electrical draw ???

[Standing Elk]

I am working on a new to me 30 coupe. I have a draw on the battery that I have not been able to locate. I have omed out the wiring harnesses and they all are good. The system is fused at the starter and the fuse is not being blown. The amp gauge shows about a 15 amp discharge when the car is not running but shows that it is charging when running. If I disconnect the positive battery cable (ground) and place a test light between the battery terminal and the frame the light comes on indicating a drew. The wiring is connected according to the book, I have installed a rebuilt generator and a new cut out. Nothing that I can detect is getting hot and like I said earlier the fuse never blows like there was a short. I have disconnected the coil, disconnected the light switch from the bottom of the steering column, no lights are on when they should not be. I have also disconnected the light and horn wires from the cutout and nothing I have done will eliminate the draw. If I remove the fuse on the starter then of course the amp meter shows NO draw. What in the heck am I missing?

[Chuck Sea/Tac]

Did you install the generator before the problem, or after? Possibly the cut out, although new is stuck closed, therefore the generator is trying to motor. You can try to disconnect the wire, or take the belt off to test.

[Tom Wesenberg]

I thought the same as Chuck until you said you disconnected both wires at the cutout, and the draw remained. Check the terminal box and ammeter for a draw. The coil will draw about 4 amps when on full time, so that doesn't sound like the problem.

[Standing Elk]

Tom, how I check the terminal box and ammeter for draw? Thanks

[Scottio57]

Connecting a test light between a battery cable and ground does not indicate a draw. It simply completes the circuit. Or am I missing something?

[steve s]

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I would jump around the ignition switch and the ammeter to see if there's some sort of marginal short in either of those. I'm not sure you would notice the heating in those. The actual amperage may be substantially less than what your ammeter shows.

Steve

[steve s]

I haven't seen it but I've read that early repro terminal boxes used round head bolts that were inadequately recessed for the two posts, such that the head could contact and short to the firewall, especially after it warmed up. You can isolate the box by removing the set of lugs from each post and fastening them together with a little bolt and nut (separate bolts for each set of lugs!).

[Standing Elk]

Thanks Steve, I will try both ideas tomorrow.

[Tom Wesenberg]

If you remove the yellow wire from the cutout and the draw is still there, then I'd remove the 4 screws and pull the instrument panel forward, then feel the ammeter to see if it's warm. If it's warm, then it has high resistance or a short to ground. Also check any wire terminals for touching the gas tank. My repro switch did that, so I had to bend the switch terminal sideways to clear the tank.

[Bob C]

Originally Posted by Scottio57

Connecting a test light between a battery cable and ground does not indicate a draw. It simply completes the circuit. Or am I missing something?

What he is doing is placing the test light in series between the POS battery cable and the POS battery post.

Bob

[1crosscut]

With the test light hooked up between the battery and cable start disconnecting circuits until the light goes out. That is the circuit that the short is in.

[Standing Elk]

Thanks everyone!! I found it. points in my new cut out were sticking. Will have to see about returning it. Thanks again

[Patrick L.]

'New' cutout ?
I'd recommend finding an original cut out.

[1crosscut]

Thanks for sharing what the fix was. Many do not.