Re: Battery drains when 37 packard is turned off.

Posted by Rusty O\'Toole On 2011/4/16 8:18:13

Here is an old trick for tracking down current drains. Disconnect one battery cable and connect a test light in between the cable and post. If there is a current draw the light will light up. Now go to work and take out the fuses one at a time. When the light goes out you have at least narrowed it down to one circuit. Now you can check each thiing on that circuit one by one till you find the culprit.

When you do this be sure to shut off the dome light along with everything else.

Do you have a trunk light? If the mercury switch goes it can stay on all the time.Are there any other accessories not wired throught the ignition switch? Another place to look is the field coil of the voltage reg.

Other than that you have to take your test light or multi meter - voltmeter and check things one at a time. Fortunately 37 Packards do not have a lot of wiring or complicated electronic equipment.