Two years, several jump starts and 4 dead batteries. Multiple garages either couldn't do this test or refused to because of the time it takes. Twice to the dealer, twice to the shop in town that was supposed to be THE place for electrical issues. No one could figure it out. Thanks to you, I was able to diagnose the problem myself. 78 milliamp draw on the circuit that included the faulty door latches on my KIA Sedona. Getting them replaced tomorrow. I can't thank you enough for putting this video out there.
Most repair shops are basically worthless if it is not a simple repair they can't do it. And the dealers are actually worse. No one can perform any diagnostic testing anymore. There is a youtuber named Car Wizard, he has had customers drive 100s of miles to take their car to him, some have had it shipped to him on a flatbed as the customer has been to so many other shops with zero results.
Over 9 years later, this video is still helping people fix their cars. I had been fighting an issue on my 2003 Silverado 1500 for about 2 months of the battery dying. Had a 2.12 AMP draw on it… Some head scratching and fuse pulling led me to the instrument cluster fuse being the culprit. With fuse removed it went down to 0.052. So i decide to pull the cluster out, and found multiple corrosion marks on the back. $40 repair at a electronics shop, and I no longer need to carry a jumper box everywhere I go! Thank you so much for your knowledge and thorough explanation.
This video came in SUPER handy today for me. After replacing a bad battery a couple of weeks ago (it was tested and had a bad cell...about 5 years old), I tried to start my car today after it had sat for about 2 days, and it was completely dead again (lights wouldn't even turn on at all). I didn't have to test the fuses, because now that this was the second time that a battery completely drained (and this one was brand new), I knew it wasn't just a bad battery. I tested the alternator after I started it with a battery charger/starter, and it tested good (14.48 V). After that, with the help you provided here, I tested to see if I had a draw. I did -- 1.35 amps. I then coupled this information with odd behavior from my CD player that I hadn't had time to investigate yet. Whenever I started my car, it would eject the CD. With this information, I checked out my stereo to see if I could find anything wrong. Sure enough, the eject button was stuck pressed in. After pressing it several times, I got it to unstick. I continued to press it in and out to make sure it wouldn't stick anymore (I'll spray some lectra-motive cleaner into it later). Once it stopped sticking, I rechecked the draw, and it was GONE. Woo hoo! Thanks a bunch for posting this video! Though I didn't have to go through the process of checking each fuse, the overall logic got me to the solution WAY faster than I thought I'd find it. This took me a total of about 20-25 minutes, not including the time to watch this and a couple of other videos. You saved me a bunch of time and headache, not to mention possibly some money, had I ended up taking it to a shop to see if somebody else could figure this out.
Holy shit. My truck just started dying a few days ago if it sits for more than a few hours. New alternator and battery both testing good. My CD player too is trying to eject. I'll probably look into that first! 👍
I don't normally leave comments, but the Multimeter between the negative lead and terminal on the battery is SO smart to find that parasitic drain, Eric, you haven blown my mind yet again, thank you.
Thanks so much for this. I had my '08 Acura TSX (notorious for battery drain) tested for parasitic draw at a local service station; they claim to have found nothing. When the battery they sold me three months ago died, I followed your video and confirmed that the Hands-Free Link was drawing 230mA on its own. Disconnected it and now have a normal car again. Great job by you.
Eric, this is an outstanding video. I say this as a former school teacher and corporate trainer. I'm just a handyman and amateur mechanic but I know a good instructional video when I see one. Great detail and explanation of cause and effect. Thanks!!!
Currently fighting this issue on a 2003 Ford Focus. Schooling taught me this years ago, but never had to practice it in the real world yet. This video just brushed up on all that knowledge, thank you so much! Old video, but still valuable!
Hey Eric. I'm 6'8" tall and weigh around 360. The point in trying to make is I don't fit in most trunks very comfortably, much less a glove box lol. One of the methods I use is to set my phone to record place it in the trunk/glove box/under hood. Aimed at the light bulb. Then close the unit, reopen and observe the footage Saving the fire department from having to use the jaws of life to get me back out.
Robert Heintz You're not funny. Just another lame, inbred bigot who is too immature to be allowed to use your parent's wifi. Do they have wifi in your hick town?
Eric that was superb. I am an electrician, not an auto one, and we used methods just like that to find faults. You explained it so well and after the main event listed numerous things in cars that might be taking some amp draw. The remove negative lead explained why and even why a meter migh show a negative value even though the value was correct. It would be easy too to not think of those days when opened. Brilliant.
Been battling a parasitic draw for a few years. My "temporary" fix was to keep it on a battery tender since it sits most of the week. Now the battery has drained so many times it barely sits for an hour and seriously struggles to start. Going to replace my battery asap and find this freaking draw... also, 10 years later, this video got me to subscribe, so I'll see you when you get into your next shop!! Thanks big time man!!!!
