priority start

[wrangler]

just curious what would happen if a couple of ground straps were gone?  Woud this be enough for a new battery to go dead after sitting for about three weeks?  Could this be caused by bad battery cables?  I had my truck to an electrical shop and they told me that I had no draw on the battery when the engine is off.  I'm lost!  frustrating... 

[Lt.Del]

Having a minimal ground connection to the engine/frame from the battery has nothing to do with the battery going down prematurely.

However, if the negative ground is not enough for the starter to turn the engine over, it will seem like the battery is dead---in actuality, you're not getting a complete efficient circuit.   But, it won't drain the battery that way when it sits.

You also have to ensure your alternator has enough of a ground connection to charge the battery once the engine is on

[wrangler]

My truck sits sometimes for a couple of weeks at a time and most times when I try to start it, the battery is dead.  Couldn't find the problem so I bought a Priority start, that hooks to the battery and auto disconnects it when it hits 11.7 volts, saving enough power to start the truck.  My question is about my stereo, can I run my yellow wire directly to my battery so I can keep memory to my clock and presets, and if so what guage wire and fuse should I use.  I don't see why this wouldn't work, but I'm not an expert by any means.

[VileZambonie]

Why not just fix it? Sounds like you have a parasitic draw. Do you have a digital meter or at the very least a test light?

[wrangler]

had it to two shops last summer and neither could find any draw, but the battery still went dead until I finally had to replace it.  I don't want to ruin another battery so I went this route.  I know its not a fix, but I'm hoping I'll be able to start it when I want to drive it.  My only concern now is the memory in the stereo, if I have to set the clock every time the battery drops below 11.7 volts, not cool!

[VileZambonie]

So again,

Why not just fix it? Do you have a meter or at least a test light? Checking for a parasitic draw on one of these trucks is about as easy as it gets.

[wrangler]

how would I go about doing it, would love nothing more than to fix it?  have both.

[wrangler]

the battery cables on the truck are original and 26 years old.  Could that alone cause a seemingly dead battery.  When I put the charger on, it only takes a minute to start it up.

[VileZambonie]

OK - let's keep one thread for the same problem.

[VileZambonie]

Get your test light out. Turn everything off close the doors and make sure nothing is on. Disconnect the negative battery cable. Connect a test light between the negative cable and the negative post.

Is the light on? If so how bright?

Report

[wrangler]

Thanks, will report back tomorrow night.

[FatgentryC25]

My friend and I are in the same boat. We hooked up the meter on his 73 model, which is a wiring nightmare, swapped the junction box on the firewall and traced it to the alt. We thought it was the voltage regulator. The alt wasn't charging properly anyways, so he got a new one. As long as he unplugs his alt., the battery is fine. However if he leaves it pluged in while in class, at work or overnight, his battery dies. We dont get to work on it much due to time schedules. Good luck wrangler, keep us posted!

[wrangler]

Just did the test with the light.  When I first put the light between the negative cable and the battery, it came on bright and then faded out.  Could only get it to come back on by unhooking both sides of the tester and hooking it back up, it doesn't stay on.

[1979C20]

What do you have for your stereo system. If you have a capacitor(not likely but if) then that could be the culprit.

[wrangler]

I have 2 amps hooked up, taking power directly from the battery.  They only come on when the stereo comes on, or so I think.