Capitone

iTrader: (1)

My brother in-law has an old 93 se that he rarely drives. About a month ago someone ripped his radio out. Since its a beater he hasn't been in a rush to replace the radio so the wires to the radio have been dangling in the dash board. His sister has been driving the car for the last 3 or so weeks and in that time its been through about 4 batteries. First the factory battery, then about 2 - 3 new batteries.

Somethings obviously wrong but we can't figure out what. Alternator checks out and the terminals are clean. Yesterday was my first time looking at the car and I noticed the wires to his radio so Im thinking that may be it, but don't know for sure.

Can anyone confirm this as the problem?

Capitone

mooze

iTrader: (2)

there is a fuse box on the left side of your battery(if your looking from the front of car) there are 3 main fuses in there check them. when my radio was ripped i had a bad fuse in there (100 amp) and it caused my alternator not to work although it was good

goon9

iTrader: (13)

Sounds like the altenator. How did you check it?

PaGxe

iTrader: (7)

Depends how the radio was ripped out if the harness plug is gone it's possible one of the 2 power wires are shorting out. Maybe the insulation is ripped along the wire also if the radio was pulled out with force? Isn't their a fuse for the radio is so pull that since obviously this just started when the radio was stolen.

Capitone

iTrader: (1)

Mooze & Goon9...interesting tags, lol

Thanks for the feedback. I'll run a check through the fuses today. Am I looking for the alternator fuse or radio fuse? I'll check both if need be.

As for how I checked the alternator, we took it to autozone yesterday and got another new battery. Popped it in the car and headed back to have em check the alternator.

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

take all the exposed wires and tape them off separately from one another.
have you made sure the dome light is off and all the interior lights are off when you close the door?

I've never had a "fresh" battery go bad.

Capitone

iTrader: (1)

PaGxe: The stolen radio was a classic crack head type of job. Harness is gone and nothing but exposed wires are left. I think the previous owner spliced into the factory wiring because its not torn just exposed tips. I've no idea which color is HOT.

As far as the problem just starting since the theft, thats the thing. My inlaw didn't drive the car very much prior to the incident. He bought it for $200 bucks about 7 months ago and has probably driven it 6 times since then and even then never very far, just to the corner store or something.

Like you, I tried to get a feel of whether or not the problem was prexisting, but its hard to tell under the circumstances. His sister is the first to drive it since the purchase for longer than 10 or so minutes, and she did it after the theft so I dunno. Im inclined to think that it may be due to the radio seeing as the first battery was factory.....well thats what he said and he's no car nut like me. Could've just been an old battery for all we really know.

Capitone

iTrader: (1)

My thoughts exactly. I've got the electrical tape and patience to cap off all of those d@m wires, so I'll do that too. It certainly couldn't hurt.

Does anyone think there may be a possible problem with the hot wire not being grounded though a radio? Should this be a concern too?

mooze

iTrader: (2)

no. couldnt drain battery since its not pulling any current

gapboi210

One thing about testing alternators. I have had alternators go bad on seveal vehicle ( i am a mechanic) and taken them into Autozone and other parts stores to have them tested. They checked out OK. Sometimes burned out diodes and other things can cause intermentent charge. I don't know how many times I have had an alternator test OK but it was bad. So if they test the alternator and it checks out and you have exhausted any other cause I would look at maybe replacing the alternator anyways.

mooze

iTrader: (2)

do all of your lights function ( dome, door, dash etc)

mikekantor

iTrader: (5)

Regarding alternator:
If you have a multimeter or voltmeter, check the voltage across the battery while the car is running. If the alternator works, you will get over 14V, if not it will be less. Bench tests are not always conclusive, but this will tell you if its performing its job.

Radio:
Doesnt seem related to the power drain. If there was a short, a fuse would blow and there would be no drain.

2-3 batteries so quickly is a lot obviously. If both the starter relay and the starter have problems, that could do it. Does it start well when you start the car, or do you have to try a few times?

If there is a slow drain in some system, you could pull all non-essential fuses and relays, and see if the battery lasts. Then add them one by one until the problem re-appears.

92 Max

How'd this person get into the car? Could they have bent the door frame or trunk frame enough to cause the courtesy light or trunk lite switch to stay on?

Capitone

iTrader: (1)

Yes. But his RPM gauge was acting up and now it doesn't move at all. Not sure if that says something.

Don't they do that at autozone? I thought that was how they checked either the battery or alternator. Both parts were tested. Do we need to test it ourselves?

