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New Battery Being Drained???
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Kay
Novice
May 16, 2011, 7:51 AM
Post #1 of 12
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New Battery Being Drained???
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Hi, guys. I think I have a simple problem but I would like to ask the experts since I do not currently have a mechanic and have neither the time nor the money to play with having a mechanic figure this out. I would LOVE to get a firm quote when I call since my money is limited atm. It would be even better if I could do this myself, if it's simple enough for someone who knows nothing about these things.
Recently, when turning off the engine, I couldn't get the overhead light to go off. It was stuck "on" and flipping the switch overhead would not turn off the light. I had not been driving with the overhead light on before that and it came on by itself as if by magic.
Since I had no other option at that time, I got the brilliant idea to remove the light bulb from the overhead thingy in the hope that it would not drain my battery overnight. Well, apparently I was wrong. The next day, the truck wouldn't start although I have never had any starting problems before.
Am I correct in assuming that even though I removed the bulb, this drained my new (1/11) battery anyway? I'm also curious as to whether the new, strong battery may have caused the light to come on by itself and stay on.
If this is the problem, I don't mind not having an overhead light at all. I never drive at night and always have a flashlight with me anyway and I would prefer not to have that dang light at all than to have recurrent problems with it.
So, assuming that this is the problem, am I better off just having the overhead light "disconnected", if there is such a thing, rather than risking having recurrent problems with this? Can I do this myself or do I need a mechanic?
Thanks for any advice. I really appreciate it. And sorry about what are probably idiot questions. I'm a total girly-girl and have no one to help me.
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
May 16, 2011, 8:18 AM
Post #2 of 12
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Re: New Battery Being Drained???
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You put a lot of detail into your question but never bothered to include the year, make, model and engine size so I have nothing specific.
This is not something that you will get diagnosed over the Internet or get a firm price up front. Someone has to spend time tracing down the electrical circuit and determine what may be causing it.
It could be a door jam switch sticking, a shorted wire or even a control module. The reason the battery still went dead is because the bulb is only one part of that circuit. It has a timer module and possibly other bulbs also.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Kay
Novice
May 16, 2011, 8:22 AM
Post #3 of 12
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Re: New Battery Being Drained???
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Oops, sorry. It's a 1987 Dodge Dakota and I know it's a 6 cyl. but I'm not sure about the engine size.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
May 16, 2011, 8:28 AM
Post #4 of 12
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Re: New Battery Being Drained???
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Battery that new should be good but not always. Constantly going dead can kill a good one for whatever reason. Short term get a floating trickle charger and leave it on to maintain battery charge. At Wally world for $21 bucks and works as a charger, slow but a great thing to have. Is a real battery charger with low rate and shuts off and on automatically - cool thing to own.
What kind of car!
From a full charge, the battery should be tested. If you are currently jumping it all the time to use it without a charger that's a huge strain on the alternator.
There are ways to find which circuit is a drain or doing this but let's get a know good charge on the battery, start it and check voltage output while running which should be at least 13.5 into the 14+ range while running.
Procedures for finding a short/drain will vary. If a strong battery is stone dead overnite then that's fast for some old fashioned ways to isolate it,
T
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
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May 16, 2011, 9:29 AM
Post #5 of 12
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Re: New Battery Being Drained???
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The battery is not the problem here. When you removed the bulb, that left the timer module still running.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Kay
Novice
May 16, 2011, 10:05 AM
Post #6 of 12
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Thanks, Tom. I've been googling the floating trickle charger and I grasp the concept but I would have to have someone install one for me. I'll have the battery checked, just in case, too. It was stone dead, no turnover at all overnight, from working perfectly the day before.
Thanks, Hammer Time. I didn't know what I did by removing that bulb but I thought that had to be the problem. Should I have the timer module turned off--if that's possible--or do I have to have that fixed so the light will go on and off as it should? I've owned this truck since 1994 and never used that overhead light.
(This post was edited by Kay on May 16, 2011, 10:07 AM)
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
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May 16, 2011, 10:09 AM
Post #7 of 12
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Re: New Battery Being Drained???
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What needs to be done is find the source of the problem. The module can't be just "turned off" but it could be removed. the problem is it may also be tied to something else that you can't do without.
Even a trickle charger may not be enough to overcome this draw. You could disconnect the battery overnight but that creates another whole new set of problems.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Kay
Novice
May 16, 2011, 10:15 AM
Post #8 of 12
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Re: New Battery Being Drained???
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I just remembered another time when I had a situation with the overhead light. This was years ago while out getting some mud on the tires driving over very rough, unpaved "roads" in the Rockies. The light came on and wouldn't go off then either. That time, I was miles from home so I drove home like that and by the time I got there, the light had decided to stop being cranky and went off by itself just as it had come on by itself. All my driving now is on very good, paved roads and never more than 20 miles or so away from home since the truck and I got older.
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Kay
Novice
May 16, 2011, 10:18 AM
Post #9 of 12
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Re: New Battery Being Drained???
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Thanks, Hammer Time. It looks as if I've got my work cut out for me this week. I hope it doesn't cost me an arm and a leg.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
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May 16, 2011, 3:41 PM
Post #10 of 12
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Re: New Battery Being Drained???
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Fast read sorry - Kay: No need to fuss with that charger that anyone should have for the bucks even if you don't need it right now. It's sold at Walmart by Shumacher and no installation you just clip it to a battery in the car or out. The deal is you don't have to watch it as it shut off by itself and comes on by itself as needed. I think I own about 5 of them for vehicles and things with batteries I don't use much they are alway right up and ready. I'll see if I can find a pic of one. It's just a little thing and slow for a very low battery which is great if you have time.
Looks like this if the pic shows..........
it's small like about 4 decks of cards - that's it. Can be other brand or other stores but look for "automatic" and "floating" - this one I like the best of several I've owned. Just a handy cheap thing to have. If you want faster that's just bigger and more bucks.
For me, I have an electric start generator and don't want to fight with it if the power is out and it's battery is dead for instance and may go years without needing the thing - that and too many cars
T
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
May 16, 2011, 3:56 PM
Post #11 of 12
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Re: New Battery Being Drained???
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Having that charger around is a great idea for any car that is parked for long periods of time but it's not going to be the answer to this particular situation. You're going to have to find the cause of this draw.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
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May 16, 2011, 5:00 PM
Post #12 of 12
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Not an answer but would buy some time till it can be fixed. For that little money it's just plain handy to have,
T
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