Back in the Good Old Days (1978-1991 for me) I worked at a Ford dealership as a Tune-Up, electrical, Emission Control (California), and electronic and Electronic Engine Control systems technician. I worked on all the newer stuff that scared the old guys. Once I had a car that came in to "have the battery, alternator and regulator replaced".. I pull the car into my stall and see the battery, alternator and regulator all are new, and Ford branded, not a Mickey Mouse back yard rebuild parts or El Cheapo half-assed golf cart battery crap. I call the customer myself (can't trust those Service Advisors to understand shit like this), and find out he had the car to several repair shops and a few other Lincoln and Ford stores in the area. Every 2-3 days his battery would be dead. Hell, even the starter was replaced, and a Constant Voltage Regulator for the instrument panel! Jeez, this is scary being able to remember those details!!! Anyway.....
So, I begin to quiz him a bit, and he has already done the fire drill re: the doors all being closed and the interior dome light being off. I went back to the car and connected an meter to measure amperage draw on the vehicle, which should have been almost nothing other than its electric clock with the engine off (I popped the clock fuse out so the draw really ought to have been nothing). Lo and Behold, I am seeing about 1 1/2 amps being drawn, enough to kill a battery in about a day or so. I started to remove fuses until I found the offending circuit. I looked at the wiring schematic, and found the one item on that circuit that could maybe cause the problem was the trunk light. I open the trunk and see it is a mercury switch system. So I plug in all the fuses, get my 1 1/2 amp draw to appear and unplugged the bulb in the trunk. The drain stopped! It was a simple mercury switch someone has jarred into a position that let the mercury run over the internal contacts when the trunk was closed and illuminate the bulb 24 x 7! Here this poor bastard had spent several hundred dollars on needless parts and labor to fix a problem, to includes all the failed new parts <g>, and I happened to get lucky enough to be able to track the cause down to that little item. One quick push on the mercury switch mounting strap and the problem was solved. So, from that day forward, part of my revised electrical charging system diagnostic steps included doing an Ignition Off amperage draw test to make certain nothing other than an electrical clock was drawing current. So, what does this have to do with Whil's problem? Maybe nothing, but worth checking out. Good luck! Gil > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Whil Hentzen (Pro*) > Sent: Wednesday, November 15, 2006 10:43 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [NF] How do you tell when a 'softie marketing droid is > lying... > > > Kenneth Kixmoeller/fh wrote: > > On Nov 15, 2006, at 6:30 PM, Ed Leafe wrote: > > > >>> and changing the bandage on my 2 year old head wound, > >> Wow, it hasn't healed in 2 years? You might want to have a doctor > >> look at it! > > > > No, you all got it wrong: it is the wound on his 2-year-old head. His > > original head is all used up. I an rapidly approaching "all used up" > > No shit! Ken, you've hit the nail on the head. My new head, too, and boy > are my arms tired.... > > Case in point - car wouldn't start a week ago. This happens to me a > couple times a year, usually because I leave a door ajar, battery has > been dying, so I replaced it this summer. > > OK, either me or one of the kids left the door ajar again, so I jump the > battery, run it for a half hour, good as new. > > Two days later I get in the car; battery is dead again. Figure it's a > short in the electrical system, maybe the starter. I thought maybe I > should jump it again, just to see, but somehow I don't connect the > thought to an actual action. It also occurred to me that I should check > all the doors, the dome light, anything else that might have been left > on and after two days would have drained the battery. > > But again, the thought and the action don't connect. Head is all used up. > > Whil > > [excessive quoting removed by server] _______________________________________________ Post Messages to: ProFox@leafe.com Subscription Maintenance: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profox OT-free version of this list: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profoxtech ** All postings, unless explicitly stated otherwise, are the opinions of the author, and do not constitute legal or medical advice. This statement is added to the messages for those lawyers who are too stupid to see the obvious.
