I've been having this weird battery drain problem for a while now...

All fuses pulled, dash clock disconnected im pulling 12.42 volts when the cars off and everything.
(voltmeter between negative and neg on battery)

The only time the voltage isnt pulling between the negatives is when i pull off the top screwed on cable on the alternator (to the regulator?)

Any ideas? Has this happened before to anyone else before I bring it to shop to get it diagnosed?

If it's pulling voltage from that wire, then the regulator or
the rectifier in the alternator is bad and needs to be replaced

Wild

If it's pulling voltage from that wire, then the regulator or
the rectifier in the alternator is bad and needs to be replaced

Wild

when i brought it to autozone (yea I know..) they tested back that the regulator was OK.

not sure if the same test, tested the rectifier but im starting to think its something else?

could it be? My old alternator that DID have a bad regulator did the same thing, the only difference between the two is this one tested good.

Weird?


By the way the alternator is less than a month old.

You're measuring incorrectly.

You need to wire the meter to read current - amperes or milliamperes - if you're going to place it in series like you're doing.

You're measuring incorrectly.

You need to wire the meter to read current - amperes or milliamperes - if you're going to place it in series like you're doing.

either way its measuring, its still pulling amps or millamperes when the car is off.

for future people with this problem:

the shop concluded that the regulator was stuck "open" or "on" pulling voltage and frying itself (it only pulls 20 amps, not even close to enough to do much)

a new alternator "SHOULD" fix this, ill keep updating if it does. I might switch to a GM alternator.

either way its measuring, its still pulling amps or millamperes when the car is off.

Pulling a few amps is a problem, pulling a few milliamps is not - set the meter for volts & wire it in series and you have no clue which of the two it is.