West Coast Fieros Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home » Technical Topics Forum » Technical Questions and Discussions
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Electrical problem
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Register Register  Login Login

Electrical problem

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
Shakey Dave View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 03 June 2007
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 160
Post Options Post Options   Quote Shakey Dave Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Electrical problem
    Posted: 05 May 2012 at 7:02pm
I am trying to get my Fiero ready for the All Pontiac
Show 2012 but the battery keeps going flat overnight (and
I mean REALLY flat/dead). Working with Gary Hawthorne, we
put in a rebuilt headlight motor last fall, but nothing
else is new.

Can anyone give us some tips on what we can look at to
solve this problem? I have already lunched 2 batteries in
trying to fix this (even my CTEK Battery Charger won't
revive them!) and I don't want to buy another battery
which will start the car but after a day will go to
battery heaven!

Here is a recent picture of my car, if you are
interested.

     0007a.jpg">
"Shakey" Dave Hathaway
www3.telus.net/myhistory
Back to Top
Dr.Fiero View Drop Down
Senior Post God
Senior Post God
Avatar

Joined: 12 February 2007
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 1726
Post Options Post Options   Quote Dr.Fiero Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 May 2012 at 6:50am
It's just a matter of finding which circuit is pulling THAT much power.

You can start by pulling all the fuses.
If you're still drawing power, it's something fed by a fusable link. 

I've seen isolation relays (for the headlights) go bad, causing a near dead short (and fire!) kill a battery in no time flat.

It's really just a divide and conquer thing.

Back to Top
Dawg View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 15 August 2009
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 988
Post Options Post Options   Quote Dawg Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 May 2012 at 4:29am
A DC clamp meter makes that job easy....:-)

Dawg
You dream it up....I'll make it
Back to Top
Dr.Fiero View Drop Down
Senior Post God
Senior Post God
Avatar

Joined: 12 February 2007
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 1726
Post Options Post Options   Quote Dr.Fiero Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 May 2012 at 5:51am
Originally posted by Dawg Dawg wrote:

A DC clamp meter makes that job easy....:-)


Of course!
I've got one (or two, or three).  I'm sure you've got one.

Odds that Dave has one?  Pretty slim I'm sure. 

Back to Top
Shakey Dave View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 03 June 2007
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 160
Post Options Post Options   Quote Shakey Dave Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 May 2012 at 11:38am
You're right ... I don't have a DC clamp meter but I'm
going out to see if I can find one.
"Shakey" Dave Hathaway
www3.telus.net/myhistory
Back to Top
ARTIC-1 View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 14 October 2009
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 434
Post Options Post Options   Quote ARTIC-1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 May 2012 at 4:54pm
If i was closer i would lend u mine,This is a good one.

SNOW MAN

87-GT/AUTO-2.8_ WHITE

88-TTop/ Duke-2.5. RED
Back to Top
Shakey Dave View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 03 June 2007
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 160
Post Options Post Options   Quote Shakey Dave Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 May 2012 at 8:59pm
Dr Fiero, Dawg and Artic-1

Thanks for your suggestions on how to fix my Fiero's
electrical fault. The only problem is that I don't know
how to use an DC clamp meter, even though I read about it
on the Internet in an article about the device. A second
problem is that a bad back only lets me work on the car
for about 5 minutes

The car will start and run if I disconnect the battery
when I get home, recharge it overnight, then reconnect it
when I go out again. I don't know how long it will run
the car but I might take it down to a mechanic later this
week and see what he can do for me.

Thanks again.

"Shakey" Dave
"Shakey" Dave Hathaway
www3.telus.net/myhistory
Back to Top
Dr.Fiero View Drop Down
Senior Post God
Senior Post God
Avatar

Joined: 12 February 2007
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 1726
Post Options Post Options   Quote Dr.Fiero Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 07 May 2012 at 9:10pm
If you can't find someone closer to you...  I might be able to take a look on Saturday morning.

Back to Top
Shakey Dave View Drop Down
Senior Member
Senior Member
Avatar

Joined: 03 June 2007
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 160
Post Options Post Options   Quote Shakey Dave Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 May 2012 at 12:07pm
That would be really great. Would you come over here
(North Van) or would I come over there? There is a problem
if I come over there because I don't know how long the car
will run in it's present condition ... not very far I
think! Let's continue this conversation via PM.

David

"Shakey" Dave Hathaway
www3.telus.net/myhistory
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down

Forum Software by Web Wiz Forums® version 12.01
Copyright ©2001-2018 Web Wiz Ltd.