W123 Power Drain???

I have a 1982 300D-Turbo, Diesel. Usually, I only drive 1 mile to work and 1 mile back. It seems that after a few days, if I only drive to work and back, my battery gets drained. I have a new battery, and new alternator.

I also have the following, in which I think it may be related to:

  1. The blower motor switch, in the key/ignition switch doesn't work. Which means when I turn on the key, and turn on the blower motor, it will not work. However, I put a wire from the battery + to behind the fuses, where the blower motor switch is, (yes, this is my hack, until I can get a new igintion/key switch). So this means that with the key in or not, I can turn on and off the HVAC system any ol time I want.

Could this be draining the battery when it's not on?

Also I have an Amp, that IS hooked up correctly, so it only turns on when the radio is on, but this could be draining the battery if I am listening to music durring my 1 mile trip???

Anyways, so I think it's my "hack" I'm wondering if there is any one that would know, or where should I put the volt meter to trouble shoot this one out?

Could I put a switch in somewhere I could turn off my hack fix?

Darrell

Reply to
Darrell
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One mile is not enough to charge up your battery. I don't think anything else is causing the drain while parked... You just don't have enough mileage to charge up the battery.

Reply to
Tiger

Assuming you start with your battery charged, your fan hack might be draining the battery. It's pretty simple to test.

Make a little rig that consists of a bulb (any 12V automotive) and a couple of test leads.

The car remains off for this arrangement.

Hook this up between the positive side of battery and the batteries normal lead(ie the battery is only hooked to the wiring harness through the bulb. With the car off the bulb should be off also. If the bulb is on, that means the car is pulling current through the bulb.

If the buld is on, try unhooking your hack.

Good Luck, Marty

Reply to
Martin Joseph

take the back way to work.

best yet walk!

the case, minus a few cans!

Reply to
pool man

The hack is inconsequential if the fan motor shuts off when you stop the car. The amp I have in my car (300SD) is 700 watts (58 amps). Add that to the A/C (15 amps), possible headlamps (15 amps) to the low idle output of your alternator at a stop light or anything under 1,500 RPM and the math just doesn't work. I'm surprised your car even starts after work. If you insist on using all these things and only drive 1 mile, you will need a trickle charger at night and a solar charger during the day. Good luck in your power management.

Reply to
dkmcp
700watts = 58 AMPS ?

don't think soooooo

the case, minus a few cans!

Reply to
pool man

He is right... 58 amps X 12 volt = 696 Watts.

Reply to
Tiger

heh,

LOL, Marty

Reply to
Martin Joseph

Tiger i am sure your math is wrong. that is a lot of juice to run one fan.

put the AC blower, back window defroster, lights and a few other things on and your pulling AMPS out your ears.

all that with an 80 AMP ALT on a good day you would never get any were with out a cord.

ALSO is the fan fused? what size fuse?

i could be misreading what your saying so don't go crazy on me yet

the case, minus a few cans!

Reply to
pool man

Maybe there is an error in the numbers, but

W (power) = voltage x current (amps)

Not sure how helpful this paragraph I pinched off the web is (from

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' Perhaps the greatest confusion arises due to the fact that early in our science educations, we were told that the formula for watts was amps times volts. This formula, watts = amps x volts, is perfectly true for direct current circuits. It also works on some AC loads such as incandescent light bulbs, quartz heaters, electric range heating elements, and other equipment of this general nature. However, when the loads involve a characteristic called inductance, the formula has to be altered to include a new term called power factor. Thus, the new formula for single phase loads becomes, watts are equal to amps x volts x power factor. The new term, power factor, is always involved in applications where AC power is used and inductive magnetic elements exist in the circuit. Inductive elements are magnetic devices such as solenoid coils, motor windings, transformer windings, fluorescent lamp ballasts, and similar equipment that have magnetic components as part of their design.

DAS

Reply to
Dori A Schmetterling

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