Thread: Stage One current leak

Your battery sounds like it might be on its way out. Dropped a cell?

Your dual battery charger, if electronic will also draw current when sitting.

Thanks jboot51

Suspect you might be right - bugger - battery is a Yellow top optima - couple of years old I guess
AGM style - comes up to 12v if connect to another battery and leave for a day.

I don't have a duel battery system - I have an ignition controlled solenoid. $35 job - it is all we use on all our trucks (ie my D2, Orange Rangie Ute and our Stage One Hybrid (this truck called Bumblebee)) to allow us to leave the aux bat running sound system, fridge and lights when truck ign is off.

Would love a Traxide system but can't afford x3 for all 3 vehicles. I have however invested in Traxide hi beam system (and other bits) for 2x vehicles as more important to spend $ there.

Solenoid is simple but effective.
Skiboy

Ok found the leak - YEAH - not sure why it happening though

When I disconnect the plug for the oil temp gauge for the auto the current draw drops to .002 to .003 amps - ie what the clock is drawing.

So some part of the wiring/gauge is drawing a little current - maybe to the temp sender on the auto oil line?

Anyway will need to look and make sure the power source for the gauge is all via ign then this will remove the problem - job for tomorrow.
Skiboy

I wired a 30A relay in the output of the ignition switch so all my 'key controlled stuff' goes through the relay (which feeds a new 10 way fuse block).

That way I am not running too much power through the ignition switch and I have fuses for single items rather than many items using one fuse.

Drifter - thanks - seems like a great idea. I vaguely remember considering this option when I was building the truck (decided too much work) but went with factory set up to start with on basis that I had so much new extra stuff to sort out that would just make sure I did that all separately and leave dash alone (other then tidy up all the prior butchering and by passing that had been done in the past).

All my new aux stuff runs off aux battery via fusible link then relays with own fuses. So that is all covered and includes 12 sockets, all aux lights air con, UHF, sound system etc. Switch panel for all AUX also runs off ign via relay. Replaced headlights with Traxide relay set up with own fuses. All rear lights re LED so current draw via existing ign to lights is limited to front parks, indicators and headlight relay.

Computer and fuel pump is ign switched relay.

However all dash stuff (gauges and lights) are still off the main fuse block (glass fuses) AND seemingly some non fused non ign power????.

Last night I had same thought re what to do. But for there to be any current draw with ign off to this gauge I must be picking up some NON ign controlled power. So will search for that today. The decide if I want to make a new bock via relay for all the dash stuff.

I suspect the issue is that I have picked up power from the main light switch because this is not ign controlled.

Watch next installment!
Skiboy

"...When I disconnect the plug for the oil temp gauge for the auto ...."

Is that transmission temp gauge Original Equipment or non-standard? - If so, fitted by ???

Originally Posted by Skiboy

Drifter - thanks - seems like a great idea. I vaguely remember considering this option when I was building the truck (decided too much work) but went with factory set up to start with on basis that I had so much new extra stuff to sort out that would just make sure I did that all separately and leave dash alone (other then tidy up all the prior butchering and by passing that had been done in the past).

All my new aux stuff runs off aux battery via fusible link then relays with own fuses. So that is all covered and includes 12 sockets, all aux lights air con, UHF, sound system etc. Switch panel for all AUX also runs off ign via relay. Replaced headlights with Traxide relay set up with own fuses. All rear lights re LED so current draw via existing ign to lights is limited to front parks, indicators and headlight relay.

Computer and fuel pump is ign switched relay.

However all dash stuff (gauges and lights) are still off the main fuse block (glass fuses) AND seemingly some non fused non ign power????.

Last night I had same thought re what to do. But for there to be any current draw with ign off to this gauge I must be picking up some NON ign controlled power. So will search for that today. The decide if I want to make a new bock via relay for all the dash stuff.

I suspect the issue is that I have picked up power from the main light switch because this is not ign controlled.

Watch next installment!
Skiboy

I retained the fuse 'box' in the steering column for some of the standard items....

However, I also noticed that the 'powered' side of the fuses have more than one connection point and most of them were in use. One was switched ignition and the others were direct battery - meaning that there were items being powered before the fuse and outside of ignition control. It is possible that you may have that scenario.

Fitted by the master auto elec = me

So total amateur job - the truck is a stage one body (cut to cab) on rangie chassis with 3.5 and ZF auto.

So wired an aftermarket oil temp gauge into the auto transmission line so can see temp - did this on our other Orange Rangie Ute (see sig pic) and this SAVED us as found during comps and summer work temp way over 120 deg. Basically the normal rangie hedgehog oil cooler not do the job.

We put an off the self oil cooler matrix in the line. Solved. So in Bumblebee (yellow truck) this is a precaution that shows when we have worked her hard and maybe need to rest.

Partly did this because gauge cheaper and much easier than pulling an auto out and replacing in front drive.

4 wires to gauge unit so will check the wiring and source power for it now