News:

Due to a technical issue, some recently uploaded pictures have been lost. We are investigating why this happened but the issue has been resolved so that future uploads should be safe.  You can also Modify your post (MORE...) and re-upload the pictures in your post.

Main Menu

1956 Cadillac battery loosing charge

Started by carguyblack, July 11, 2010, 08:44:19 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

carguyblack

Lately, I've been experiencing my battery going weak after sitting a few days. Doesn't seem to happen all the time. I believe my battery to be strong as it was new the last year. There are no lights on in the car and I don't even have the clock plugged in. Could there be an electrical draw on the battery other than a light while the car is shut off? I don't have a quick disconnect on the battery but I do plan to undo a terminal over a couple week period to see if I still get the same symptoms ( to rule out the battery itself). What else can I have checked?
Chuck Dykstra

1956 Sedan DeVille
1956 Coupe DeVille (2 sold)
1957 Oldsmobile 98 (sold)
1989 Bonneville SSE

35-709

#1
Disconnect the battery ground wire at the battery and temporarily hook up a 12 volt bulb between the battery ground post and the battery ground wire, a test light with a prick point on one end and a clamp on the other works well.  With everything off the light should be very dim or not light at all.  If it does light up with some intensity then you have something drawing current.  Easiest to check first for a glove box light, and/or trunk light that is not turning off.  If you can find nothing there then start pulling fuses one by one until the light goes off. That will at least tell you the circuit giving you the trouble.  Horn relays in certain failure modes have been known to create a constant drain also.

If you don't have any indication of a drain on the battery then I would suspect the battery, age doesn't mean a whole lot.
Geoff N.  
1935 Cadillac Sedan resto-mod "Big Red"
1973 Cadillac Caribou - Sold - but still in the family
1950 Jaguar Mark V Saloon resto-mod - Sold
1942 Cadillac 6269 - Sold
1968 Pontiac Bonneville Convertible - Sold
1950 Packard 2dr. Club Sedan
1935 Glenn Pray - Auburn Boattail Speedster, Gen. 2

J. Gomez

Chuck,

Ditto on Geoff comments..!

Outside the clock there should not be any live component so the test light should be off. Unless those items in Geoff comment then the test light would glow.

I also keep a battery tender hook up to the battery just to keep it fresh if you do not drive your car for long period.

Good luck..!
J. Gomez
CLC #23082

TJ Hopland

I just helped a friend out where it turned out the cutout relay in the regulator was sticking on.   Normally when that happens it kills the battery real quick but for some reason this one would just stick till the voltage really dropped so the battery was never totally dead.  I suspect someone adjusted / damaged it thinking it was the voltage one.  He had a spare so we just replaced it and the problem went away.

The light bulb inline with the battery is a great test.  You can even use a set of jumper cables so the bulb will be 'remote' where you can see it while inside the car.   I usually do this on the ground side so if something shorts there is no bang.
StPaul/Mpls, MN USA

73 Eldo convert w/FiTech EFI
80 Eldo Diesel
90 CDV
And other assorted stuff I keep buying for some reason