Questions and Answers

Cadillac Seville Has A Battery Drain Q. Vincent, I'm trying again to reach you. I have a 1991 Cadillac Seville 4.9 liter engine and a new battery. Question; while overnight the battery goes dead so I am unable to crank the car. Wondering the easiest as possible way to check the system as to the problem. I do have a Simpson and a meter.

I think it has a ground fault but I'm not sure how to test for it, or if it can be checked on the computer at the dealer.

Also Vincent, the sunroof leaks badly. Just started. I blew out the drains on the front and have been looking for the ones in the rear that drain under the car so I can blow them out. Also can't find where they drain to.

Please help. I'm disabled Vet and have been fighting with Uncle Sam to get my disability started so I am having to do all the work myself for the time being. Please help recommend a site that might help. Also I have Chilton's manual but it is not the best I have used.

Thanks again,
Bob

A. It sounds like there is a parasitic drain on the battery. What you need to do is disconnect the positive cable from the battery and put an ammeter between the cable terminal end and battery post. Put the ignition key in your pocket and see how much current is being drawn. There is no specific specification, but, in general, it should be below 100 milliamperes.

If there is an excessive current draw, remove each fuse, one at a time, until the draw disappears. That will be the circuit the draw is on. Then you can troubleshoot the system to find out what, exactly, is causing the drain.

As for the sun roof leak, I don't have a body manual so I can't tell you, exactly, where the rear drains are. But I have yet to see a sun roof that did not have a drain at each corner.

If you go to the local Public library, in the reference section, you can get a body manual that will detail where the sun roof drains are and how they are routed through the body.