Jqutie: I just want to measure the resistance between the suspected bad red wire and the small red wire on the alternator. Leave the other red wires connected up.
Try following these steps:
Disconnect the positive cable connector on the battery and keep it isolated.
Disconnect the small red wire on the alternator and the suspected red wire.
Turn the ignition switch to the RUN position.
Measure the resistance between the suspected red wire and the red alternator wire.
Do the same thing in step 4 while the ignition is in the START mode.
Note the resistance readings and let us know what they are.
Replace connections to normal and then connect battery cable back up.
HELLOKIT: Sorry, I & the Elky have been at the shop for 5 hours replacing the radiator, cooling fan clutch, and - it turned out, blown water pump, $502 for waterpump and labor.
The engine cranks fine, with no severe drains of the battery, and I’m getting 13+v on the dash voltmeter. EVERYTHING appears normal for now. Will voltage tests or ohm tests show us what WAS the cause, when the cause is obviously not acting now???
WILL check MY wiring diagrams for fusible links and respond. THANKS for your perseverance! No wonder you’re a Top Twenty Contributor!!!
COUGAR: See response to Hellokit. Will also respond to your suggestion, but I have a coupla days of errands and appointments to catch up on - now that I have wheels. Please be patient! And thanks for the clarifying post!
NO problem. It sounds like you are back to 100% alright. If you don’t get to the tests that’s alright. I am just curious to see where the wire goes and I think it does go to the alternator. We may never know what happened now. One thought I did have was instead of a DC short occuring the trouble was happening due to AC getting to the battery from the alternator. But it wasn’t turning fast and you also stated it was totally disconnected (at least I assume that it was).
I will be pondering this episode for a long time. Like the others said “That can’t happen!” But you know it did.
Amen, Brother, Amen! The Elky is running normal and I have a lot of skit to catch up on while I have normally working wheels, a complete resurrection! Well, except that the A/C is not cooling at all, so I suspect that the shop damaged it removing the radiator and shroud [in reverse order] or replacing them. [Skit! I just remembered that I unplugged the A/C after typing the following!]
The alternator was turning normally, but the +wire[red] to it’s field (per HK) MAY have been interfering with it’s normal DC function. When the mechanic disconnected the alternator bracket, the two-wire [one RED] connector looked fine, with no signs of excessive amperage.
It DID happen, for 3 MONTHS, so there’s no denying that! I DO hope that the further suggestions will lead to the MYSTERIOUS cause and end up in SOMEBODY’s textbook! But I do fear that - with the CAUSE gone - test readings will be normal and be no help in verifying the disappeared CAUSE. But I’ll do them anyway, as I fell that I owe it to you helpful guys! If the owners of this site need a duzy to go into their various media outlets, this could well be one! Will gitback to ALL when I get caught up with chores requiring powered wheels!!!
After reviewing the posts, I have to go back to my original idea: when the purple wire, from the START circuit energizes the starter solenoid, a short from the battery input goes to ground through the internals of the starter solenoid, and drains the battery. This short doesn’t happen all the time, now; but, it could come back.
The 9 1/2 volts (the same voltage of the discharged battery, yes?) would be the voltage of the little red wires, when they are connected to their power source (on the starter solenoid) doing what they are supposed to do ----- distributing power, and that distributed power passes through your voltmeter, on its way back to the battery negative post. Normal stuff. With the little red wires disconnected, the path is broken, hence no voltage indication.
To check for voltage, you check from the power circuit to ground, but you don’t break into the circuit. Breaking into the circuit is how you do amperage measurements.
The resolution to the intermittent problem is to change the starter.
HELLOKIT: No, the problem of battery drain to below 4v was NOT intermittent for the last two dozen or so battery drains. I now realize that the 9.5v between “ground” on the car and the -post of the battery is normal (broken circuit as I was measuring it).
The solenoid/starter was purchased 12/11/08 and has been floor tested and tested on Autozone’s test stand (under load). Test results were normal. I am NOT going to change the starter, as the truck (with the battery drains disappeared and new radiator, cooling fan clutch, and water pump installed) ran fine with 13+v on the dash, no overheating and normal starts. I need some drive/errands time! Was in the shop most of the day.
Intermittent means that it happens from time to time. The time from one instance to another can be short, or long, or a mixture of both.
The electrical short may be only within the starter solenoid; or, it could be in both the starter and the solenoid. The short may be there after the start; but, of a lesser amount, which keeps the alternator from being able to put out enough to charge the battery and reach 14 volts.
A bench check isn’t a perfect test. Things can change from the car to the test bench, or floor.
One variable is attaching the wires to the solenoid. What material is the solenoid case made of? If it’s metal, and the wire terminals are touching the case when the wires are attached, that’s a short. Inside the solenoid, as the wire terminals nut is being tightened, the parts inside the solenoid could be pulled into contact with a ground.
The number of ways a short can happen go on and on.
Change the starter solenoid. Be sure that any insulating washer, or shield, is preventing the wires from turning and making ground contact as you tighten the nut on the solenoid post.
On the alternator, make sure the insulating washer, or shield is whole and not cracked on the large wire terminal where it attaches. And make sure the wire terminal doesn’t turn and make contact to the body of the alternator, as you tighten the attaching nut.
Change the starter solenoid. If, after you change the starter solenoid, and the short happens again, change the starter.