Batt or alternator mess up

mawlkrawler · **Posted:** Mon Feb 06, 2012 6:04 pm

So I decided to be fun and hook up some red el wire (Electroluminescent wire) to my sky slider to give it a little jazz-up. I wired everything correctly to a street glow music inverter with a 6 amp fuse. (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002S ... 00_details)

El wire only draws something like .02 amps/ meter and I have about 22 feet so... ~1.4 amps total for the wire. its a very small amount

So I hook everything and test it and it works great.
I wired the power from the street glow inverter directly to my (+) batt terminal and the (-) wire from the inverter to just the metal in my engine well secured with a bolt. Now heres the problem...

Even with the street glow inverter off, my battery is draining like crazy. My radio turns off every 7 minutes and if I turn my high beams on with the radio and a blinker my jeep shuts off. Currently I'm at school and my engine isnt even turning over. Nothing electronic works. I tried to use a portable jumper box and still it still wouldnt even turn over. My dash wont even light up with the jumper attached. IDK whats wrong. Could my battery be dead? I dont understand how something that consumes so little amperage drain my battery so badly. I've used about 20 feet of 18 gauge wire + the 22 feet of EL wire. (Which only consumes .02 amps/ meter) + however much the street glow music inverter consumes.

I have just the stock alternator (Which I think is 136amps) and the stock battery. Could the high beams + radio + wiring stuff be draining more than the alternator can handle?

Could I have messed up the connection when I attached the (+) wire to the (+) termanal of the battery? Instead of twisting the wire around the bottom of the terminal I pressed the stripped (+) wire to the terminal and kinda shoved the metal part of the battery wire on and tightened it until it stayed. Is it possible that my actual battery cable isn't getting enough of a connection? My voltometer is reading that my battery has between 12v - 13v which doesn't make any sense.

I was thinking about installing a rocker switch between the batter and the street glow inverter. I thought maybe it was draining the battery even while the power button was off. PLZ HELP cause I'm kinda stuck at school now lol

fratichelli · **Posted:** Mon Feb 06, 2012 6:33 pm

You need to put a switch between the inverter and the battery cable. I know you have the switch off, but it may still be running current through the inverter. Once you get jumped, disconnect your inverter and see if the battery can still hold a charge. If it does, then switch the (+) side of the inverter and only turn it on when you want it on.

mawlkrawler · **Posted:** Mon Feb 06, 2012 6:36 pm

Thanks! That's what I was gonna be my plan when I get outa class. I was just gonna cut the wire (+) from the battery and drive to Wal-Mart and get a rocker switch. Its like 20 degrees outside and I don't get out til 9pm :banghead:

Do I need to disconnect the battery or can I just cut the (+) wire going to the inverter? Thanks btw for the quick response, much appreciated!

fratichelli · **Posted:** Mon Feb 06, 2012 6:45 pm

After re-reading your post, I do indeed think that you may have weakened your connection to your battery.
It's kinda bad practice to connect like that.

Especially if it is cold out, your battery might be close to failing and at 20 degrees the extra load has compounded the problem.

Get the correct connector and make sure you only have the terminal connected to the battery post. You can crimp a loop terminal end to the + side of the inverter and put it behind the main battery terminal bolt as you if it were a washer.

mawlkrawler · **Posted:** Mon Feb 06, 2012 6:54 pm

So to be clear attach this

to the end of the (+) wire
and then connect the

to behind the bolt that holds the battery cable to the battery? And should I still install the rocker switch?

WolverineFW · **Posted:** Mon Feb 06, 2012 7:40 pm

You should probably install a relay inline and run the switch to the relay.

mawlkrawler · **Posted:** Mon Feb 06, 2012 7:54 pm

I have a 6amp inline fuse between the batt and the inverter. Do I need a relay in addition to the fuse? All I know about relays is basically its an electronically driven switch.

hrogi · **Posted:** Mon Feb 06, 2012 8:22 pm

A simple Relay will just help you out more..

I needed one fore simple fog lights.. But they drain more thant your Glow lights.

http://www.classictruckshop.com/clubs/e ... /relay.htm
Here is a simple write up..

mawlkrawler · **Posted:** Mon Feb 06, 2012 8:44 pm

[Edit]

I'd first like to thank everyone in this thread for helping me out. I ended up being the only guy in the parking lot at like 10pm. I used my portable jumper which didn't work at all. So I did the next logical thing and called AAA. The truck driver came, who apparently knew how to jump a battery but didn't know anything beyond that. Guy didnt even have a wrench or a ratchet. I digress. So he jumps it and magically gets it started. I start driving and realize all my lights, including my headlights, console lights, blinkers, and radio were turning on and off while I'm driving. I figured it couldn't be the alternator, its gotta be the battery. Then I remembered my buddy had the same problem in an old Buic Roadmaster he owned. So I figured the battery was either bad or there was a loose connection. So I drive to the nearest gas station and fill up.... Jeep wont start again...great. I wait another hour in the cold for AAA to come again. This time they send the legit battery guy who comes over and instantly says "Theres your problem" grabs a ratchet and tightens down the negative terminal and BAM JEEP STARTS. Thank you legit AAA battery guy, and thanks to everyone who helped me out lol. I'm going to try to hook up the inverter like you guys suggested. I'm an idiot :jester:

Batt or alternator mess up

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