Major Voltage Draw...Found where but not sure how to fix...?

[nlzmo400r]

wrong section?

Info:-Battery has been relocated with correct gauge wire (ran inside the car) ground is in the trunk with paint scraped off under the bolt.-Checked fuse panel under hood, one was blown(2nd 25amp from the left).Ok so after my car being down for a while, got it back on the road with a brand new battery too. On my way home, i was watching my battery voltage on my safc and it was dropping to as low as 11.9 volts!

first thought was alternator, but i wanted to diagnos stuff first before i buy a new one. I started checking for draws...and found one.

my method: Disconnect negative terminal and connect a voltage tester to the actual ground wire, and the tester side to the actual terminal. It lit bright red meaning there is a draw.-Next i went under the hood and started checking fuses to see where the draw is coming from. First one I pulled was the alternator relay(75amp under the hood). I tested it with it out and bam, light flickers away meaning that's where the draw is coming from.

The relay itself isnt bad but i had an extra anyway and replaced it; still same problem. NExt I disconnected the MAIN power wire to the alternator and tested it again, still lit bright aslong as that relay was plugged in.

soo...my question is where to really go from here,Does this mean that the wiring from my fuse box to the alternator is bad or maybe it really is a bad alty? any help will be appreciated guys...it sucks driving your car for 1 hr after 4 1/2 months without it just to be taken away b/c of some electrical crap.

THanks for looking-Chris

[UNVMY240]

First question I have is what year 240 do u have? I am assuming it is a 93 from your sig at the bottem. If I remember correctly there isnt an alternator relay to be exact its (and I think) the EFI or IGN relay which also supplys power to the accessories side of your car. (radio memory, ecu etc.) Also what kind of voltage or ampage are you getting during your test. The more the drawl the bigger the source. Also you might continue pulling fuses one at a time to see if the voltage changes. Remember that any door left open or hatch up will give you a false readings. Nothing can be on during the test. And last question is what was the last thing/change have you made to the car? Was it the relocation or gauges, stereos?

[nlzmo400r]

sorry it's a 91' ka24de S13 . It isn't an amperage meter, it's more of a test light that tests when something is getting power or not, it lights up when there is a current flowing.

Under the hood on the left fuse box, it's the farthest relay to the left, a 75 amp. I was under the pressure it powered the alternator too, but i was looking for my FSM to see what else was on the circuit.

It has an aftermarket radio deck but it's been in since I had the car and this problem recently started occuring. No Subwoofers or amps or anything serious.

I have a boost gauge powered through cig lighter wire, wideband powered through a fuse under the steering column (farthest on the bottom right - 10amp) SAFC2 wired off the ECU...

I unplugged other fuses but it doesnt change anything as long as the alt relay is plugged in. idk...lmk if you can decipher anything from this...im talking to a mechanic through this too to see if we can figure out anything.

I appreciate any help guys. -Chris

[240FeVeR]

Since you said that your battery was relocated to the trunk check where you connected the new positive wire to the old positive wire, make sure it's properly shielded and not touching any metal.

[nlzmo400r]

Yeah i checked where the two wires met, bought a new battery terminal and basically bolted them all to the new one...I think it fixed the draw...but I'm not getting any electrical inside the car(i.e no lights/headlights) except my safc works fine + all the gauges. I have no blown fuses too...weird.

Another question...What would be the best way to connect the old power wire to the new, besides cutting them...soldering it together?

Thanks again.-Chris

[240FeVeR]

Yeah i checked where the two wires met, bought a new battery terminal and basically bolted them all to the new one...I think it fixed the draw...but I'm not getting any electrical inside the car(i.e no lights/headlights) except my safc works fine + all the gauges. I have no blown fuses too...weird.

Another question...What would be the best way to connect the old power wire to the new, besides cutting them...soldering it together?

Thanks again.-Chris

bolting them together is fine. As for the electrical problems, I can't say..check the fuses under the hood as well as inside the car.

[nlzmo400r]

Well the new terminal I used is a heavy duty one and myt be too big for the two old power wires to be snug, so i bought a smaller one that I will try friday to make sure its a tight connection and hopefully that works.

Thanks again.-Chris