Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2007 16:45:39 -0500
Reply-To: Matt Roberds <mattroberds@COX.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Matt Roberds <mattroberds@COX.NET>
Subject: Re: Battery dead AGAIN!!!!
In-Reply-To: <20070428180220.WMGV17357.fed1rmmtai104.cox.net@fed1rmimpi03.cox.net>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
> From: PB <pbrattan@GMAIL.COM>
> Date: Sat, 28 Apr 2007 10:07:42 -0700
>
> I removed the battery to see how old it is, but there are no markings
> that I can understand. It's a delco with a handle on it.
[later:]
> There are 2 different etchings on the battery: 6KFD29 and 6FD291. One
> is factory branded into the plastic, the other is hand engraved.
Per http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden/carfaq7.htm#freshness , the
relevant part of this date code on a Delco is either 6K or 6F. This
means 2006 and either June or October, so the battery is likely less
than a year old.
> What could I have possibly left on that would be draining the battery?
It could be that some component or switch has failed, so that it is
drawing current even when it is supposed to be shut off.
If you have a multimeter with a 10 A or 20 A DC range, you can
investigate further. Set the meter to 10 A or 20 A DC. Put the main
battery back in the van and hook up the positive cable, but don't hook
up the negative cable. Make sure everything electrical is turned off.
Put the black meter lead on the negative terminal post of the battery,
and put the red meter lead on the terminal on the end of the negative
cable/strap. You will probably get some non-zero reading. If it's
less than about 0.02 A, you are seeing the normal current draw of the
clock, station memory in the stereo, etc, and I would begin to suspect
the main battery itself.
If you see more than 0.02 A, go to the fuse panel, pick a fuse, and pull
it out. Check with the meter again to see if the reading has dropped.
If it has, investigate the items powered by that fuse. If it hasn't,
put that fuse back, pick another fuse, and pull it out.
If none of the fuses make the reading drop to 0.02 A or less when
removed, then you might have a problem with the auxiliary battery or
maybe the alternator. You might disconnect the auxiliary battery and
try the meter on the main battery again; if you get a reading of 0.02 A
or less, then something is wrong with the isolation between the main and
aux batteries - your main battery is running itself down trying to charge
the aux battery, which normally shouldn't happen.
Once you get done useing your meter on the 10 A or 20 A range,
immediately switch it back to "volts" and (on many meters) switch the
test leads back to the "volts" jacks. If you don't do this, you'll blow
the fuse in the meter the next time you try to measure voltage. Ask me
how I know. :)
Matt Roberds
