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Topic: Clock draining battery

in Forum: C3 Electrical


Clock draining battery

Posted: 11/3/06 12:16pm Message 1 of 14
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Canada
Joined: 10/21/2003
Posts: 92
Vette(s): 1972 Stingray 4spd Ontario Orange on Black Presently undergoing complete body off started 11/03 and ongoing. Restoration completed July 30, 2006
Finally finished restoring my vette and even had the mechanical clock rebuilt and reinstalled, however, it drained the battery overnight.  Guy that did the reinistall says it is shorting to ground somewhere.  I pulled the clock and installed a brand new quartz movement.  It is still slowly draining the battery.  I have 12.56v at the clock lead wire.  I know that this orange power wire is common to the door switches(work) the lighter(works) and the theft alarm (new harness but can't get it to work)  When I turn on the theft alarm at the key switch, I have power down to the new horn and up to the relay and flasher, but no alarm when the doors or hood are opened. When I turn the key swith off I can hear the relay click.  I'm wondering whether the clock and alarm problems may be connected?  Any wire wizards out there that can offer advice?
Thanks,
 
Keith




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Clock draining battery

Posted: 11/3/06 1:21pm Message 2 of 14
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Frederick, MD - USA
Joined: 9/8/2003
Posts: 3398
Vette(s): 1969 convertible L71 427/435 4-speed black interior
Disconnect the clock and let it sit and see if the battery still discharges.

The clock shouldn't draw enough on its own to discharge the battery so quickly. There has to be a bad ground or switch left on you don't know about.

Sounds like you're going to be taking fuses out one at a time to isolate the circuit creating the problem. Do a search here on the website...it's been discussed before how to go about it.   


Clock draining battery

Posted: 11/3/06 1:55pm Message 3 of 14
Former Member
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Canada
Joined: 10/21/2003
Posts: 92
Vette(s): 1972 Stingray 4spd Ontario Orange on Black Presently undergoing complete body off started 11/03 and ongoing. Restoration completed July 30, 2006
Thanks for the input.  I have disconnected the clock and no battery drain occurs.  It apparently drained the battery quicker with the mechanical movement than with the recently installed quartz movement.  Someone suggested it may be in the clock itself but I can't figure that one out.



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Clock draining battery

Posted: 11/3/06 8:02pm Message 4 of 14
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Duncanville, TX - USA
Joined: 11/8/2003
Posts: 20214
Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/ Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight" #2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
If the clock itself is drawing enough voltage to drain the batt. overnite, you should get a fire extinguisher, and put it in the car, or just outside of it. There have been some cars burned to the ground by a malfunctioning clock.
The clock is one of the few things in the car that have 12v all the time. The horn relay, amp gauge(alt), and the headlights are others, as well as the anti-theft alarm. Check your ciggy-butt lighter for pennies/dimes, too!

If the alarm system has 12v at the relay, but it doesn't work, you have a ground problem with the three switches(hood, both doors), or the relay is not getting 12v power feed from the batt. The 12v from the key-switch only energizes the relay, then the pin-switches on the doors/hood make a ground for the system.

The clock will drain the batt over a few days, that's why I have a batt. quick dis-connect on the '74. I would have the clock re-done/repaired, and then check the amp draw on it when it is installed. It shouldn't take that much juice to work the clock...


Joel Adams
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Clock draining battery

Posted: 11/4/06 9:54am Message 5 of 14
Former Member
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Canada
Joined: 10/21/2003
Posts: 92
Vette(s): 1972 Stingray 4spd Ontario Orange on Black Presently undergoing complete body off started 11/03 and ongoing. Restoration completed July 30, 2006
Thanks for your input.  I should clarify that the shop did not say that the battery was draining overnight, just that when they went to fire it, it was drained.  It could have been sitting for a while. After doing some checking they found the clock to be the culprit and disconnected it.  It had a brand new mechanical works installed in it.  I then put in a brand new quartz movement.  The clock itself works great.  When I installed the quartz conversion, I checked the battery voltage at 12.65 and then checked it over a period of time through the night.  After about 9 or 10 hours, the voltage was down to 12.56 which shows it is drawing, but I don't know if that is an acceptable draw.  I will check into the alarm grounds again, I have checked the door switches once already and we all know how these electical gremlins can hide out on us.  The lighter is new and there is no problem with it, that I know of.  The car just underwent a frame off ground up nut and bolt, but it appears that the shop I hired to do the refit got a little lazy at the end of the project and neglected to pretest some of the electricals.  Let me know what you think about the clock draw.  THanks again for your input.
 
