Battery Keeps Dying.. over time

Its wierd.. I have put in 5 new batterys in the last few weeks, new alternator, new belts. So here is the problem. Truck runs and drives fine. However when i go to crank my truck.. there is just a little bit less power than what i had before.. runs and drives fine.. next time going to crank.. just a little less power.. until eventually the battery is dead and i can't go no where. Compressor turns on.. no ac.. no power steering.. no heat or defrost.. no radio. Pretty much, dash lights and headlights lol. So whats the deal? I don't have many more posts left this month so i'm trying to give as much info as possible. O.. its a 1992 mazda b2200 w/ a 89 b2200 motor. And i did have to switch the connector on the double wire plug on the alternator because of the different years. Could i have switched those and that be the problem? Or just a bad alternator? Any and all help is appreciated.. cause i'm getting sick of this. ThanksMikeABSOLUT MINISbody dropping one drag at a time

Have you had your starter checked out, sounds like it might be dragging when u crank it.

check your main fuse on the passenger side under the hood

Originally posted by Brandon005



check your main fuse on the passenger side under the hood

yes.

i wonder if thats why mine does it to i'll have to check that out

Sounds like a problem I have had. Mine turned out to be that my power cable for my compressors was shorted to ground from just the normal wear and tear over time, because of that my truck was pulling half an amp when the truck was off! Deosn't sound like much power but it will kill a battery in a couple of days. Might not be your problem but if you find yourself stuck, it wouldn't hurt to grab a voltmeter and poke around. Good luck with that

if there's less power than you had before you cranked it last here's what i would do. The diode leads to the alternator need to send an energized signal to the alternator to tell it to turn on. Most are 4 or 2 pin connectors. This will be the lead on the side of the alternator case with either a 4 or 2 pin connector (in some cases more) at any rate, put a light tester or volt meter on those leads with the key in the "on" position. IF they aren't getting power, then you're alternator won't charge properly. Sounds like this is your problem since you'v replaced so many batteries in the past few weeks, i'd guess that most batteries can't handle being totally discharged then recharged over and over again which is leading to your battery failure. Also, with no turn indicators etc, i'd say there is a problem in those leads not getting power. Start with the basics, check your fuse panel, relays etc. You're problem probobly lies there, unless one of your main grounds became unhooked or coroded to where it can't pass gound current through it. Make sure your chasis to frame ground is good, your body to frame is good, and that your engine to frame is good. It's one of those problems above. Go step by step, and you should have it pinned, then just fix the weak link and you'll be back on the road just fine.

Thanks for the help everyone.. found the problem to be a series of things.. the wires on the alternator were flipped around.. and the main fuse was lookin crapy as hell.. so i put in a new fuse and switched the wires.. everything works great. Thank you all. And for the record.. it wasn't draining power over night.. just every time i cranked.. had a little less power than the time i cranked before.
Mike
ABSOLUT MINIS
-body dropping one drag at a time-

Well.. so i thought. It ended up dying over night.. and was dead in the morning. Tomarrow the ECU and ABS wiring and everything are coming out.. hopefully this will clear the problem. Only thing tho.. on ditching the ECU.. the two wires on the tandem plug on the back of the alternator: one goes to the ignition, the other to the ECU. Is that wire now no longer needed? Or should i run that to 12 volts or jump it to the ignition? Anything else i should worry about? Guages or anything?

just a not do NOT remove your ECU and all that wiring unless you have a weber or Holley 5200 carb conversion or you will f@$k your gas milage and the truck will run VERY rich