Flat battery - Should a 1973 Mk2 have a glovebox lamp?

[HersnotHis]

Hi

Strange question you may think

I tried to start Stag today and battery was completely dead - absolutely nothing. Started OK last week.

Jumped a good battery and started car. Left to idle for 15 mins and could then restart car on Stag battery alone. Left to Idle again for 5 mins and turned off to investigate loss of charge.

Using multimeter I found a drain on the battery of 0.48 amps with apparently all turned off.

Tested at fuse box and found this drain was all through fuse no 1

Did a search on here and there is frequent mention of boot lamp and glovebox lamps draining batteries as they are not properly switched off when closed.
So I tested all lamps etc on the fuse 1 circuits apart from the clock and the LH puddle lamp as car is too close to the garage wall to open door enough to gain access to the latter .

Removed bulb from boot lamp and thought will do same with glovebox.....?

There is a switch but no evidence of a lamp? Should there be a lamp? If so where? All the documentation I have in this respect seems to relate to a Mk1.

We have only recently bought this Stag. The glovebox looks as if it was a recent replacement as it is shiny black plastic

Have disconnected battery for safety.
TIA

[brian0443]

Yes there should be a lamp showing through a circular hole in the 'roof'of the box. approx 4 inches from left and 3.5 inches in. Another porthole a little further in to give access to some kind of screw.
Good luck
Brian

[jleyton]

It is, of course, as Brian says. However, the bulb - a simple push in type - sits so high in that hole that it's hard to see (unless you can fit your head in the glovebox and look upwards )

However, if the bulb is there and staying on, then you would have seen the light just with the glovebox open.

Good luck in your hunt for your battery drain.

Cheers

Julian

[HersnotHis]

Thanks Brian and Julian. Yes I had noticed the two holes and had inspected them with the aid of a mirror and torch. One as Brian says gives access to a nut but in the other nearer the front there is nothing - looks as though I will have to remove glovebox to see where the lamp or its wiring went if I do not find the cause of the drain elsewhere. Very strange as no evidence of drain until this week and car has not been out of garage for several weeks now and started up and ran sunday before last.

BTW my fuse box seems to be on opposite side of bulkhead to that shown in illustrations in manual (i.e. it is on the side adjacent to the wiper motor). Also fuses are in converse direction to illustrations. Is this a Mk1/Mk2 thing also?

[V Mad]

Your fuse box is normal, the manual shows a LH drive car!

[HersnotHis]

Your fuse box is normal, the manual shows a LH drive car!

Thanks - amazing!

[Mike Stevens]

0.48A would equate to a 6W bulb (assuming it's a bulb) so maybe see what the various bulb power ratings are for that circuit? Boot lamp would be my first thoughts. Did the current go up when you opened the boot?

Cheers,
Mike.

[malc4d]

I put my phone camera on video and shut it in the boot to see if my light stayed on....it did !

[Mike Stevens]

I put my phone camera on video and shut it in the boot to see if my light stayed on....it did !

The simplest solutions are always the best!

Cheers,
Mike.

[malc4d]

[HersnotHis]

The simplest solutions are always the best!

Cheers,
Mike.

Mine was even simpler (please see original post) I just took the bulb out. Drain was still 0.48A so it wasn't the boot lamp staying on.

[LAMBRETTLAD]

Ace