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It's a 2002 Ford Escape by the way, this problem didn't start until I replaced that positive terminal so maybe the cable itself drew a short just by moving it around, I don't know. I'm going to try the suggestions given to me though and see what I find out.
This is a pretty straightforward car, with very few "hot all the time" circuits that will most likely have the probem area:
The Heavy Red cable that goes from the Battery + terminal to the Starter Motor
The heavy wire leading to the alternator output + terminal
At the left front of the car, the power distribution box:
Fuse B, 120 amp
Fuse 11, 15 amp
Fuse 19, 40 amp
At the central junction box, the only wire that is "hot all the time" is the feed to the ignition switch,
Fuse 11, 10 amp.
You should be able to isolate these wires or fuses in turn and verify that you've located the circuit that's drawing the power.
If it is one of the major wires, then check the wire or verify that it's the component that has failed.
If the draw is on one of the hot all the time fuses, then you'll need to isolate what component or wiring is causing the problem. That will take knowing which fuse is the current draw fuse before further diagnosis.
My 90 Tbird did that. I first replaced the battery with a new one & it still drained. I then replaced the alternator with a new one & the problem was fixed. I didnt need a new battery ($65.00 mistake). Lesson learned.
You'll need to figure out where the drain is coming from. Remove the battery cable, hook the meter between cable and battery using the "10A" scale and socket, note the reading which will be far above the usual 50 milliamps, and then start pulling fuses. Once the reading drops dramatically, note the circut the fuse came from, and work from there. If it indicates a problem under the dash, well, best of luck to you.
Exactly. Good advice.
Another option is to us a hall-effect clamp-on current meter. My father bought a new Dodge wagon in '72... took a little while to determine the rear electric motor for the tailgate window had a rather nasty current leak....
You should be able to determine where the current drain is, hopefully in a relatively short time.
Not to totally digress, as it is unrelated, but another crappy thing to diagnose in the older cars is the the failed (internal) diodes in the alternator, as you had to open up the alternator. Not that hard, but takes some time.
It may be as simplle as a loose/ill fitting terminal connector. The the connector you just replaced is not making good contact (or if it is cheaply made) you will not get a good charge in the battery when you drive it. Go to an autozone, they will connect a tester that will check your battery as well as the charge coming from the alternator. They do it for free. Be sure they connect to the battery terminal and not to the terminal connector on the cable. If it says you bave a bad alternator, test at the alternator output before you replace it. If could be simply a dfective or loose cable or terminal.
Be aware that, on newer vehicles, there is normally a small amount of "parasitic battery drain" and you probably have a constant amount of amperage draw from your battery all the time. This can be misleading when you see a slight spark at the negative battery cable when it is disconnected or reconnected. This constant battery drain is needed to run things that stay "hot" all the time in the vehicle, e.g., clocks, remote door openers, alarms, etc.
Your problem seems to be a greater than the normal parasitic drain, i.e., possibly a short in a circuit. Without specialty tools, you can check for a short by pulling fuses one at a time and watch the amperage draw on the battery. If you pull a fuse and the amperage draw decreases, you have the circuit that is shorting out.
First thing is to have your alternator checked. Most O'Reillys, Autozone and most decent auto shops can check the output on your alternator in the car for free.
your positive cable goes to the starter check out the whole cable and see ifits cracked. theres a solenoid have you tried shorting it out to see if it well start. some vechs have a nuetral safety switch on the pedal and it goes bad or and dome light, radio and or ignition hope you find it
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