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Troubleshooting & Technical Questions & ModificationsHave technical or modification questions about the Crossfire?
Find out the answer, or give advice in here!
Have a 2005 Crossfire Roadster with 9,000 km. Have a constant battery drain of 3.47 amps. So far have isolated the issue as being from the 200 amp fuse ( in the small box next to battery) to one of the 3 fuse panels in the car. I am assuming this is correct since I have removed all the smaller fuses from the 3 fuse blocks, that being the RCM plus the larger fuse box in the engine compartment driver side, as well all fuses in the panel on dash (driver side). In addition have taken the RCM apart - all contacts are open ( looks brand new). On a side note removed the cables from the alternator and starter. Still have DC voltage drain.
Obviously a short somewhere that is not tripping a fuse, but since I have removed all fuses (did this twice) after the 200 amp fuse, concluding that the fault must lie somewhere after the 200 amp and any one of the 3 additional fuse panels. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thought -is there a DC tool that you can hold against a wire to see if current is flowing? I know there is for AC.
- locating an electrical schematic would really be helpful.
Have a 2005 Crossfire Roadster with 9,000 km. Have a constant battery drain of 3.47 amps. So far have isolated the issue as being from the 200 amp fuse ( in the small box next to battery) to one of the 3 fuse panels in the car. I am assuming this is correct since I have removed all the smaller fuses from the 3 fuse blocks, that being the RCM plus the larger fuse box in the engine compartment driver side, as well all fuses in the panel on dash (driver side). In addition have taken the RCM apart - all contacts are open ( looks brand new). On a side note removed the cables from the alternator and starter. Still have DC voltage drain.
Obviously a short somewhere that is not tripping a fuse, but since I have removed all fuses (did this twice) after the 200 amp fuse, concluding that the fault must lie somewhere after the 200 amp and any one of the 3 additional fuse panels. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thought -is there a DC tool that you can hold against a wire to see if current is flowing? I know there is for AC.
- locating an electrical schematic would really be helpful.
Your question " -is there a DC tool that you can hold against a wire to see if current is flowing? I know there is for AC ". There is no 'Clamp-On' Ammeter for DC, it is only available to sense an alternating sine wave. Unless I am waaaaaay behind on test equipment (don't think so), there is no 'Clamp-On' ammeter for DC voltages. Find the document collection for the downloadable service manuals, when you get it, 'hit the books'. Looks like you are able to so far track it down to the 200 amp circuit. From there, the service manual should be able to help.
Is this the second post on this issue? I seem to remember reading this exact issue recently...
Good luck, take the problem one step at a time, I am sure you can do it.
Have a 2005 Crossfire Roadster with 9,000 km. Have a constant battery drain of 3.47 amps. So far have isolated the issue as being from the 200 amp fuse ( in the small box next to battery) to one of the 3 fuse panels in the car. I am assuming this is correct since I have removed all the smaller fuses from the 3 fuse blocks, that being the RCM plus the larger fuse box in the engine compartment driver side, as well all fuses in the panel on dash (driver side). In addition have taken the RCM apart - all contacts are open ( looks brand new). On a side note removed the cables from the alternator and starter. Still have DC voltage drain.
Obviously a short somewhere that is not tripping a fuse, but since I have removed all fuses (did this twice) after the 200 amp fuse, concluding that the fault must lie somewhere after the 200 amp and any one of the 3 additional fuse panels. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thought -is there a DC tool that you can hold against a wire to see if current is flowing? I know there is for AC.
- locating an electrical schematic would really be helpful.
There are two locations where 12 volts is available 24/7 with the key out of the ignition switch, is it possible that a previous owner has fitted an accessory that is drawing the amps all the time for some reason?
One location is at a post at the back of the underwood fuse panel and the other is the red wire I think, at the radio.
Have you studied the wiring diagrams in the Service Manual?
The service manual's "wiring" chapter is full of errors and incomplete diagrams. Unfortunately, it is all we have to go on.
YOu have encounted a problem similar to Marie's car in Gainesville, Georgia. I worked on it some three years ago. The draw on her's was around 2 amps IIRC. I was in town for a weekend only and could not stick with the car for multiple visits - her options were to disconnect the battery or keep the car on the charger - she kept the car on a charger until she eventually sold it.
