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

after two years i finally got my 115 running..but sadly when my son hooked up the battery he cooked it that is another story.. so i bought a new one and installed it,.,no problem it started right up. but then i turned the car off and two hours later i went to start it again and the new one was dead. hmm im gonna recharge the new one on my trickle, maybe there is a draw on the battery when the car is off I dont know or maybe it wasnt fully charged when i bought it your thoughts is there a way of testing the battery to see if there is current being drawn when the car is off thanks

went out this morning KEY OFF but when i reconnected the battery with key off the amp on dash goes negative hmmm

So, either you've got something turned on like a courtesy light or active like a brake or backup light, or you have a short circuit somewhere, or perhaps the generator cutout isn't functioning. If the latter, leaving it uncorrected can do a lot of damage, to check, just loosen the fan belt and see if the generator is "motoring" (or just feel it to see if it's HOT).

is there a way of testing the battery to see if there is current being drawn when the car is off thanks Easiest way is to disconnect either battery terminal and then while observing closely, carefully bring it back into contact with the battery post - a small arc of electricity when you bring it into contact would confirm a current draw.

all is well there was a loose wire touching the frame drawing from the battery..amp meter reading where it should be a little on positive side while idling. thanks to all
we're back in busy. did testing now there is noting drawing on the battery when off

Recommend installing a battery cut-off switch. These pre-war cars with their batteries under the front seat pose a challenge on where to mount the switch. Generally, it is preferred to switch the ground side of the battery. I mounted a switch on the steering column about midway between the box and cowl wall. I used the cable from the battery to the starter solenoid to connect to one end of the switch and then had a shorter cable made-up to go from the switch to the solenoid. It was easy to get to and served the purpose well. This mounting worked well for safety, but not good for security. Later, I moved the battery to the engine compartment and used a different kind of switch. Here are some photos. The first shows the mock up of the switch and brackets on a piece of exhaust tubing, the second is it installed, and the third is the Optima battery mounted on the cowl wall. JWL

Later that day. Owen's suggestion is a good one, but the 115Cs do not have a seat riser like the senior cars. Here is a photo with a conventional battery in the tray I mounted in the engine compartment. I used a heavy duty battery post cable disconnect. Got it from NAPA. Not to be confused with the green knob disconnects that are too light for 6-volt systems.

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For years and models with the battery under the driver's seat an easy and very convenient location for a heavy duty rotary cutoff switch such as the Cole-Hersee is to mount it vertically in the floor boards, at the rear almost up against the seat riser. It is thus just rearward of and between the driver's feet when you are seated, extremely convenient and a simple installation. That location also works well for those models where the battery is located below the floor boards in the golf club compartment.