Power Drain

ParadiseXJ · Feb 6, 2009

I've noticed that my blinkers, wipers and other acc. are working in slo-mo. My gauge shows that I'm just about at 12 volts when wiper, blower, lights etc are all on. When I turn off one the gauge goes up. When it's daytime, not raining and I don't need heat the gauge is straight up.

Any ideas??

wim hoppenbrouwers · Feb 6, 2009

Hallo. I would say, start with checking the battery,clamps,cables,grounds and take a multimeter and measure the drain between the chassis and the -pole of the battery and do the fuse trick. Maybe a short? :clap:

'92 XJ

winterbeater · Feb 6, 2009

Agreed. Disconnect, clean with scotchbrite or fine sandpaper, and mineral spirits or brake cleaner, reconnect all relevant connections such as battery terminals, grounds, alternator connections. Cheap fix - normal maintenance.

joe_peters · Feb 6, 2009

All of the above, would add fully charge battery and load test, then check alternator output looking for about 13.6+ volts.

ParadiseXJ · Feb 8, 2009

OK, I've cleaned the battery to block ground, block to firewall, battery connections, alt. connections. I keep all that fairly clean anyway. Nothing changed.

VM Readings:
Alt. = 14.6
Battery = 14.6 (engine off = 12.9)

Gauge readings (appx.)
Running = ~14+
Engine off, key on = ~12
Running, lights on = ~14
Running, lights and blower on = ~12-13 (blinkers slow down)
Running, lights, blower, wipers on = ~11-12 (blinkers even slower)
Running, lights, blower, wipers, fogs on = ~11 (ditto)
Running, lights, blower, wipers, fogs, aux. fan on = ~ 9-10 (blink, one thousand one, blink etc.)

With EVERYTHING on battery still reads 14+. VM confirms this. What is the "fuse trick"?

joe_peters · Feb 8, 2009

I would say that your battery can't support a load, more of an amp thing than volts.

Fully charge that battery and have it load tested would be my recommendation.

winterbeater · Feb 8, 2009

Fuse trick is probably "check the fuses".

"Running, lights, blower, wipers, fogs, aux. fan on = ~ 9-10 (blink, one thousand one, blink etc.)

With EVERYTHING on battery still reads 14+. VM confirms this."

What do you mean by: "With EVERYTHING on battery still reads 14+. VM confirms this."? It seems to contradict the previous statement.

wim hoppenbrouwers · Feb 8, 2009

What is the "fuse trick"?

To eleminate parts of the electric system to find a short of a big drain.
When you measure a current between the disconnected -pole of the battery and the chassis, you can find a short (or big load) by taking out the fuse of a part of the system. When the current is lowered, you have find the short.

ParadiseXJ · Feb 9, 2009

winterbeater said:
Fuse trick is probably "check the fuses".

"Running, lights, blower, wipers, fogs, aux. fan on = ~ 9-10 (blink, one thousand one, blink etc.)

With EVERYTHING on battery still reads 14+. VM confirms this."

What do you mean by: "With EVERYTHING on battery still reads 14+. VM confirms this."? It seems to contradict the previous statement.

VM (DMM) reads 14+ AT the battery. The contradiction is that the gauge is giving me 9-10 v at the dash and the DMM is giving me 14+ at the battery.

ParadiseXJ · Feb 9, 2009

winterbeater said:
Fuse trick is probably "check the fuses".

OOOOOHHH, that old trick!! Yeah, I did that.:wow:

gradon · Feb 9, 2009

If you measured the batt voltage with all those things on and it was 14v, but the dash gauge reads 9-10V, don't fret too much--it's just an innacurate gauge(oil pressure gauge can be off too, fyi). You could upgrade the power wire to the pdc w/ 4awg and the mains to 2awg.

ParadiseXJ · Feb 9, 2009

gradon said:
If you measured the batt voltage with all those things on and it was 14v, but the dash gauge reads 9-10V, don't fret too much--it's just an innacurate gauge(oil pressure gauge can be off too, fyi). You could upgrade the power wire to the pdc w/ 4awg and the mains to 2awg.

90 (RENIX) has no PDC. The only thing under the hoo is the "Relay Center". 4 relays, like so:

So what would be the equivalent wire(s). Under dash?

hiimmred · Feb 9, 2009

I was having a huge voltage drop with just my fan on high in my '90, on Saturday I put in a 4 gauge wire from the battery to the distribution(?) block that goes to the alternator and the relays. Since then with fan, lights, wipers and turn signals all going at the same time and the gauge is staying at around 13V, making me feel better!

Ed

ParadiseXJ · Feb 10, 2009

hiimmred said:
I was having a huge voltage drop with just my fan on high in my '90, on Saturday I put in a 4 gauge wire from the battery to the distribution(?) block that goes to the alternator and the relays. Since then with fan, lights, wipers and turn signals all going at the same time and the gauge is staying at around 13V, making me feel better!

Ed

That sounds more like what I'm looking for. Do you have the routing of that wire. Is it one wire or ??

hiimmred · Feb 10, 2009

Yes it's one wire. The 4 guage took the place of the pigtail that comes off the positive side of the battery cable. Its about 10" long. If that doesn't help you I'll try to get a photo tomorrow.

Ed

winterbeater · Feb 10, 2009

ParadiseXJ said:
That sounds more like what I'm looking for. Do you have the routing of that wire. Is it one wire or ??

So, more than likely, it's not the gage of the wire. Most work good without upgrading. It is the connections. Remove, clean, reassemble.

kujito · Feb 10, 2009

gradon said:
If you measured the batt voltage with all those things on and it was 14v, but the dash gauge reads 9-10V, don't fret too much--it's just an innacurate gauge(oil pressure gauge can be off too, fyi). You could upgrade the power wire to the pdc w/ 4awg and the mains to 2awg.

Except that the problem is manifesting itself in more than just an inaccurate dash gauge (slow blinkers etc.).
Have you checked the turn signal flasher? Could be a couple of issues at the same time. Just grabbing at straws.

ParadiseXJ · Feb 10, 2009

kujito said:
Except that the problem is manifesting itself in more than just an inaccurate dash gauge (slow blinkers etc.).
Have you checked the turn signal flasher? Could be a couple of issues at the same time. Just grabbing at straws.

I'll check that too, but I do have a HD flasher that I put on last May for towing. But like I said, when it's just the Headlights and blinkers that are on all work fine, trailer attached and working too. I could be low on blinker fluid:

Thanks for all the suggestions, I'll have to get to work on this when I have time and it's not raining/snowing. Son of a B*tch, it's cold out. I don't know how you guys do it in sub-zero temps. I like living in "sunny" California but it's 20F or something out there and my hands numb up after about 30F. I'm just gettin' too old for this. Thin skin and all.

kujito · Feb 10, 2009

I've heard that the synthetic blinker fluid tends to leak.

CharlesS · Feb 10, 2009

ParadiseXJ said:
Thanks for all the suggestions, I'll have to get to work on this when I have time and it's not raining/snowing. Son of a B*tch, it's cold out. I don't know how you guys do it in sub-zero temps. I like living in "sunny" California but it's 20F or something out there and my hands numb up after about 30F. I'm just gettin' too old for this. Thin skin and all.

Worked in the garage the other night while it was pouring outside....
While my garage is not heated by anything other than the water heater coming on once in a while..... It is still better than working on the Jeep in the rain and cold...

Power Drain

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