battery drainage issue possible related to brake light - 1973 Brave d18

[perlgurl]

I was about to try to figure out my heating issue (mentioned here:  http://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php/topic,11685.0.html ) when I discovered my battery was dead.  It seems the issue the second RV shop mentioned below, a dead battery, in the long version is actually my next issue to work before the heat can be tested.

In short I’m trying to figure out where to even start to track down the battery draining issue.  It’s not a dashboard light that is draining the battery because I I’m sure I checked that when I parked the RV Friday. It could be rear lights, but since the battery is dead I’ll have to wait a bit to even be able to test that.  I’m new to fixing things, but willing to learn.  I know how to strip wire and know how to solder, so I figure with some direction I can work this out on my own with a little bit of help pointing me in the right direction.   

I’ve pulled the battery out of the RV and put it on the trickle charger. I’m going to go run and try to get a Top Post Battery Disconnect Switch to make disconnecting the battery easier in between working on it until I work out how to fix the drainage issue.

This seems like it is related to my issue and is helpful, but (for me) pictures of the chassis wiring diagrams would help: http://www.classicwinnebagos.com/forum/index.php/topic,5770.msg21249.html#msg21249

I’ve got the service manuals from the store as well as the owner’s manual, but it’s not in the electrical chapter and so I’m slowly scanning through the 600 page document since the pdf is not text searchable.  Even the name of a chapter to look at would be most appreciated.

Any suggestions, tips, trick or links for me to read about would be welcome.  Suggesting the “Idiots Guide to Wiring” would not offend me, but I’m also trying to achieve a goal and not just learn for the sake of knowing so recommendations on what would help specific to my issue would be most appreciated.





LONGER-WINDED VERSION:

First time RV owner.  Didn’t even grow up around in one, but after spending the summer working on getting an old motorcycle running (it’s nearly there) I just decided to buy an older RV that was selling at a cost I could afford and figured I could fix or have anything fixed that might need fixing.  I knew from the start that the RV ran and was drivable, but it needed some brake work and the alignment/steering seemed loose but something fixable.  Otherwise the interior was pretty clean, freshly painted and there was no weird “old RV smell” so I figured it was a good bet I could fix whatever else I found or pay someone to get it fixed.

The first stop was making sure it was safe to “steer and stop” since the 20 minute drive home from the previous owner’s location was like a scene from a movie where there is a big-rig truck driver with a very loose steering wheel, plus every time I applied the brakes it would pull to one side or the other; I didn’t dare go over 50mph the entire time.   I found one place in town that was willing to take on the project, but that place turned out to be a terrible business that I’m tempted to report to the BBB.  I ended up at a second place that I was very happy with.

When I picked up my RV from the (second) shop they noted they had to charge the battery due to drainage from the brake light.  It was not doing that before I dropped it off at the first shop (which was a nightmare and I fear they mucked up the wiring even worse than it was).

I don’t blame the second shop, they did a great job on the front brakes, the master cylinder and rear cylinders and cleaning up what the first shop would not even consider (first shop replaced rear brake shoes, but then left the cylinders leaking and decided they couldn’t work on anymore after being incredibly rude). I still need to go back to the shop to do the kingpins, steering gear box and an alignment, estimated at about $2k, but since I won’t be doing much more travel this season I can do without that until next year.


Thanks!

[Bnova]

Well if there is nothing obvious like a light on or something else running that you can see or hear, then I would put an ammeter in series with your battery cable, pos or neg it really doesn't matter.

This will show how much current is flowing.  Then I would go to the fuse block and pull each fuse individually, go check the ammeter to see if that stopped the current flow.  If not put the fuse back in and move on to the next one.  When you find the one that stops the current flow, you've got it narrowed down to that circuit and then you'll need to get the wire diagram for that circuit and start checking it out and physically locate the problem.

[DaveVA78Chieftain]

1. A Trickle Charger is not really big enough to recharge the battery.  At 1 amp or so, it is only intended to maintain a battery fully charged state once the battery has already been fully charged.

2.  The chassis electrical wiring diagram is on page 8-90 (pdf page 241) of that service manual.

3. how to find a battery drain

[perlgurl]

 
Once again, thanks so much for the information! Another piece of info. I don’t have any of the appliances hooked up, nor do I have an extra battery in place.  Trying to keep it simple until I make sure everything with regard to the engine runs well first.


Bnova: Thanks for the step-by-step troubleshooting advice. I guess I need to buy a meter; I was JUST looking at those at the store, guess I should have picked one up! 

DaveVA78Chieftain:
Item 1) The trickle charger has always worked on our car batteries, even when they die at -40F, but that’s good to know.  I do have a smart charger, but it’s elsewhere with the motorcycle that I’m working on and I’ll have to get it tomorrow. 
Item 2) Page 240 does have a wiring diagram, thanks! I guess I was thinking more of the wiring diagram that explains “what is what” for all the wires that come from the dash and maybe that is why I skimmed over it? I guess I’ll figure it out when I pull the dash off and start tracing wires……
Item 3) Lots to work with.  Again, thanks!   Lots of videos to watch…..

[perlgurl]

And Dave, just found this: http://dave78chieftain.com/73_Dodge_Wirin.html

Which is more along the lines of what I was expecting for a wiring diagram. Thanks for all this work you have done!

[perlgurl]

Quick update on the possible battery drainage issue:


The RV has started for the past two mornings, even after the battery was only on the trickle charger for a full day so I think this is actually a non-issue based on some simplistic testing result over the past couple days.  I've also tested the brake lights and they no longer work.  I've check the bulbs and they seem fine so there is something going on there that I'll need to trace, but at least I no longer think there is a drainage issue on the battery. I've order a couple of top post battery master disconnect switches from amazon, to be on the safe side just in case, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001N729FS?


I've pulled the battery and put it on a regular battery charger and plan to start reviewing the dash and brake pedal wiring to see if I can work out what is wrong with the brake lights and the heat switch. 

[Rickf1985]

I have a rather low opinion of the so called "smart" chargers. If the battery is run down far enough they will just about always tell you it is a bad battery. I use a good old fashioned marine automatic charger which charges and then switches over to a maintenance charge. It has recharged dozens of batteries that the so called smart charger has failed. It kind of sounds like that is what you have when you say trickle charger since you say it recharged in a day.