dead battery thing ?

silverhairdeere · 08-23-2008, 11:08 AM

battery keep running down after a few days ,on my 1989 g.m.c. 1/2 ton 5.7 auto with air . did the test lite trick , when my wife removed the fuse that had stop below it the test lite went dark . so where to start it has a trailer plug on it with the white going to a ground . or could it be the brake switch , just got a multi - meter but still learning how to use it , thing a short some ware . any help will be appreciated .

silver hair deere

ukrkoz · 08-23-2008, 06:23 PM

did the test lite trick , when my wife removed the fuse that had stop below it the test lite went dark . ???????

connect test light and remove fuses from instruments fuse box one at a time. that should pinpoint the vampire.
absolutely clean the terminals on both battery and cables, and lubricate with dielectric grease.
you might just have bad battery. load test maybe?
i'd disconnect trailer thing before doing any tests.

silverhairdeere · 08-25-2008, 11:38 AM

well heres what we have done narrowed it to the brake light switch fuse , so starting at the back .
disconnected rear tail light pig tail , no difference
disconnected trail light pig tail . no difference
disconnected wiring from brake light switch , no difference
in each test we would unhook the battery cable and hook up the test light it would light up like a Christmas tree , big drain maybe a Short between the battery and the fuse , but then when you take out the fuse the drain stops . I'm thinking the hook up something else to that fuse but it ain't showing in the Chilton's book !

silver hair deere

87c10slammer · 08-25-2008, 07:03 PM

you got an aftermarket headunit or anything else that runs when the truck is off. perhaps some fog lights or winch. when did the problem start happeneing?

silverhairdeere · 08-25-2008, 10:54 PM

no fog lights , no wench , no power anything really , thinking either cigarette liter or memory to the cheap after market radio , as for when just here lately but getting worse as time goes by . will post the fix when i know .

silver hair deere

87c10slammer · 08-26-2008, 07:26 AM

it could be the wiring for the radio. i it has a detachable face plate try taking it off and then check it. it will cause i slow drain over a period of days if it isnt hooked up right.

silverhairdeere · 08-26-2008, 11:28 AM

well it isn't the radio, radio memory , cigarette liter , light switch , computer, but when i turned the 4 way hazard lights they came on but didn't flash , took out the relay it was fried , put a new one in same thing , it started to rain , so disconnected the battery , yesterday when truck was up in the air had a good chance to look at wiring all was in plastic tubbing and was held to frame with the plastic rings . could the 4 way hazard switch go bad draining to the steering column , or should i take the wiring down from the frame and out of the tubing to look for something . this is starting to get over my head . need ideas and help

thank you
silver hair deere

gmctrucks · 08-26-2008, 09:43 PM

I'm going to place my battery back on my truck tomorrow but what im doing is im getting my volt meter and before I hook up my positive cable to battery im going to place one lead from my meter on the cable from starter then get the other lead and place it on my positive battery post so if my meter goes up I know I have something drawing current even a bad alternator can draw current to drain your battery I hope you understood what I wrote. Remember to hook up your ground cable to your battery for this test. Your meter gauge might move some what but it shouldn't move that much if it does start removing fuse by fuse till you find the problem. Somebody else might re-write this better if they want to I wouldn't mind at all as you members can see im not the smartest cookie in the jar. But who cares I still love me and im only trying to help.

silverhairdeere · 08-27-2008, 06:32 AM

going to disconnect the wiring to the steering column today than re-test if no power drain will start with flasher unit looking for burnt wires .

silver hair deere

silverhairdeere · 08-27-2008, 02:27 PM

found it yea yea , unplugged the turn signal switch at the bottom of the steering column ,and the test lite barely lite up . started to disassemble the steering column , but ran out of time .i have taken pictures as i suffer from c.r.s. and won't re member tomorrow , has anybody had to replace there signal switch ? was there burnt wires or something else ?