Thanks Eric for making this video! I know its been 10 years but it helped me track down a parasitic draw I'd been dealing with for a couple years. Turns out it was from work I had done upgrading my speakers and radio on a 2007 Odyssey, just like you said was a common cause in the video. My draw wasn't enough to drain the battery overnight but if I let the car sit for more than a couple days, the battery died. Thanks again!
i was getting so excited to see the numbers drop haha
2 года назад
Lol...
2 года назад
Ikr? It's like the anticipation and suspense on a game show.... waiting to see which curtain had the winning prize behind it...Lol...like on "Let's make a Deal" ...only extended a lot more!!...Lol
Remember to have the alignment checked; cars subjected to extraordinary or unpleasant weight on the front passenger side can have weakened front springs, plus worn-out shocks and bushings on that side, and the front passenger seat may have to be replaced due to deformation from excessive weight. Fixing the steering components can improve the steering, although both fixing the steering and replacing the passenger seat can have a deleterious effect on your wallet. Because of such cost considerations, those who live in rural areas find that replacing a worn-out passenger seat with a plastic milk crate helps your peace of mind by discouraging inadvertent future encounters involving requests for rides by unpleasant persons, and gives you a handy place to carry the much smaller amount of groceries you'll be needing as you move forward in your stress-free life. You can also listen to the music or podcasts you like on your car or truck stereo, instead of having to listen to a veritable fountain of loud, unwanted advice from unpleasant people.
Thanks so much for the logical process using my VOM. Was able to locate the source of drain on my daughters 82 Mercedes Diesel recently purchased. Only took 10 min of setup and fuse pulling! On suspect circuit, found a broken head off a fuse that fallen (w/P.O.) arching between two circuits. Great feeling to get this w/o big shop fees!
you are another of my heroes.A man's man. thanks alot. you are a super helpful person. I don't know what's in it for you, but you should be rewarded for all the help you provide. Donyboy73 is another. thank you Eric. You should have your own show.
As always when I encounter something above my knowledgeably I find Eric to more times than not have the answers or advice to help me solve the issue. Love the fact that he covers everything in such great detail and does so in layman term so the that the average Joe that most of us diy's guys are can understand the sometimes complex terminology evolved in the automotive problem solving filed. Just an example as of today I'm trying to solve a head and tail light issue with my sons 2000 explorer and thought I had checked all fuses until I hear Eric mention that some vehicles have a fuse compartment in the rear part of the car and that reminded me of something that I had totally forgotten about. Sometimes a little fact like this can get overlooked and turn in to a big headache and that is what I appreciate the most about Eric's videos is his attention to every detail! Thanks Eric for making this channel available!
Eric I enjoy ur videos I have been turning wrenches for about 15yrs and i am still learning. U cant think u know it all in this field u must be open minded. Keep making great videos
This is one of the best of many videos I've seen (incl. the overview at the end) on parasitic draws -keeping doors closed, waiting until car goes to sleep, side things like keys, aftermarket systems, and isolating circuits, etc... Yes all are "commonly known" yet also easy to forget when seeing amp draw and wanting to troubleshoot & fix it... Many others start with the amp draw without mentioning some of these... So, Great video & info !
I've been working on cars most of my life, and found this video very helpful because there were a number of things that I would have never thought of! Thank you so much for posting it.
I'm an avionics technician on Military aircraft. Not having the wire diagram for a car sucks. Your information is spot on, excellent. My friends 2016 Durango had a .089 draw. Pulling the TCM fuse didn't do anything but it did when the fuse was put back in. We had a similar issue on "my" aircraft where a computer shuts down on battery power but failed to. Drained the aircaft battery. Thank you!
Because of your video, I fixed my battery drain. The amps dropped with the radio fuse out. I guess that's a common thing. So I am keeping the fuse out. No radio but have a running farm truck. Thank you!
I love this young man, guess it's too late to adopt him. The kind of person I would enjoy knowing! I have been turning wrenches for over 70 years and still learning. Thanks Eric!
Just wanted to thank you for your video. I knew nothing about this. 2008 impala went through 3 battery’s in 2 years. Drain on interior light/dimmer fuse. Looked at all the int lights and they weren’t on. Finally found a wiring diagram for that fuse and one of the things it ran were map lights. Got in the car and on the mirror were 2 buttons. One on and one off. Pushed it in and drain gone. Would have never got there without your help.
Mohannad Jaradat And then you have to pay for the knowledge used. Most of the diagnostic stuff takes a ton of time to learn. Now if you say it's really easy and you can do it yourself then do it yourself or pay the man for his time. Fucking freeloaders I swear.
daniel w Some minor logic applied here would have saved him some time for the first half of video... plus if he's pulled the fuses for the doors he could eliminate the need to disconnect the battery between fuse boxes and eliminated the automatic windows as the cause of the power draw.
