Battery Discharge..

[Cobra20646]

Michael,

This kind of trouble shooting is what I do everyday.... on equipment that is more complicated, so I'll try again and give you a step by step procedure to follow and maybe we can pin this down...

First, hook up the meter to read current... set the meters range switch to the highest current range; remove the positive lead from the battery, connect the meters black or minus lead to this cable and the meters red or positive lead to the positive battery terminal. What is the current reading?

Second, hook up the charger to the battery terminals and let it do its thing while we troubleshoot, it won't interfere with the tests.

Third, most Ford setups run the positive battery cable directly to the starter solenoid. At this terminal, remove ALL the cables connected to this junction terminal being very careful not to let any one of them contact any part of the frame or other grounded metal......... the current should have droped to zero. If it didn't, start looking for a break in the insulation covering the battery positive cable. If the current went to zero (like it should have) continue on with step four.

Fourth, first connect just the battery cable to the solenoid. Check current, if you read any, replace the solenoid or check to see if it is installed backwards, if still zero continue on.

Next, of the remaining wires still disconnected, try to identify the one going directly to the alternator charge output terminal and connect this one now. Check current again, should still be zero.

Next, of the remaining wires, connect them one at a time and check the current after each connection.

One of these wires will be from a circuit that has become defective.

Report back with your findings.

The fact that this thing probably never was working correctly in the first place leaves room for the unusual problem to be present. From your posts, I assume that the car has no lighting, electrical gauges, turn signals, horn, electric fuel pump, whatever ... also, from your last post it seems you have confirmed a very small current leak. A very small current leak will not kill a battery in 48 hours unless the battery is BAD

- Jim -