QuestionI thought I had my 64 Pontiac Laurentian 230 6 cyl working.
I installed a new battery and it ran good.
After not starting it for a few days,the battery was stone dead!
Nothing was left on inside,and the old radio doesnt work anyway.
My friend is going to come by with a 'tester' but I dont know what he will find.
Should I put a ground wire on the battery to the car or something?
What if I took it to a shop? If there is a drain on the battery how do the pros find it?
Or should I just take a battery cable off when I park it for a few days?
AnswerA lot of guys with old cars use a device that attaches to the battery cable that disconnects the battery from the electrical system. It is a simple heavy duty rotary switch that you have to open the hood to work. Again you can find it in the classified ads in Hemmings Motor news. Chasing a draw can be a time consuming project. The simplest test are, once the battery is charged, is to open the trunk and quickly touch the trunk light bulb. If it is hot it is remaining on and running the battery down. Repeat the process with the under hood light. Check the stop lights when you shut the car down and make sure that they are off. The pro's use a voltmeter or a low reading, 10 amp, ammeter connected in series across the negative cable. Any draw will show up.
Brad
