249D Parasitic drain

[Nige]

Here is an image of those three relays with the cab raised.
The way they are installed on the machine is identical to the way they appear on the schematic.

 

[Arny L]

Well I would focus on the powered,key off circuits. So,15amp key sw fuse, I would pull. All relays share power with incoming 101-c45, 2-30amp fuses, power ECM, a 20 and 50 amp, power module,a 20 and 60 amp, on power module 2. Remove one at a time. Where they are located I don’t know. That looks like a good place for electrical problems

 

[Arny L]

In benbuilders other post, he mentioned panel lights that didn’t shut off, and blown 15 amp fuse, this is heading in that direction I think

 

[Nige]

All relays share power with incoming 101-c45, 2-30amp fuses, power ECM, a 20 and 50 amp, power module,a 20 and 60 amp, on power module 2. Remove one at a time. Where they are located I don’t know.

The fuses shown as #6, 7, 8, & 9 are located behind the black plastic covers located immediately above each relay.
The red rubber covers are for the electrical connections (#4, 5, & 10).

 

[Nige]

Here's what you should find under each of the three covers. USB stands for "unswitched battery"

 

[Arny L]

Outstanding….benbuilder are you getting this? You can try removing these fuses with your meter hooked up. Tell us what you find. I would try unswitched fuses first.

 

[benbuilder]

I jus got home from a long day. thanks for the info. Tomorrow i will do some testing. I cant thank you enough for the patience an help

 

[benbuilder]

I just pulled each fuse individually and had the meter hooked up to Ma. The reading never changed from the .20 i had when i started the test.

Thanks for the help

 

[Simon C]

Any unswitched power wire that feeds from the battery towards relays or fuses that is rubbed through just enough to touch frame, another ground wires internal strands will light up your test light or put milliamps of current through your meter. With someone watching meter try wiggling all the red wires you see in case you luckily find the leakage to ground. Lastly can't remember if you disconnected every wire from alternator.
Hope you find it.
Simon C

 

[benbuilder]

I did have the alternator disconnected previously

I just went through the whole machine and wiggled as many wires as i could while someone watched the meter. No luck.

i feel i am at the end of my talent abilities.

If i bring this to CAT, do they have a computer they hook this up to so they can determine the problem?

 

[Nige]

If i bring this to CAT, do they have a computer they hook this up to so they can determine the problem?

The computer will be of no use in a case such as this one. Contrary to popular belief they are not an all-singing all-dancing solution.

Apart from I hope that you are aware that by taking the machine to a dealer you are effectively signing a blank cheque in their favour at somewhere around $150/hour for diagnostic time. A full day for a tech on that machine is likely to cost you North of $1200 with no guarantee of a solution.

 

[heymccall]

Shirley someone else with any "D" model can shut off their master switch, place an ammeter across the its poles, and convey the value to us, to use as a comparison?

 

[Simon C]

Need to hook up a fluke or high end meter to find out exactly how much the draw is. 0.2 milliamps will never kill a battery, nor do I think any lamp will light. Find out exactly if less than 50 milliamps of draw.
A brand new meter is way less than a service call, and you will have exact numbers. You can also use it for the next 20 years.
I believe your meter is faulty.
Simon C

 

[Arny L]

Outstanding….benbuilder are you getting this? You can try removing these fuses with your meter hooked up. Tell us what you find. I would try unswitched fuses first.

Here's what you should find under each of the three covers. USB stands for "unswitched battery"

View attachment 302949

Are those relays removable, or fixed

Need to hook up a fluke or high end meter to find out exactly how much the draw is. 0.2 milliamps will never kill a battery, nor do I think any lamp will light. Find out exactly if less than 50 milliamps of draw.
A brand new meter is way less than a service call, and you will have exact numbers. You can also use it for the next 20 years.
I believe your meter is faulty.
Simon C

I was just going to say, either pull all the relays out, or pull all the control side connectors off c-c19, c-c11,c-c80. Also there is another bat feed, 101-c45 rd-4, that feeds those relays, is it fused. You could undo the batt juction terminal as in the picture.

 

[Arny L]

Need to hook up a fluke or high end meter to find out exactly how much the draw is. 0.2 milliamps will never kill a battery, nor do I think any lamp will light. Find out exactly if less than 50 milliamps of draw.
A brand new meter is way less than a service call, and you will have exact numbers. You can also use it for the next 20 years.
I believe your meter is faulty.
Simon C

Look at it this way, .2ma wont drain a battery, if you read it as 20ma, then that is acceptable, it wont drain a battery, in a short amount of time like he said it did. We can all agree that .200ma will drain a battery. Draw your own conclusions. When he disconnected ground cable in earlier post, machine fired up after after 3 days of sitting.

 

[Arny L]

If nothing else works, unplug the ECM, just don't to it, with power on. Disconnect switch off. Maybe there's a stuck driver.

 

[Arny L]

Nige, do you have wiring to show what controls the instrument panel power. This is were all the trouble started. I'm assuming its the power relay. Is there a connector to unplug panel

 

[Nige]

Are those relays removable, or fixed

Removable. They plug into the holders.
If they are removed just be careful identifying what came out of which slot. The one on the left is a different Part Number to the other two.

 

[Arny L]

Interesting video

 

[benbuilder]

Upon your suggestion, i decided to disconnect wires and see where the draw is. I connected my test light on long leads as i have before to show a parasitic drain and laid under the cab in its raised position. Behind the seat, In the area of the fuses shown as #6, 7, 8, & 9 shown in post 40, 41, 45, which are located behind the red covers for the electrical connections for relays 45, 44, and 48, i finally disconnect a wire which shut off the light. See attached pictures. i feel hopeful. I will now try and go and look at the wire diagram to see where it goes. The fuse it leads to appears to be fine.,