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4/18/2013 1:57 PM  #1


Locating a short

I believe i have a short somewhere in my car. I had the battery checked, no dead cells, it will take a charge and hold it, but after connecting the terminals and the it sits for a day or so the battery is to low to start the car or crank it.
Any tricks to tracing down a short? Me thinks maybe a mouse got in and did some wire chewing.

65 coupe, 6cyl.
Thanks


God Bless Seal Team 6!!!!
 

4/18/2013 3:11 PM  #2


Re: Locating a short

disconnect the negative battery terminal and put a voltage meter in line between the negative terminal post and the battery cable.  Then you can see how many volts the short is drawing.

Then start pulling fuses one at a time  until the voltage drops to 0.   You have now isolated what circuit the short is in.   That will give you an idea of where to keep looking.  

If taking out the fuses one at a time does not isolate the problem, then start looking in the places that arent fused starting with the key switch.  Check all the wiring from the alternator to the voltage regulator.  

Eventually you will find it.  


If multiple things can go wrong, the one that will go wrong will be the one that causes the most damage.
 

4/18/2013 7:05 PM  #3


Re: Locating a short

Hey Capt Rick!!  Long time since i've seen you on here.  Hope things are all well!!

 

4/19/2013 7:54 PM  #4


Re: Locating a short

Capt.Rick wrote:

I believe i have a short somewhere in my car. I had the battery checked, no dead cells, it will take a charge and hold it, but after connecting the terminals and the it sits for a day or so the battery is to low to start the car or crank it.
Any tricks to tracing down a short? Me thinks maybe a mouse got in and did some wire chewing.

65 coupe, 6cyl.
Thanks

Well, if all else fails, you could always jam a Phillips screwdriver in the fuse socket, hold it to ground, and look for smoke...... at least that would pinpoint it. I actually got so po'ed at a short that I could not find that I did just that. Smoked one wire but showed me where the short was. A bunch of previous owner wiring that was soldered and wrapped with tape. Wires had chaffed together. Problem solved.


68 coupe - 351W, 4R70W, 9" 3.25 -- 65 convertible - 289 4v, C4, 8" 3.00
 

4/20/2013 1:50 AM  #5


Re: Locating a short

HOW YOU BEEN CAPT. RICK?


Its really me....I fixed my caps lock .
 

4/21/2013 9:07 PM  #6


Re: Locating a short

Terry, doing well. Just got back from the Moody Blues Cruise. First evr and had a ball. Are you goin to Shelby Fest this weekend?


God Bless Seal Team 6!!!!
     Thread Starter
 

Board footera


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