Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

Quote:

Pierre,

for the Owner Registry entry, it's appreciated.

Kev,

Looks likes there's a duplicate entry for Pierre's '38 but without a picture, could you delete that one please?

I think I will run a low voltage meter on it and see what I come up with.

Thanks

Pierre

My best advice is, turn everything off, make sure the doors are shut, remove the positive battery cable, then put a test light between the battery post and the cable. If it doesn't light, the battery's junk. If it DOES light, then you have a drain, and it's time to start unhooking things to find it. BTW, I've seen slight drains from voltage regulators that need replacing, so that's a possibility too. When dealing with a 50+ year old electrical system, anythings possible.

Maybe it's late and I'm tired.
If it doesn't light, the battery is junk.
If it does light there is a drain.
?? What happens if there is not a drain and the battery is good?

Then you don't have a problem.

Having worked for two large vehicle collections and having gone through batteries like doughnuts at a police convention I have become a big fan of the Cole-Hersee heavy-duty shut off switch. The only time to have a battery connected to the car's electrical system is when you are using the car, other than that disconnect it, it saves a lot of problems. If you do indeed have a draw on the system you will have to get to the bottom of that, but even still on a car where everything is fine I like to use the disconnects.

Packard did not offer trunk lights prior to the 40's. So you can rule that out.

Packard bought clocks for its cars prior to the 1940's, that DID NOT RE WIND. They did not RE WIND because they had no mechanism to RE WIND. The reason they had no mechaniscm to RE WIND, is because they didnt need it. They were "capacitive discharge" type, that got a teenie weenie "jolt" with each movement of the escape wheel, so you guys with the post-war Packards, who are familiar with the magnet-powered over-center re-wind arm, would not know about this.

Bottom line - the only useful comment in here is the guy who wants to put a VERY small light bulb in series with the battery cables. THAT will tell you if there is a "drain", however small. Even the smallest "drain" load will cause a VERY tiny light bulb's filment to show a "load".

Peter, I'm glad you think my advice was useful. I'm truly surprised that one of us "younguns" can come up with a good idea every once in a while.

Quote:

Mal,

This has been fixed, and I cleaned up a few other things also. Thanks!

Pierre,

Welcome to the site, I see you are in the same county as I am. Nice to see other local folks that have found the website. I was beginning to think all the local Packard guys were in OC or SD county!