Got a short. Need your help

[turbohye]

Guys i need some assistance please. My 87 has just been awakened recently from the dead winter and runs fine and all, but it has a slow drain. If i leave the car parked without starting it for about 36 hours, it wont start. I have a digital multimeter and i remember there is a trick to unplug the negative terminal and to put the multimeter in between the terminal and the negative cable. at that point which function or dial do i use on the multimeter. its a standard digital multimeter from craftstman. I remember after that i am supposed to pull fuses until i see the drawn power get low on the multimeter.
please help and tell me which icon, for example 200ma, the multimeter needs to be set on. Thanks in advance gentlemen.:redface:

 

[BlackBandit]

You'll be using one of the current settings. Start on the highest and work your way down to the one that works. HTH james

A= amps

 

[turbohye]

ok so basically i did the rest correctly. Hoewever when i put the multimeter in between the terminal and the negative cable. no power is getting to the electrical system right hence when i did that no interior lights turned on or actually nothing for that matter. And just to clarify, i am to use the Amps to measure power drawn right?

 

[onefastcar]

Easier yet remove negative post wire then put a test light from your negative wire to post if it lights up you have a short. Start removing each fuse when light goes out that is the circuit that has the short, then trace that circuit to find the short.
Make sure door is closed will give a reading since door switch is closed and lights are on.

 

[Quick6'n'-K.C.]

My dads WE4 was the trunk light.

Didnt find it till i sat down for a beer and been working on it for over a hour.

The trunk was cracked open and the light was on.

BW

 

[MIB]

I had a dome light that was shorted out. The second time around, it was the light in the glove box. I trouble-shot mine the same way by pulling the fuses then the bulbs. Good Luck

 

[onefastcar]

Tracing shorts stink, but i'm gettin pretty good at it.

 

[turbo39151]

fan delay relay?

 

[turbohye]

thanks alot Gents. I really appreciate it. i will work on it this weekend and let you know.

 

[Squid4life]

I have the same issue. I put an idiot light between the battery and cable and pulled a fuse at a time until I found the "source circuit", then narrow it down to the exact component. If it is lights, pull a bulb at a time, if it is door locks, disconnect one at a time, etc. I have had a window switch work, but drain the battery overnight. I miss carbs and hand crank windows...

 

[turbohye]

funny you said that. my windows locks stopped working aound the time the battery started draining. really wierd.