Some time ago I looked for answers on why I got a high pitched whistle when the fuel pump on the 48 Hudson came on and it persisted while the engine was running. Well that one was solved and had nothing to do with anything mechanical. It was the fuel regulator mounted to the cross member and the rubber mounting had gone and it was the vibration through the crossmember and then down 2 stainless steel lines to the trans oil cooler.Just fitted some rubber grommets and the problem was solved. Now for number 2.For a long time my 63 Riviera has had a battery drain.If left sitting for a few days the battery would be dead and need recharging. Checked everything and so did electrician and no solution. So I have been doing some maintenance on the Riv for a few weeks on and off.About 10 days or so after I started I decided to check on the state of the battery.Turned on the ignition and still full power and it started right up. A few days ago I did the same check.Still full battery power and started up easily.So now it has been sitting in total about 3 weeks and battery is strong. So what is different???The whole time the car has been sitting in the garage the hood has been up!!!!So for some reason when the hood is closed there is a battery leak.Now to check what may be touching when the hood closes to cause the drain.
Perhaps there is an under hood light,that works opposite to what it should.When you close the hood the light comes on.If there is a light disconnect it,then see what happens.
One of my customers had a problem with the battery going dead if it sat for 4 to 5 days. Several shops checked it for drain but could'nt find source. Then i just happened to get into truck at night and it had no interior lite. So i looked under the dash and spied a dim glow coming up from the side panel next to cowl ,found a wire and pulled out the missing lamp that fell down from side of dash , the switch in jam was bad causing lamp to stay on.
if u have glove box light, check the switch, closing hood could be jarring it, took many months to figure that one out once on an ot car
My '56 DelRay had a battery drain....about a 1/2 volt every thee days. Isolated the problem by feeling all the electrical components. The horn relay was warm so I replaced it with a new one. Problem solved. No more dead battery.
Get a 70s seat belt buzzer. Disconnect the battery and connect the buzzer in series between the battery and cable. It will buzz loud for a big drain (door open, brake pedal pushed) and buzz softly for a small drain. It will stop when there is no current flow. It can be connected and the hood opened and closed or whatever you think may be causing it.
I had a Chevy with a brake warning light that refused to go off. I changed the master cylinder. the light stayed on. I changed the front brakes. the light stayed on. I changed the rear brakes. the light stayed on. A friend's brother was visiting him and just happened to be a GM retiree. he opened the car's door, turned the key on and pushed the park brake pedal up with one finger. it moved less than 1/2 an inch. the light went out. he looked at me, smiled and said, "Yeah, the return spring gets weak on these". well. hell.
put a voltmeter between the battery post and the cable and start unplugging things. When you get a good drop you have found the circuit with the draw.
Could be that the hood was touching the wires coming off the A/C receiver/drier bottle.Have disconnected them and shut the hood. Let's see what happens.
Or the hood being open is just an unrelated distraction (coincidence) from the real issue. Test for a drain next time you find the battery low, start by pulling fuses while checking for the drain with one of the above methods. (I like the buzzer idea!). You might find the problem in a fused circuit, might be in an unfused part like the alternator also. As mentioned above, Improperly wired or operating relays can be an annoying source of battery drains. Check any "add on" relays close.
I have a friend with a 63 Vette that had a similar mystery. Seems he found his problem one day when he got into the Vette (battery was dead again) and realized that he had put the key in the "ACC" position when he turned off the engine last time he drove the car. His ignition cylinder is worn some, and made it easy to turn the key past "OFF" and all the way to "ACC" without realizing it. Now he reomves the keys and puts them in the ash tray when he parks the car in his garage. George
I have seen batteries drain when the weather is warm and humid enough that consensation forms on top of the plastic battery case and allows a little current to flow between the posts. Frustrating, because sometimes the battery goes dead and sometimes not. Leaving the hood open may allow enough air to circulate so this doesnt happen. Not very likely I like the buzzer idea! I'll have to remember to try this next time. Good Luck!
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