fuses and dead batteries.

wick68355@aol.com · Nov 2, 2001

I thought I would share a few thoughts about dead batteries and fuses. When charging or jumping a battery you always hook up positive to positive and negative to negative. Do not assume which way the car is grounded. An Amphicar will start and run if the battery is installed the opposite way. As far as a reason for a dead battery, something as simple as a clock or a radio can draw a battery down to nothing. I bought my 63 Amphicar from the widow of the original owner. He had installed a master shut off switch on the battery terminal. I figured it was stock because I did not know any better at the time. Well, If I forget to turn off this master switch, two days later, bingo completely dead as a door nail. So my car will draw down the battery too. I never went to search out why, I find it easier just to disconnect it. I will share with you a method off checking for an electrical draw if you are interested. Disconnect one of the battery cables (I am not sure if it matters pos or neg) connect a 12 volt test light between the battery and the disconnected cable. Make sure everything is in the off position. If the light comes on you have a draw. You can track it down by removing one of those funny German fuses one at a time until the light goes out. Once the light goes out that circuit that you pulled the fuse from is the culprit. As far as those fuses go I really see no reason to replace them other they are hard to handle without wrecking the little metal strip. There are other foreign car fuses which are the same size with the points on both end but are glass enclosed.

Hope this helps.
Tim Wick

Larry & Nancy Solheim · Nov 2, 2001

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Other than one defective battery
(bad cell) we?ve never seen a problem with holding a charge for several weeks
(or months), even with the clock running.?
We have no battery disconnect switch as previously noted.<o

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<o

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Check the ?interior?
light under the glove box.? That?s an
easy switch for the passenger to hit with a knee and may not be seen if on.? Not much else is ?hot? with the key
off.? Headlights, clock, bilge pump, and
marine lights are about it. ?Not even brake
lights.<o

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--LarryS <o

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<o

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-----Original
Message-----

From: wick68355@aol.com
[mailto:wick68355@aol.com]

Sent: Friday, November 02, 2001
7:23 AM

To:
amphicar-lovers@yahoogroups.com

Subject: [amphicar-lovers] fuses
and dead batteries.
<o

></o

>
I
thought I would share a few thoughts about dead batteries and fuses. When
charging or jumping a battery you always hook up positive to positive and
negative to negative. Do not assume which way the car is grounded. An Amphicar
will start and run if the battery is installed the opposite way. As far
as a reason for a dead battery, something as simple as a clock or a radio can
draw a battery down to nothing. I bought my 63 Amphicar from the widow of
the original owner. He had installed a master shut off switch on the
battery terminal. I figured it was stock because I did not know any
better at the time. Well, If I forget to turn off this master switch, two
days later, bingo completely dead as a door nail. So my car will draw
down the battery too. I never went to search out why, I find it easier
just to disconnect it. I will share with you a method off checking for an
electrical draw if you are interested. Disconnect one of the battery
cables (I am not sure if it matters pos or neg) connect a 12 volt test light
between the battery and the disconnected cable. Make sure everything is in the
off position. If the light comes on you have a draw. You can track it
down by removing one of those funny German fuses one at a time until the light
goes out. Once the light goes out that circuit that you pulled the fuse from is
the culprit. As far as those fuses go I really see no reason to replace them
other they are hard to handle without wrecking the little metal strip.
There are other foreign car fuses which are the same size with the points
on both end but are glass enclosed.

Hope this helps.

Tim Wick

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tommyintpa@aol.com · Nov 3, 2001

Hi All, Tim it may be time to test your own circuits in the manner you so eloquently described.

We are lucky to have three Amphis and they all hold a charge when unused for three or four months or more. If your battery holds a charge when it is disconnected you have a good battery. So that means you have a fixable problem in your car. Your clock has an electromagnet that is energized momentarily and it winds what is essentially a wind up clock. Perhaps the switch in the clock that turns on the magnet is bad.

In any case whatever drains your battery in only two days should be easy to find by someone with the savvy you seem to have.

Why don't you fix it and tell us what it turns out to be?

Tommy in Tampa

fuses and dead batteries.

wick68355@aol.com

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Larry & Nancy Solheim

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tommyintpa@aol.com

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