If you look in the diagrams, there are, as Dave pointed out, only a few places the 200 amp fuse feeds. In Maries' car, I took the underhood fuse box apart and found the "100 stud" (I think it's called) and found that of the four or five heavy red wires, ONE of them was the one with the current flowing. I simply ran out of time to track down where it went.
One thing I perhaps could have done, is wire a relay up to power that lead ONLY when the key was on. The fuse box itself had MANY fuses who power up only with the key, I could have wired a 30 amp or great relay up and got around the issue that way. I offer this as a suggestion to you, if you find that one of those heavy red wires is the problem.
Your question " -is there a DC tool that you can hold against a wire to see if current is flowing? I know there is for AC ". There is no 'Clamp-On' Ammeter for DC, it is only available to sense an alternating sine wave. Unless I am waaaaaay behind on test equipment (don't think so), there is no 'Clamp-On' ammeter for DC voltages.
.
You are WAY behind. My Fluke clamp-on measures AC and DC currents up to 60 amp with a resolution of .001 amp and an accuracy of around 5%.
Thank you to GraphiteGost, onefundred80, and Pizzaguy for your comments - greatly appreciated. To GraphiteGost - yes I had placed my issue on a thread by sshistand@fuse.net, roughly 42 down the list. Did obtain some great info from the received comments and after following through on those suggestions needed some additional thoughts re the problem solving of the drain issue.Thought that starting a new thread would produce more responses and therefore lead to resolution. From my perspective, achieved the results that I was looking for. ( I am a newbie to the forum)
Yesterday acquired a digital copy of the electrical schematic and plan to review later this week. My saving grace is that the previous owner inserted a cut off switch for the battery thereby isolating the battery. Starting to wonder if he had already experienced this issue of battery drain. Will try to contact him shortly and see where that conversations leads, will also ask if there is anything electrically added to the Crossfire that I am not aware of.
To Pizzaguy - will source out the fluke AC DC clamp on meter, The price may be out of my budget, but finding the leak will possibly be worthy. In the mean time have some research to do prior to a purchase.
To onehundred80 - Planning to source out the 24/7 hot wire connectors, on both the underwood fuse panel and the back to the radio.
Will keep everyone informed, thanks again.
I've not seen a clamp-on meter that does DC amps in "clamp on" mode for less than $160 - and I can't google the manual for that one in particular.
Are you sure it does DC amps via clamp?
My saving grace is that the previous owner inserted a cut off switch for the battery thereby isolating the battery. Starting to wonder if he had already experienced this issue of battery drain.
To alaxfire@aol.com: Went to the Grainger.com web site - the item that you referenced does not identify AMPerage measurement for DC in either clamp on mode or direct wiring.
Can you share additional info please.
Thanks
You are WAY behind. My Fluke clamp-on measures AC and DC currents up to 60 amp with a resolution of .001 amp and an accuracy of around 5%.
Your right! I haven't been keeping up with newer test equipment (actually was no reason to since I never had a reason to since the mid 80's to early 90's). That's what I get for having my very old Weston clamp-on ammeter and using my 'legacy' test equipment as a reference to testing DC current. Hope a public flogging uses short wet noodles (lmao)…
Battery Drain
Your question " -is there a DC tool that you can hold against a wire to see if current is flowing? I know there is for AC ". There is no 'Clamp-On' Ammeter for DC, it is only available to sense an alternating sine wave. Unless I am waaaaaay behind on test equipment (don't think so), there is no 'Clamp-On' ammeter for DC voltages. Find the document collection for the downloadable service manuals, when you get it, 'hit the books'. Looks like you are able to so far track it down to the 200 amp circuit. From there, the service manual should be able to help. 
Is this the second post on this issue? I seem to remember reading this exact issue recently... 
Your right! I haven't been keeping up with newer test equipment (actually was no reason to since I never had a reason to since the mid 80's to early 90's). That's what I get for having my very old Weston clamp-on ammeter and using my 'legacy' test equipment as a reference to testing DC current. Hope a public flogging uses short wet noodles (lmao)… 
