| |
Click on image for the lowdown. 
====
| | | Forums66 Topics128,094 Posts1,056,064 Members48,433 | | Most Online14,466
Apr 26th, 2026 | | AD Chevy Trucks  Over 6,000 pictures Brad Allen has an awesome collection of Chevrolet factory pictures that he has set up from film strips. Check them out!
Lots of work on Brad's part ... pure enjoyment (and references) for you!
| | THANKS!
For helping keep this great
old truck web site
on the Internet for over 30 years! and not clogged down
with Ads!  Again, thanks!
| | 
#93327 11/01/2005 12:38 AM | Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 34 Junior Member | | Junior Member Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 34 | I have a '49 1 ton Chev flatbed that was converted to 12v in early '60's with a 12v generator and regulator. My battery is new and the last few times I've gone to start it the battery was dead. With a good volt meter how do you search around to test were that drain might be? or is this the nature of an old big truck?
Fletcher
Frank
1949 Chevy 3800
1929 Chevy International
| | |
#93328 11/01/2005 12:44 AM | Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 1,571 Shop Shark | | Shop Shark Joined: Apr 2002 Posts: 1,571 | Sounds like you have a short somewhere. Since you don't have a fusebox, just start carefully unhooking things until the drain goes away. | | |
#93329 11/01/2005 1:03 AM | Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 34 Junior Member | | Junior Member Joined: Oct 2005 Posts: 34 | It actually does have a fuse panel. If there is a short, would the fuses blow?
Frank
1949 Chevy 3800
1929 Chevy International
| | |
#93330 11/01/2005 2:35 AM | Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 Bubba - Curmudgeon | | Bubba - Curmudgeon Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 29,269 | Frank,
This might sound stupid but one way would be to go through a process of elimination. Your voltmeter probably can also serve as a continuity tester.
Turn off your ignition key.
Disconnect your ground cable from the battery.
Connect your continuity tester between the negative post of the battery and your battery cable end.
If you get a continuity reading, you have a short somewhere.
Now, start disconnecting electrical leads one at a time. If/when you loose continuity, you found the source of the short.
Start with the leads at your fuse box (start removing fuses).
Then disconnect the generator leads to the voltage regulator. (A wild guess would be that the generator has not been polarized and current is running "backwards" when you shut off the ignition).
Many years ago, I used this technique on a VW and found a short in the electric clock, which normally runs all the time but was the only device drawing current with the ignition off. A short in the non-working clock was draining the battery very slowly.
Tim | | |
#93331 11/01/2005 3:15 AM | Joined: Jul 2004 Posts: 5,708 'Bolter | | 'Bolter Joined: Jul 2004 Posts: 5,708 | Frank, If you charge the battery, park the truck, and several days later return to find a dead battery, you don't need to look in any circuit that is switched...tailights, dashlights etc. Concentrate on a circuit that is energized when the truck is just sitting, the charging system, battery side of the key or ampmeter, hot side of the brake switch. Although not common, a battery can develope a shorted cell which will discharge it. Sometimes, a cursory exam of the rig will turn up a bare wire that is laying against the frame or a mechanical component. Maybe your check engine light is stuck on.  Stuart. | | |
|
|
| |
