(quoted from post at 18:38:31 04/17/18) What to look for when the starter is draining the battery ?
36 A You have so many questions and your comments are all scattered below its hard to keep up lol
The ONLY way to answer your initial question "What to look for when the starter is draining the battery ?" is to do this step by step in an orderly systematic fashion. I took considerable time to copy and paste all your questions and responses so we can work through all this one step at a time IN ONE COMMON QUESTION AND ANSWER ALL IN ONE PLACE
1) When you first asked the question my response was basically IT MAY NOT BE THE STARTER THATS CAUSING THE DRAIN and I posted this response and follow up questions:
For the "starter" to drain the battery, it must have an electrical connection TO THE BATTERY and that's only present (if all is well) when the starter switch is engaged.
Its possible copper dust or carbon or moisture or debris inside the switch may have a path to ground and if so THAT, NOT THE STARTER is the drain.
Its possible other wires attached to the starter switch (if any exist, as a hot voltage source to loads) N0T THE STARTER are the drain???
2) NOW after your initial post you have made these additional remarks:
a) "the only wires are battery cable and the wire to the switch"
MY RESPONSE AND QUESTION Is that "wire to the switch" a smaller wire attached where the big battery cable connects to
the starter switch orrrrrrrrrrrrrr do you mean a smaller wire attached to the battery post??????????
IFFFFFFFFFF any smaller wire to the starter switch (besides the big cable) is attached where the big battery cable attaches THAT MAY BE THE DRAIN NOTTTTTTTTTTTT THE STARTER and even if attached to the battery maybe that's still the drain versus the starter as you initially asked
You have to unhook any other wires besides the big battery cable on the switch to see if the starter switch or starter is actually the drain orrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr if the drain is via that other small wire
3 You stated "With a test light between bat post and frame it'll light up"
MY RESPONSE WELL DUH IT SHOULD A test light to the hot ungrounded battery post and frame ground sees battery voltage
4. You stated "Nothing else is hooked up . Battery to starter and wire to the switch . Wire to coil to distributor . The wire from starter to switch looks good . "
MY RESPONSE When you say battery to starter and wire to the switch .........I ask "WHAT WIRE TO WHAT SWITCH"
LISTEN you first asked "what to look for when the starter is draining the battery"
FIRST you have to find if the starter is draining the battery (which I doubt because it only draws current if the starter switch is engaged) orrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr if its a wire to the ignition switch or light switch or the starter switch is faulty or the drain is elsewhere.
Unhook allllllllllllllllll except the big battery cable to the starter switch and see if its drawing current when switch isn't engaged ????????? Then see if the small wire to ign switch or light switch or any small wire direct to the battery is drawing current even with all turned off ???????????
GET A multi meter and know how to use it should find the problem
You need to check one wire at a time by hooking and unhooking to see what wire allows the drain !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A test light and/or a multi meter can do that soooooooooooo easily
John T Retired Electrical Engineer