive current drain, then nothing. try again, get some clicks that's it. battery is discharged, remove it. Check for massive shorts, get ~3-400kohms between ground and + battery cables, which is about what I expected with the clock, radio memory,etc. Everything seems ok wiring wise.
Took the battery to the autoparts store figured it blew a cell. Tests good. Charge it back up, start car, it's running ok, start testing alternator, seems not to be putting out enough current. Goto autoparts store with alternator, they are missing the part for their tester to test it. Order a new one. Tonight I realize I f'd up the tests I did and hadn't zeroed the ammeter. So this time they have the adapter, so the alternator tests good there. I put it back on the car and test it again, seems fine. putting out damn near 100amps with *EVERYTHING* on and the engine at about 2500rpm.
So.... I shut off the engine and restart it a couple times, seems fine. I get my voltmeter to do some more alternator tests. I go to start the car and once again huge current draw, battery goes to near zilch. I disconnect the battery and check continuity between the alt B post and the + btty cable, it's there. Cool. I check bettween + and - btty cables, continuity... WTF? So ok I think maybe the alternator had a death throw and is now shorted. I disconnect the cable from the b post and check continuity between the b post and ground. Nadda. Ok. Check cable to the b-post and the + btty, still got continuity. I turn the engine by hand a bit, sill continuity.reconnect b-post, alternator. Alrighty, leap of faith I reconnect connect the battery and check voltage. No big sparks or anything, voltage is the same posts connected to the cables or not. The battery seems to have recovered some charge so I try to start the car. Starter turns a wee bit and then that's it. disconnect battery, repeat continutity tests of battery cable and b-post.
3-400Kohms again.The only thing that has really changed bettween the there being continuity between the ground and + btty cable has been the starter posisition.
So the question is, is it possible for a starter to be shorted at one location in it's rotation that can draw down a battery? maybe an issue with the solinoid/relay? It seems like this shouldn't be the case, but the check between the battery cables seems to indicate a short somewhere. The starter didn't feel unusually hot, for how long I had idled the engine.
I am wondering if I shouldn't just idle it for awhile with everything on once I get the battery charged up and see if it dies. I am tempted to pull the starter to play with it, can't really reach the end where the wires connect, but I can get at the mounting bolts fairly easy to yank it out.
Anyone got any clues? Obviously there is a short somewhere that's the cause of the problem....