Battery Drain: Should interlock unit fuse have constant power?

[DualCamDan]

So ive searched and got answers, ive removed, changed, replaced... and still. same issues...

Battery Drains over night, while sitting.

I pulled all extras:
HIDs
Gauges
ECT.

I've had the car for 3 months. its a 98 civic hatch w/ a y8 swap. ran after i got it till now.

It started out that i was smelling eggs... weird... i thought maybe my cat or something. no, my battery was smoking and sizzling!

I tried to get home and my car shut down at 80mph, while driving it!

I pulled the battery and put another on

I made the misake of pulling my HID fuse for my external power for them. other than that touched nothing.

I got in, started it up, went to leave and smoke came out. it was dark so i cut it off and got it towed home.

Ended up that when my son was play driving he pulled a wire out from my turbo timer (wired to the ignition) im thinking that wired sparked and shorted something... my turbo timer smells burnt and has a blistered spot now.

on the other hand i pulled my fuse for my external power for my HIDs, could that have done something?

~~~~~~~~~

My car will start up and run

My headlights (i installed stock) corner light and tail lights all turn on and off by the switch

My batter is 14+ while running, but draws power while off and dies, i pull the power cable after i see it drop past 11.8.

My cluster lights work

My dome light works

I do not have any kinda trunk light or glove box light.

My stereo turns on and off just fine. (thats the only thing after market left)

Amp wire isnt connected. Remote wire from an amp is, but nothing is hooked up to it.

I have:

Replaced my Battery

Replaced my Alternator

Pulled all extra stuff from the previous owner (gauges, turbo timer, ect.)

Replaced my ignition

I went thru and check all my fuses

My interlock unit is getting power constant. ive searched that too...

I Dont not have signal at my starer solenoid, untill i go to crank it, my large wire to the starter is constant like its suppose to be.

I jumped my Clutch pedal switch, to see if it was an issue. still have constant power dwawing at my fuse for the inter lock unit.

Nothing else is getting power... I thumped my started and nothing really changed. help reading 14.4/14.5

Starts right up and charges the battery....

What is the interlock unit?

Thats the only thing.... I dont know where to go from here.


I have a new good working dizzy, plugs are good, wires are good... everything. I'm lost.

Any help will greatly be appreciated.

 

[Robin...]

Does the car have an alarm...

 

[RonJ]

You have a parasitic drain. You can monitor the drain with a multimeter. Then pull each fuse one at a time to identify the source of the drain. The procedure is explained here:

http://batterychargerstore.com/what-is-parasitic-drain.html

 

[VSP]

Very interesting. I'm sorry to hear about your issue, but I find this problem to be extremely fascinating. Along with the pull-a-fuse solution. Will be watching intently for updates.

 

[DualCamDan]

ok, so i've read and re read this artical. im a picture person... lol. i can watch it be done and do it but cant read it and always understand.

So i basically just pull the neg. cable off and jump the meter in the middle?

and i pull the fuses in the bay box? or i pull the fuses under the dash?

 

[RonJ]

So i basically just pull the neg. cable off and jump the meter in the middle?

Yes, and set the multimeter to measure milliamps/current.

and i pull the fuses in the bay box? or i pull the fuses under the dash?

Start with the hood fuses and then move to the dash fuses. Pull fuses one at a time and check for a drop in current. Also clean the battery terminals, as mentioned in the article.

 

[DualCamDan]

now i have constant power in all my fuses in the bay with the key in or the key out. i followed anther artical about battery drain you were replying in. i dont have starting issues. i tried most of those tips. i changed my neg terminal and cleaned my +pos up. brand new batt. i'll be able to get out to the shop tomorrow after my sitter gets off. so ill try and pull my fuses and see how this goes.

 

[RonJ]

now i have constant power in all my fuses in the bay with the key in or the key out. i followed anther artical about battery drain you were replying in. i dont have starting issues. i tried most of those tips. i changed my neg terminal and cleaned my +pos up. brand new batt. i'll be able to get out to the shop tomorrow after my sitter gets off. so ill try and pull my fuses and see how this goes.

^This is as expected because hood fuses are not controlled by the ignition switch.

You are straying from what you need to do. Precisely following the procedure outlined in the article will reveal the problem. And save a lot of money by doing the troubleshooting yourself.

 

[DualCamDan]

i have my brand new craftsman multi meeter ready. ill run thru the test according to the artical and see if i cant get this figured out.

one more quick ?

so i have del sol seats in my car and was told by me buddy that i can space my steering column down by putting washers between the bracket for the steering column and its mounting spot under the dash.

Is the steering column grounded there by chance? because i used aluminum washers...

i just wanted to be sure it wasnt something easy and stupid..

 

[RonJ]

i have my brand new craftsman multi meeter ready. ill run thru the test according to the artical and see if i cant get this figured out.

one more quick ?

so i have del sol seats in my car and was told by me buddy that i can space my steering column down by putting washers between the bracket for the steering column and its mounting spot under the dash.

Is the steering column grounded there by chance? because i used aluminum washers...

i just wanted to be sure it wasnt something easy and stupid..

You don't have a ground problem, you have a short. Focus on the tests in the article.

 

[VSP]

x2. Listen to RonJ, he knows what he's talking about. Good luck!

 

[DualCamDan]

word, thank you. ill check in the am

 

[DualCamDan]

lol, so i suck w/ my voltmeter, am i on the correct setting for milliamps to read for drain?

 

[RonJ]

Looks correct. You want the 200mA DC setting.

 

[DualCamDan]

ok, i dont know what im doing wrong... im getting 00.00 lol. i pulled the neg cable off and put one end to the cable and the other to the battery neg post? or the other to the battery pos post? first time deal with parastic drain, sorry

 

[DualCamDan]

oh, do i need to move my red led over to the 10a position? im in the 15 now...

 

[RonJ]

ok, i dont know what im doing wrong... im getting 00.00 lol. i pulled the neg cable off and put one end to the cable and the other to the battery neg post? or the other to the battery pos post? first time deal with parastic drain, sorry

With the meter set to 200mA DC, touch the red (+) probe to the negative battery post and the black (-) probe to the disconnected battery connector that attaches to the car frame.

oh, do i need to move my red led over to the 10a position? im in the 15 now...

Stay on the 200mA DC setting.

 

[DualCamDan]

so assuming the red battery cable means ground in this pic.. lol

this is the correct way?

 

[RonJ]

so assuming the red battery cable means ground in this pic.. lol

this is the correct way?

All above is correct, except start by clicking the meter dial to the 200m DCA setting not the 10A setting. And therefore plug the red probe into the middle not top hole.

 

[DualCamDan]

So i pulled my fuses in the bay. pullin the R defrost bropped all reading... now i did notice last night i started my car up a the shop to bring it home and my Rear window was defrosting (the lines) and i didnt hit the button...