Guest crtnrds Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Prior to going away for 2 weeks.. I started the car ('90 convert)... disconnected the (-)battery & attached a maintenance charger. When I got home I tried to attach the negative terminal and got a strong spark, actually melting the lead on the side post battery. Checking all fuses & relays showed nothing. I don't understand what may have happened. Maybe a fusible link somewhere?? Any input from you Reatta Gurus would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 Mice ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted March 25, 2013 Share Posted March 25, 2013 I use a different method for shorts: take a 12v test light and connect in series with the battery. If you have a short, the test light will come on brightly. Now disconnect things until the light goes out then troubleshoot that circuit to find the short.I mentioned mice because rodents of all kinds (sister in AZ has trouble with prairie dogs) love to chew on insulation. They can really make a mess of a car's wiring but usually only bother one wire with 110 or 220. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mc_Reatta Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 Start by looking in the red positive terminal box behind the battery by the coolant overflow tank where the fuseable links are and remove the terminal that comes in from the battery. Also remove the battery terminal from the back alternator. That just leaves the starter. Try hooking the negative terminal back to the battery. If no sparks then starter solenoid is OK. Then using Padgett's idea and connect a test light between the alternator post and the battery cable. If light stays off then alternator diodes are OK. Reconnect cable to the alternator post. Then on to the common positive terminal behind the battery. Again use Padgett's test light method to see which of the wires leaving the box causes the light to shine brightly. Then that circuit can be dissected to find the short. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest crtnrds Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 Thanks, guys. I'll check it out & report back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harry yarnell Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 (edited) Not sure if the Reatta has 'keep alive' circuits. Using the lightbulb test on these circuits WILL show a current draw. That would be normal. I've seen a couple of amps drawn for 20 minutes on some mid-late GM's , albeit they had OB2. The Reatta is OB1. Edited March 26, 2013 by harry yarnell add info (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 Have also seen a shorted fan module drain a battery in a few minutes and pulls 15-20 amps while doing it (will pop almost any DVM with a 10A scale). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Mc_Reatta Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 There are plenty of items in a Reatta that will be powered on even with the key off, but they shouldn't draw that much current. I would check the relative brightness of the test lamp on each circuit and start with the one making the light burn the brightest. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
padgett Posted March 26, 2013 Share Posted March 26, 2013 There is something that is on for about a minute then the quiescent should be less than 50ma (mine is usually about 20ma) with the doors and trunk shut. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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