Dashboard lights out and something draining new battery

ANSWER : Hello there, thank you for asking about your 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air. Checking for parasitic draw on a battery can be done by inserting an ammeter in series with the negative battery cable, then removing the fuses one by one until the draw drops. Once this happens, you have found your problem circuit. A professional, such as one from YourMechanic, can [find the problematic fuse and replace it for you](https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/fuse-replacement]. In regard to your instrument panel, unfortunately, I do not have the wiring diagram for your vehicle due to the age. The instrument panel will need to be checked for both power and ground to determine where the problem is. Once again, a technician from YourMechanic can inspect your electric problems.

ANSWER : This may be a sign of a failing voltage regulator or potentially a bad grounding problem causing a draw on the system. The voltage regulator is a unit that regulates the charging of the battery by the alternator. Often times this will result in the alternator allowing too much power to be delivered to the battery resulting in damaging wires and prematurely sometimes destroying the battery. In other cases it may result in the alternator not supplying enough power to the battery, resulting in undercharging the battery or not charging it at all. In either case, I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to diagnose your vehicle’s charging system.

ANSWER : Hi there. It’s quite possible that you have one of two things causing the drain to the battery. First, you have a bad ground somewhere in the main relay or fuse box or an exposed wire somewhere that is not allowing the circuit to complete from the alternator to the battery. This can cause a battery draining issue as you’re describing, but it could also be one of multiple other electrical problems. The best way to pinpoint the exact source is to have a professional mobile mechanic come to your location and complete a battery will not hold a charge inspection.

ANSWER : Hi, thanks for writing in. This may be a sign of a failing starter relay. The starter relay is a small unit near the starter that directs power to the starter from the battery. When this fails, it may cause a clicking sound and will not allow the starter to engage the flywheel when you turn the key. I would suggest having a professional from YourMechanic come to your home to diagnose your starting issue to determine the solution to get you back on the road.

ANSWER : The alternator on this vehicle is computer controlled and if the alternator is not communicating to the computer then it may default to a set charging rate that will show up as good when testing using standard methods. The computer and charging system needs to be tested using a scanner that is compatible that can check and test charging rates. You most likely do have a bad alternator on the car.

ANSWER : Hi there – yes, something is going on here that’s draining your battery. Perhaps the pressure of the engine wash dislodged wiring which has shorted, or there was a chemical reaction to the cleaning solution that caused electrical damage in the alternator or voltage regulator. These componnents can be checked off of the vehicle. Vehicle wiring can be diagnosed by connecting an ammeter to the positive (red) battery cable, observe the current drain (likely less than 1 amp), then, one at a time, remove each fuse, check to see if the current drain has dropped to near 0, then reinsert the fuse. This process should identify the faulty circuit in most cases. The specific components on that circuit can then be checked for current drain problems. A professional mechanic, like YourMechanic, can come to your location, and perform this procedure for you, and replace/repair the failing component.

ANSWER : Hello – this problem can be diagnosed by connecting an ammeter to the positive (red) battery cable, observe the current drain (likely less than 1 amp), then, one at a time, remove each fuse, check to see if the current drain has dropped to near 0, then reinsert the fuse. This process should identify the faulty circuit in most cases. The specific components on that circuit can then be checked for current drain problems. A professional mechanic, like YourMechanic, can come to your location, and perform this procedure for you, and identify, replace or repair the failing component.

ANSWER : Hi. If the Battery Light is on, this an indication that either the battery is bad, the alternator is not charging properly, or both of them are bad. Low battery voltage will cause the car to do abnormal things like have no headlights. There are other things that can cause headlights to not work as well, for example, a blown fuse, broken headlight relay, or, the most common cause, blown headlight bulbs.

I suggest you have a certified technician, such as one from YourMechanic, come to your location to determine why the Battery Light is on and suggest the necessary repairs.