Keith




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Clock draining battery

Posted: 11/4/06 10:13am Message 6 of 14
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Newark, DE - USA
Joined: 7/26/2004
Posts: 468
Vette(s): 1968 Conv, 454HO,500HP-600TQ, TKO-600,3:70 HD rear,hotrod air, custom paint & suspension,1973 Ruby Red,T-top, 383 Stroker, TK)-500,frame off restro, 1967 Dodge Coronet, 340 stroker to 406, Dana 60

The clock does not draw power all the time . Only for a split second every 8 seconds or so (not sure could be longer) & the current it draws is so low & fast it would be hard to measure. So somethings wrong with the clock. The inside of the clock is like a windup spring. It energizes winds the spring very fast & until the spring winds down no current should be flowing. So check it on a bench if it draws current constantly something is wrong. The points in the clock could be fused. The clock should never draw a batterty down unless the car has been sitting fo a long trtime.

Alan



                                               

Clock draining battery

Posted: 11/4/06 10:23am Message 7 of 14
Former Member
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Canada
Joined: 10/21/2003
Posts: 92
Vette(s): 1972 Stingray 4spd Ontario Orange on Black Presently undergoing complete body off started 11/03 and ongoing. Restoration completed July 30, 2006
Thanks, Alan.  I'll check into it.  I have all winter to find the problem.
 
Keith




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Clock draining battery

Posted: 11/4/06 10:32am Message 8 of 14
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Newark, DE - USA
Joined: 7/26/2004
Posts: 468
Vette(s): 1968 Conv, 454HO,500HP-600TQ, TKO-600,3:70 HD rear,hotrod air, custom paint & suspension,1973 Ruby Red,T-top, 383 Stroker, TK)-500,frame off restro, 1967 Dodge Coronet, 340 stroker to 406, Dana 60
If it is the clock I know someone up in your area that fixs them & knows more about vets than just about anyone.
Alan



                                               

Clock draining battery

Posted: 11/4/06 11:03am Message 9 of 14
Former Member
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Canada
Joined: 10/21/2003
Posts: 92
Vette(s): 1972 Stingray 4spd Ontario Orange on Black Presently undergoing complete body off started 11/03 and ongoing. Restoration completed July 30, 2006

Thanks, Alan.  Certainly would be interested in having their name etc.  I guess a lot of people would just leave it unhooked and fugettabodit, but I've already invested time and double money for two different movements and still don't have a clock I can use.  I can and have done most of the resto on my car myself,  but auto electrical is not one of my strong points.

 
Keith




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Clock draining battery

Posted: 11/6/06 5:56pm Message 10 of 14
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Pasadena, MD - USA
Joined: 6/16/2004
Posts: 311
Vette(s): 72 Coupe L48 4 sp Air Tilt Leather
I've had both. The mechanical clock will kill a good  battery in a few weeks.....
I installed the quartz gizmo, better, but it also will kill the battery in about a month.
So, I put a switch on the battery to disconnect the entire car when it sits fer a long time. Safe too, no worries about anything goin' wrong when Blu is ignored for a while.
 
Check the current draw with a milliameter, in series with the battery. With everything off, very little current if any in the old cars. Everthing is supposed to be off, but something screwed up will show some sort of a small draw, which kills the battery eventually.
 
If it goes dead in a day or so, you better do as Joel says and get a fire extiguisher and find the trouble quickly.
 
Bruce



Bruce
72 Coupe L48 4sp
Custom Blue/Silver/Pearl

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in Forum: C3 Electrical


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