Triumph Repair: Running light bulb / electric wont disconnect, spitfire 1500, fuse box

Question
1) I have a 73 spitfire 1500. I have bulbs needing replacement on front/rear and can't figure out how to extract the bulbs.
2)I had to install a battery shut off as when the key is turned off it still draws current from the battery and will drain battery in a few days.

Answer
Hi Dick,

There are hundreds of things that can run a battery down in the electrical system. So you must start testing.

First test (if you don't see something turned on that you can turn off)

Turn every thing off and remove either battery cable and put a 12v test light between the cable and the battery post. The test light should not light up. If it does, unplug all the wires from the back of the alternator and check the test light again. If the test light is now out you have a leaking diode in the alternator.

If the test light is still on remove all the fuses from the fuse box and check the test light again. If the test light is off then put each fuse in one at a time and check the test light each time. If you can isolate the problem to one specific fuse you need to take your wiring diagram and trace each circuit that uses that fuse. Looking at the wiring diagram I usually find what items that fuse powers and start unplugging each item one at a time to see if the test light goes out. If you find an item that makes the test light go out when you unplug it then that item is shorted and is bad but if no item on that fuse makes the test light go out then you may have a short in the harness and that requires a lot of testing of each circuit on that fuse.

Let me know.

Howard