Battery goes flat!
- Thread starter A TRUCK
- Start date
SeaSlugs
Well-known member
i had a trickle charger die on me, supposed to auto sense and stay charged and every time i hook it up it says its charged yet i go to crank over the car and all i get is a rugh and cliiiiiiiiick... charge battery with a real battery charger for half an hour on 2amp and starts right up (modern 12V car that gets stored all winter) i made sure the clips are clean on clean lead but still doesnt make a difference..
I think all the major auto stores should be able to load test the 6v battery... id call ahead and make sure tho.
I think all the major auto stores should be able to load test the 6v battery... id call ahead and make sure tho.
Phil
Senior Member
Check the amp guage after shut down to make sure the cut out is not sticking and discharging the battery. When it has gone "flat" check the battery at the post with a volt meter. A bad connection on a cable can make it seem the battery is dead when it is not. Check make sure brake light switch is not sticking on. Check these and report back. We will go from there.
A TRUCK
Member
Hey Phil - thanks for your reply.
*Battery connections are good
*Brake light switch is not staying on
*Whilst on the trickle charger, the amp gauge sits on "0"
*When I crank it over, the amp gauge goes to -20 and just sits there
Tom Wesenberg
Well-known member
Does "crank it over" mean running? The ammeter shouldn't move during cranking except for a small amount showing the points opening and closing on most A's. If the ammeter sets on 0 with the engine off, but then goes to -20 with the engine running, then something must be wrong with the generator or cutout. With the belt removed from the generator, if you polarize it, does it spin slowly in the same direction that it normally runs?
Has anyone worked on the generator or cutout recently? Did this problem just start, but everything was fine before?
A TRUCK
Member
Thanks for replying Tom
Yes, "crank it over", means the car is running.
I've just checked it out again and this is exactly what is happening. Sorry if I haven't explained this properly.
To begin with, the pick-up has a kill switch.
*While on a trickle charger and with the kill switch on, the ammeter sits on "0"
*I turn the kill switch off to be able to start the pick-up and the ammeter goes to -20
*I start the pick-up and the ammeter goes to "0"
*While keeping the revs up, the ammeter goes to +10
*If I switch the headlights on, the ammeter goes to -20 and pretty much sits there.
No-one has worked on the generator or cutout - it has been like this since I purchased the pick-up a couple of months ago.
Thanks for your help.
Tom Wesenberg
Well-known member
What do you have for headlights? Either you have a short in the light circuit or they draw a lot of amps. Could it be you have terminals touching each other and all 4 headlamp filaments are on at the same time? Only the 2 low, or the 2 high should be on at a time.
You can use a welding helmet to look at the lit filaments.
You can use a welding helmet to look at the lit filaments.
Patrick L.
Well-known member
You say that as soon as the 'kill' switch[which I assume is an after market battery cut-out switch] is turned so as to allow the engine to start, the ammeter reads -20 even before the the ignition switch is turned on. Right ? If so, that means you have a huge draw somewhere in the electrical system. With a volt meter attached between the removed battery cable and terminal, either the - or +, really doesn't make much difference] read the voltage. it should be zero. If not, then keep disconnecting things until it does read zero and that'll be your problem. You can use the car's ammeter to quickly check the simple things like the brake light switch [most common problem] or cut-out, headlight switch etc.
A TRUCK
Member
Yes that's correct that the ammeter reads -20 as soon as I switch off the kill switch to allow the engine to start. Once the engine starts it goes to 0 and charges while driving or revving the engine. Once headlights are switched on it goes all the way down to -20 again and just stays there. Thanks for the advice Patrick L. - I'll give it a go!
Thanks again
H. L. Chauvin
Well-known member
*While on a trickle charger and with the kill switch on, the ammeter sits on "0"
*I turn the kill switch off to be able to start the pick-up and the ammeter goes to -20
1. With preferably an analog multi-meter with a needle, with the DC Volts setting at +10 or below, try placing the multi-meter's red (+) probe on the positive (+) terminal of the battery, & the black (-) negative probe on a clean unpainted engine (+) ground.
2. Next, between these tow points, see if you get a DC volt multi-meter reading first with the kill switch "ON", & second with the kill switch "OFF".
*I turn the kill switch off to be able to start the pick-up and the ammeter goes to -20
1. With preferably an analog multi-meter with a needle, with the DC Volts setting at +10 or below, try placing the multi-meter's red (+) probe on the positive (+) terminal of the battery, & the black (-) negative probe on a clean unpainted engine (+) ground.
2. Next, between these tow points, see if you get a DC volt multi-meter reading first with the kill switch "ON", & second with the kill switch "OFF".
Mike V. Florida
Well-known member
There are only two things that will cause the ammeter to go to -20. The lights and the generator. Since you have the lights off the only thing in the circuit that will draw current is the generator due to a bad cutout.
