I turn my truck off, but it is hard to determine the "off...


I turn my truck off, but it is hard to determine the "off" position to keep it from draining my battery. It has also been in the negatives this week. Mechanic's Assistant: Have you tested the battery with a voltmeter? And ...

I turn my truck off, but it is hard to determine the "off" position to keep it from draining my battery. It has also been in the negatives this week. Mechanic's Assistant: Have you tested the battery with a voltmeter? And can you see if it's leaking or not? It was an older battery, the negative terminal had white powder corrosion on it. I went a head and got a new battery. I haven't found out if the new battery will drain. But was wondering how would I be able to tell my key is literally in the off position. Mechanic's Assistant: What is the make/model/year of your car? 1994 Ford F150 5.0 motor, 2wd, extended cab xlt Mechanic's Assistant: Are you fixing your F150 yourself? What have you tried so far? Cleaned negative terminal cable, getting corrosion off. Then hooked up a new battery. Due to no garage and extreme cold temps, I haven't messed with my ignition or column. Mechanic's Assistant: Anything else you want the Mechanic to know before I connect you? Not that I can think of.

Automotive Expert
Howdy from Tennessee, I'm Chris aka Moose. Who am I helping today? I'm glad you've come here to get help. I will do my best to get the answer you are looking for. I help many customers, so sometimes my replies are delayed, I will respond once available. I try to be online at 1-5 pm and 10 pm-5 am every day. If you own a voltmeter you can do a draw test on the battery by disconnecting the negative battery cable. Then connect a DVOM between the negative post and cable. The max draw should be under 60 mA. If it's over then there is something on or faulty that is drawing power. If the switch is not turning to the correct positions that means you need to remove the steering column shrouds to inspect or replace the ignition switch, ignition cylinder, or the linkage between the two. Thank you for seeking us for help, I hope I provided what was needed. Press reply if you need to follow up. If you liked my answer please let me know so I can mark your question complete. Moose
Automotive Expert
Checking in with you. Please let me know if you liked my answer, or need more help.
Automotive Expert
It's been a couple of days since you replied. I am going to mark your question complete for now. Reply as needed.

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