Battery Still Draining

[Maeda]

Ok so after a new alternator and battery things still arn't working out. I did a drain test with the car off with a test light, and pulled the dome light fuse because it was causing the test light to light up. I also installed a battery kill switch to the positive.

I drove the car for about 30 minutes and shut it off, and about 4 hours later I tried to start it up again and it worked!

HOWEVER

Car's dead this morning (after sitting for roughly 10 hours) and I can't figure out why. I cut the positive with the kill switch last night, and the dome light fuse is still out of the car, so nothing should be draining the battery.

Battery is reading 12.31 volts, but after the fuel pump comes on its only about 11.0 volts making starting the car impossible.

Do I need to cut the negative out as well?

[drjohn]

It could be possible that the new battery is bad. If the positive is disconnected from the battery you have a open curcuit and the battery can't go dead unless it has a shorted plate internally. Try charging the battery out of the car and then check it with a voltmeter and let it sit over night and check it to see if it is down. The fuel pump should only run about 15 sec. when the key is turned on and then go off. After that the pump runs after the car starts.

[Maeda]

thanks drjohn.I'm heading to pepboys soon to get this thing charged and possibly buy a battery charger myself.

I don't really trust the charge from the alternator because I was reading it can take up to a few hours to charge a battery off of the alternator(?).

My friend has a 76 El Camino that we perdiodically play with as well.