On a new battery, the car starts right up no problems. The car made the trip to autozone and back with no hiccups, but he said that’s how its been with the other batteries. It'll ride fine for a few trips or so. We disconnected everything for now until we can figure out whats happening.

I DID note that the positive terminal is NOT factory…at least not when I compare it to my 97. My car has THREE wires connected to the positive terminal. 1 main connector for the positive wire and TWO wires attached to some sort of Red harness that is also attached to the connector via ONE metal piece coming out of the harness. I think I've read somewhere that one of these is for the starter or something. Looks like the aftermarket connector in his car doesn't provide any real space for the metal piece sticking out of the harness. Its currently sandwiched onto the aftermarket connector with the positive wire and wrapped in electrical tape. As far as I can tell, whatever it is, it should be making a good connection.

Driver side window. I asked him today and he said he turned the dome light off after the 2nd battery just incase. Another comment that I didn't get until yesterday is that ALL of the failures happened while his sister was driving the car. That this tells me that there has to be some sort of charging issue.


I think some of this new info points somewhere. I want to say charging, but I really thought the autozone test eliminated that as an issue. Maybe someone here sees something I don't.

Let me know,
Capitone

mikekantor

iTrader: (5)

I think there are some circuit points in the alternator that they test for resistance and/or continuity, but they don’t actually hook it up to a belt and spin it.

Capitone

iTrader: (1)

Im confused. Hook what up to a belt? The alternator? Its already hooked up to the factory belt. The car is running when they do the test.

mikekantor

iTrader: (5)

Oh they did an in-car test? I thought it was removed.

Capitone

iTrader: (1)

Lol. Had me wondering for a second, but yes, the alternator is and was in the car when it was tested. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

Anyone have thoughts on how the positive battery terminal is rigged? The more I think about the more I feel that the test at autozone would have would have covered this too, so it appears Im back at square one.

mooze

iTrader: (2)

get a new alty

mooze

iTrader: (2)

or at least a jyard one

mikekantor

iTrader: (5)

Its supposed to look like a red plastic thing with wires running into it. Mine was modified when I got the car, and at that point included a lead for the amplifier. Eventually I got sick of the corrosion and dirt that built up there and got a new generic one at Autozone. Works the same, but keeps clean and I havent seen any new corrosion.

If you want to go that route, these things are cheap, and easy to set up. You'll eliminate a potential resistance in the circuit, but it probably wont solve whatever electrical problem there is otherwise.

Capitone

iTrader: (1)

Why a new one if it checks out as good?

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

I would double check this terminal,make sure the connection is tight/clean,and as a precaution replace it with a better connector,they have higher end gold terminal connectors at most chain auto parts stores that have separate connection points for each wire..a little pricey (about $15) but it may be worth it..

Also,have you tried the old "disconnect the positive cable while it's running trick"?

If the car dies when it battery cable is disconnected,then a bad alty would be suspect...

mooze

iTrader: (2)

worked for me

internetautomar

iTrader: (30)

Bying a new car won't fix his problem ......

Capitone

iTrader: (1)

http://www.repairfaq.org/ELE/F_Car_B...CARBATTERY_031

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

Blah..I've done this test on dozens of cars in my lifetime,never hurt any of them..Of couse not saying it couldn't happen,just i have never seen it myself or heard of anyone personally causing any electrical failures from it..

But if you don't feel safe doing it,don't do it...

Capitone

iTrader: (1)

well it ain't my car so I wouldn't. I'll leave that up to my inlaw.

mikekantor

iTrader: (5)

It depends on how much of a DC spike you expect to get. For small perturbations, the capacitors in the individual electronic parts will filter. The thing is though, if the alternator has a bad voltage regulator, you would see larger spikes.

I still think this a charging problem. If the alternator on this car is original, that multiplies that likelyhood by a gazillion %. Alternators are a component that is expected to fail at some point, thats why they are usually easy to get to.

Greeny

iTrader: (43)

You haven't replaced an alty on a VQ then..

mikekantor

iTrader: (5)

No, I havent. Good thing I qualified that with "usually"

Capitone

iTrader: (1)

Update:

Worked on the car yesterday. Pulled fuses, removed the positive terminal rig and sanded over the contact points to ensure a good connection and put it all back together, taped up all the loose radio wires and started the car on the new battery. As can be expected, it started right up no problems. Seeing as me and a few members here have been suspecting there is a charging a issue, I didn't think it hurt to drive to another auto parts store and get the alty checked again. This time we went to Advanced autoparts and had them check it….

Alternator IS toast. I chalk this one up to Murphy's law.