72 Scout II

MT_Scout72

MT_Scout72

New member
72 Scout II - battery drain

Hello,

I recently acquired this vehicle knowing there was an issue with the battery draining. I have put in a new alternator, battery and ignition switch.

However, when the ignition is in the off position there is still power to radio and fan inside??

Any suggestions?

Thank you!
 
Last edited:
Trace your leads back to where they take power for a start. Once you find where they go you can conect them to accessorie on your ignition switch and that should solve the problem provided there arent any minor shorts/faulty components. You might also look around for a wiring diagram if it is factory wire with PO mods.
Edit: ensure you arent leaving the switch in accesorie. Thats something I did not knowing any better to cause battery drain.
 
Last edited:
Is the radio aftermarket or the old AM stocker? Its not unusual in the case of aftermarket radios, for an inexperienced installer to mistakenly connect the radio power lead to a constant hot source instead of a switched source. Most newer radios use two power feeds...one for the clock/preset memory and one to power the unit itself. The clock/memory must be hooked to a constant source to retain the time and presets when the key is switched off, but the unit power should go to a switched source that is hot in both ACC and ON positions. That last part is important when listening to tunes with the engine stopped is desired. You don't want to leave the key in the ON position with the engine stopped. That's bad for ignition components, hence the ACC switch position.
The heater fan could be a different story, as that should be wired correctly, unless someone has ventured under the dash to do some creative re-wiring. Like Gunfighter said you've got some tracing to do.
 
A trick that really helped me tidy things up was unhooking the battery and making a copy of the wiring diagram. Start by continuity testing every wire and check off each lead thats the same as the diagram and conected properly. Then tag everything else with blue tape and try to enter the (disturbed) state of mind of Mr. Previousowner to figure out why its like that and correct the issue.
 
The stock radio wiring is very simplistic. There is a ground, one switched power wire, and the speaker output wires. Chances are, that since its the stock radio, it is wired correctly. You really do need to make sure that your key tumbler is getting the ignition switch into the OFF position. The IGN switch itself may be out of adjustment, or it may have failed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top