It doesn't cause additional drain, it prevents current flow so that everything downstream of the Battery seems dead. I had a very similar thing with an automatic MGF just before Christmas.
Cheers, Peter.
"Jim Kelly" wrote in message news:4017a00f$0$28869$ snipped-for-privacy@news.optusnet.com.au... : Peter, : : I'm trying to understand this . . . why does a loose connection : cause an additional drain on the battery? : : Thanks, : : Jim Kelly : : : "Peter Milnes" wrote in message : news:bv19t1$s57$ snipped-for-privacy@titan.btinternet.com... : | This is most likely to be a loose connection from the +ve busbar : inside the car : | at top of bulkhead just under top of dashboard, or your +ve : battery terminal is : | loose. Check also for one of the feeds (you say there are six) : from the battery : | terminal with about one strand hanging on for dear life. If the : battery goes : | dead whilst car is in motion then you need a new battery as it may : well have : | enough sludge in the bottom to short out a cell or two, however it : is very rare : | for a battery to fail in this way, so best to check for loose : connections as : | mentioned above. : | : | Of course, there will be those who say damned Italian electricians : (780s were : | assembled in Italy). : | : | Cheers, Peter. : | : | "A Franken" wrote in message : | news:bv0h0p$h46$ snipped-for-privacy@news1.tilbu.nb.home.nl... : | : Hi, : | : Try your luck on the central locking system. I 've had this : problem with : | : several Volvos in the past and every time it was in this system. : Water in : | : the doors canb do the harm. Sometimes it will do when you drive : about : | : 40miles and make the car very hot inside. This will dry the : doors. : | : : | : : | : "don hodgdon" schreef in bericht : | : news:qaHQb.49928$Xq2.38736@fed1read07... : | : > Copied from the Brickboard FAQ: : | : >
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| : > 20Discharge : | : >
: | : > Slow Battery Discharge. [Query:] I am having an electrical : problem with : | : my : | : > Volvo. About two months ago the battery went dead--slowly : over time. It : | : > was an old battery, so I though nothing of it and replaced it. : All was : | : good : | : > for a month and a half, then it went dead again. With the : car running I : | : > measured 14volts across the terminals of the battery (12 when : stopped) and : | : > 14v off the main positive lead of the alternator. What is the : problem : | : here? : | : > [Battery Drain Diagnostics: Response: Ross Gunn] To check to : see if : | : there : | : > is something draining the battery while the key is off, remove : the pos : | : > battery terminal, and with an ammeter, measure to see if there : is any : | : > current flowing from the battery to the cable. If there is : anything more : | : > than a couple of milliamps, try removing fuses one at a time : to see if you : | : > can identify the circuit that is causing the drain. If this : pins down a : | : > problem, a little more sleuthing through the offending circuit : should tell : | : > you what needs to be done. : | : > If there is no drain showing with the above test, the charging : system is : | : > suspect. Try measuring the voltage at the alternator output : terminal and : | : > battery pos terminal with all utilities (headlights, rear : window heater, : | : > fan etc.) on high. Any difference in reading indicates a poor : connection : | : > somewhere in the red cable from the alternator. Don't assume : that a crimp : | : > connection of a terminal on the cable is good. Corrosion can : introduce : | : > enough resistance to prevent proper (any?) charging when there : is a : | : > significant load on the system (cold, dark, wet/snowy winter : evenings). I : | : > have experienced this on a 20 year old Brick. : | : >
: | : > [Battery Drain Diagnostics: Chris Bowne] I agree with Ross : Gunn that the : | : > best way to trouble shoot a discharging battery is to find the : source with : | : > the engine shut down and a multimeter (set to measure DC : current) in : | : series : | : > with the positive battery terminal lead. Other places to : check besides : | : the : | : > fuse block for drain paths are the alternator and voltage : regulator (if : | : not : | : > internal to the alternator). : | : > Disconnect/reconnect the connections on them, one at a time, : and monitor : | : for : | : > drain. I had a problem on a Ford Taurus once where the voltage : regulator : | : had : | : > shorted, and was the cause of the drain. You may or may not : find a source : | : of : | : > a drain like this merely by pulling fuses. In fact, you could : end up with : | : > all the fuses pulled, and still have the drain, like I did! : | : > Someone on an earlier posting of this thread mentioned : checking to see if : | : > his alternator was providing output by lifting the battery + : terminal : | : > connection WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING. DO NOT DO THIS! Many solid : state : | : > regulators will be damaged/destroyed by this condition. (And : in turn may : | : > compound the causes of the battery drain you are : troubleshooting!) : | : >
: | : > Battery Drain Tips. [Tip from JohnB] Check the specific : gravity of the : | : > cells...if they're accessible. : | : > With a fully charged battery, either from your battery charger : or the : | : > alternator, disconnect the battery and measure the voltage, : measure it : | : again : | : > 12 hours later and it should be virtually the same, maybe .1v : less, no : | : more. : | : > Reconnect the battery to the car and turn on the headlights on : full bright : | : > for 10 minutes and every accessory in the car...if the battery : dies in 10 : | : > minutes replace the battery. Otherwise, battery voltage should : remain : | : above : | : > 10.5 volts or so after this test. There are load testers : available in auto : | : > parts stores for about $30 or so that will do a higher load : test (couple : | : > hundred amps through a resistance load bank) in about 10-30 : seconds : | : against : | : > a red/bad yellow/weak green/good voltage scale. : | : > If these tests still have you with a good battery, then you : just have to : | : > trace down the current drain, circuit by circuit. : | : >
: | : > Good luck, : | : >
: | : > -- : | : > -don : | : >
: | : > '81 242t : | : > '89 744ti : | : >
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: | : > "AJ" wrote in message : | : > news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com... : | : > > Still having the same problem. I do have the Green Book, for : wiring. : | : > > And some non-auto electrical knowledge. : | : > > I guess I can start taking one of the wires off the : possitive battery : | : > > terminal. The 780 has 6 feeds off the terminal. : | : > > What would one of you professionals do? : | : > > I know that I have a short to ground, somewhere. : | : > > I have plenty of time. Just wondering if there is a more : systematic : | : > > way to do this. None of the door switch lights are bad. : | : > > I have removed the whole radio, equalizer, lighter assembly. : | : > > So, I have easy access to the fuse/relay panel. : | : > >
: | : > > What a sweet car, I had it out today for a while. Runs fine. : | : > > Battery will last for a couple of days, then dead. : | : > > Had the battery tested today, it is fine and 6 months old. : | : > > Of course I had it on the charger for a few hours. : | : > >
: | : > > Thanks, Again. : | : > >
: | : > > AJ @ Home in Wisconsin : | : > > 1989 - 765 w/134k Miles : | : > > 1989 - 780T w/143k Miles : | : > > 1987 - 245 w/225k Sold : | : > > And the Wife's FORD is still going. : | : >
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