Wiring shorts & battery drain

["Bill Mounteer" <flexware@domain.elided>]

Reading discussions in the last few digests about battery drain, 
strange happenings with lights etc brings to mind a similar problem I 
had. My problem was traced to the harness that runs along the 
passenger side. The A frame body mount had collapsed and was pinching 
the harness and causing intermittent shorts between wires, but not 
to ground. This meant the fuses didn't blow. Also included was some 
bad grounds. particularly at the various lights.

My fix was a block of wood under the body mount to take the load off 
the harness and about 100' of stranded #10 ground wire. I wired all 
the lamp holder grounds back to a common point with a direct 
connection to the battery negative post. I used a wire for each lamp 
rather than daisy chaining on the assumption that lots of ground is 
better.

I also used some braided copper strap to ground the engine to the 
frame, to the body and to the battery negative post.

No electrical problems since.


Bill Mounteer
Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Phone (403) 253-7709
Fax   (403) 640-0180
'78 Traveler 345/auto/air/mega rust - being restored
'77 Traveler 345/auto/air/parts supply/currently stolen