Soooo

I have been trouble-shooting this for a bit and can't figure it out.
Here are the symptoms -

• got in my car, the radio worked but the front speakers were not powered. (I have an amp and rear speaker that were working). drove around and they eventually came on but then when back out.
• didnt drive for three days, battery not dead but too weak to start
• thought it was the alternator or belt
• tested alt - totally fine
• changed belt

now I am afraid to not start and recharge battery everyday. I feel like something is sucking my power. I don't have any lights on and the problem started post-radio weirdness. Is there a way for me to track down the issue or any expert here that can offer any advice??

thanks in advance!!!!

 

Connect a multimeter to your battery and read it. Then remove your fuse one by one until you see the meter reading rise a bit. Then you know it is that group that is causing drainage. Then you got to find out which of the one in that group is faulty.

 

do you have (or can you borrow) a digital multi-meter?

fully charge the battery, disconnect the charger, wait about an hour, and measure the voltage at the battery, it should be around 12.6V at average temperatures. start the car, blip the throttle to ensure the red alternator light goes out, and leave it running, measure that voltage again, it shoudl ba bout 13.8V... if it is, your alternator is working. that red alternator light is a critical part of the circuit, if that light doesn't come on when you turn on the key and go out when the engine is running, then the alternator is not going to function.

now... car off. disconnect the battery + cable from the battery terminal. put that DVM in '10 amp' mode, for most you have to move the + lead to a different socket, as well as set the selector switch. NOTE: DO NOT USE IT LIKE A VOLT METER IN THIS MODE, AN AMP METER IS ALMOST A DIRECT SHORT. put one meter lead on the battery's positive post, and the other meter lead on the positive cable. you'll probably see a current drain. if its tiny like 0.01 amp, then I dunno, that wouldn't flatten a battery overnight, but if its like 1.0 amp or something, there's a problem, lets continue troubleshooting here. note, btw, you might get a bit of a spark when you connect the meter this way, don't freak out. DO NOT GROUND A METER PROBE WHILE IN AMP MODE.

one by one, remove each fuse from the fuse panel, and repeat the above amp test. if this current leak goes away, it may well be that circuit.

ohh, aftermarket stereo amplifier? hmmm. disconnect its fuse or power lead as one of your tests, thats a class A suspect in any such problem.

 

Sorry for the delay but I wanted to follow up on this. It totally worked. Thank you!!! Had to change a relay and found a short in the lights!

Thank you!!!