silver hair deere

08-23-2008, 11:08 AM	#1
silverhairdeere Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: land between the lakes tn Posts: 52	dead battery thing ? battery keep running down after a few days ,on my 1989 g.m.c. 1/2 ton 5.7 auto with air . did the test lite trick , when my wife removed the fuse that had stop below it the test lite went dark . so where to start it has a trailer plug on it with the white going to a ground . or could it be the brake switch , just got a multi - meter but still learning how to use it , thing a short some ware . any help will be appreciated . silver hair deere

08-25-2008, 11:38 AM	#3
silverhairdeere Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: land between the lakes tn Posts: 52	dead battery thing (wiring now) well heres what we have done narrowed it to the brake light switch fuse , so starting at the back . disconnected rear tail light pig tail , no difference disconnected trail light pig tail . no difference disconnected wiring from brake light switch , no difference in each test we would unhook the battery cable and hook up the test light it would light up like a Christmas tree , big drain maybe a Short between the battery and the fuse , but then when you take out the fuse the drain stops . I'm thinking the hook up something else to that fuse but it ain't showing in the Chilton's book ! silver hair deere

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08-23-2008, 06:23 PM	#2
ukrkoz Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 104	did the test lite trick , when my wife removed the fuse that had stop below it the test lite went dark . ??????? connect test light and remove fuses from instruments fuse box one at a time. that should pinpoint the vampire. absolutely clean the terminals on both battery and cables, and lubricate with dielectric grease. you might just have bad battery. load test maybe? i'd disconnect trailer thing before doing any tests.

08-25-2008, 07:03 PM	#4
87c10slammer Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: levittown pa Posts: 1,964	you got an aftermarket headunit or anything else that runs when the truck is off. perhaps some fog lights or winch. when did the problem start happeneing?

08-25-2008, 10:54 PM	#5
silverhairdeere Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: land between the lakes tn Posts: 52	no fog lights , no wench , no power anything really , thinking either cigarette liter or memory to the cheap after market radio , as for when just here lately but getting worse as time goes by . will post the fix when i know . silver hair deere

08-26-2008, 07:26 AM	#6
87c10slammer Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: levittown pa Posts: 1,964	it could be the wiring for the radio. i it has a detachable face plate try taking it off and then check it. it will cause i slow drain over a period of days if it isnt hooked up right.

08-26-2008, 11:28 AM	#7
silverhairdeere Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: land between the lakes tn Posts: 52	well it isn't the radio, radio memory , cigarette liter , light switch , computer, but when i turned the 4 way hazard lights they came on but didn't flash , took out the relay it was fried , put a new one in same thing , it started to rain , so disconnected the battery , yesterday when truck was up in the air had a good chance to look at wiring all was in plastic tubbing and was held to frame with the plastic rings . could the 4 way hazard switch go bad draining to the steering column , or should i take the wiring down from the frame and out of the tubing to look for something . this is starting to get over my head . need ideas and help thank you silver hair deere

08-26-2008, 09:43 PM	#8
gmctrucks Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Houston,Texas Posts: 1,603	I'm going to place my battery back on my truck tomorrow but what im doing is im getting my volt meter and before I hook up my positive cable to battery im going to place one lead from my meter on the cable from starter then get the other lead and place it on my positive battery post so if my meter goes up I know I have something drawing current even a bad alternator can draw current to drain your battery I hope you understood what I wrote. Remember to hook up your ground cable to your battery for this test. Your meter gauge might move some what but it shouldn't move that much if it does start removing fuse by fuse till you find the problem. Somebody else might re-write this better if they want to I wouldn't mind at all as you members can see im not the smartest cookie in the jar. But who cares I still love me and im only trying to help.

08-27-2008, 06:32 AM	#9
silverhairdeere Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: land between the lakes tn Posts: 52	going to disconnect the wiring to the steering column today than re-test if no power drain will start with flasher unit looking for burnt wires . silver hair deere

08-27-2008, 02:27 PM	#10
silverhairdeere Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: land between the lakes tn Posts: 52	found it yea yea , unplugged the turn signal switch at the bottom of the steering column ,and the test lite barely lite up . started to disassemble the steering column , but ran out of time .i have taken pictures as i suffer from c.r.s. and won't re member tomorrow , has anybody had to replace there signal switch ? was there burnt wires or something else ? silver hair deere