Thank you so much sir. I am a single mom and have to do as much diagnostic testing and work on my 93 Acura Integra as I can, I'm doing this parasitic draw test tomorrow, thanks to your lesson!
This is helpful even years later. I have a 2006 BMW e60 5 series with a heavy drain. it was in the local Christchurch (NZ) dealers because I THOUGHT they would surely be the one to track it down but nooo they spent 7 hours on it and failed to find the draw. Price for this 7 hours of no result was about 800 NZ dollars. I was left utterly unimpressed and my wife was upset. So far I tested the bonnet switch and that seemed ok and the fuel door is also ok. Apparently known for being possible areas of drain. At one point they thought it was the passenger door but that didnt prove to be true. This car does not have comfort access so that is not the issue either. I have removed the fuse for the alarm and will see if that solves the issue at least till we can afford another go at with someone better than the dealer... From watching Erics video it looks like pulling fuses one by one will surely find the area of drain.
You my friend are a lifesaver. I’ve been holding out for a couple years but lately the battery draw has been worse ! My starter and alternator and everything checked out and replaced my battery multiple times thinking it was faulty ! Chatted with a few people and eventually thought maybe it’s a parasitic draw? I’m not a car guy at all, I don’t know what half the things are on a vehicle but I studied up just a bit and followed your video religiously. I have a 2008 Scion tc, when I was checking how much amp was being drawn I was getting about 0.20 and it would spike up to almost 0.50. Decided to start first on the fuses in the engine compartment, and lo and behold I pulled one out and it immediately went down to 0.00 and sometimes 0.03 at best. You saved me so much money and I only spent about 30-50$ at harbor freight ! I have no knowledge on none of this but you my friend saved me Thankyou !
This really helped me find the parasitic drain on my wife's '96 Pontiac Grand Am. Too bad it won't help me fix the rusted out engine cradle and rockers!
I did recognize that sound!! I'm just home from picking up my father. He called and said the engine was done for and needed towing and wanted me to come get him. So I drove according to his directions (for some time - he was in the middle of nowhere!) and when I got to him I tried starting the car and it did THAT exact same sound! And because I saw your video we checked the battery with a multimeter (bad battery 6.8 volt), connected the two cars and within ten minutes managed to start his car and were on our way to his house. Thank you Eric!
I learn so easily from you Eric! Thank you so much! AND I especially like the precautions you point out as to not destroy anything (which has been my specialty!)
VERY IMPORTANT ! When you connect the leads of your meter, to the meters "Amps" sockets, it doesn't matter what the dial of the meter is set on, the meter will be flowing AMPS. In other words, if you set the dial to Volts and you try to measure Volts, but the leads are connected to Amps, POOF, your meter will INSTANTLY and silently blow it's Amps fuse (or burn up something). Yes, I have done it more than once.
Thank you Eric, I am a shade tree mechanic, and was looking just to find out what was an acceptable parasitic loss, but I had always tested the amp draw by taking out the fuse and bridging the fuse terminals. A lot more work, your way is much easier and faster, great tip! Unfortunately for me, I have a 0.15A draw, which explains the dead battery.
Thank you for posting. Using this technique I was able to identify and repair a parasitic current draw issue on my 2009 Honda Civic. Turns out it was the AC Magnetic Clutch relay was staying engaged. Replaced the $7 relay and the problem is gone. Thank you!
Here's a little tip to protect your app meter from shorting out. Actually the meter already has a fuse in it but often it's a pain to replace it and you also need a special fast blow fuse. The fast blow fuse is important, can't get it at the automotive shop. Most cases the meter case has to be opened to replace the fuse. To ovoid all this put in a sparkless or electronic fuse inline with the meter leads, a few amps lower than your meter's rating. Don't use the thermo breaks you normally find at the auto parts store. These are for head lights. What you want is the sparkless or electric type used in racing. You can find them for a couple of bucks on-line. These breakers prevent sparks when wires are shorted to ground and reset as soon as the short is ended. Good idea to use these fuses in jumper wires too. In fact that's what I use is a jumper wire with one of these fuses in it for amp readings. Makes allot of electrical work safer since sparks are prevented when shorts happen.
Thanks Eric for your easy to understand & easy to follow videos. This is another great diagnostic video that helped me figure out why my battery keeps dying. You're the best!
This video is truely helpful. My car has a battery draw hugging me all the time. I know how to test draw but what he said in the end about a possible glove box light really hit me. Fixed my problem.
Disabling the door switch at 7:22. I've also seen similar switches to detect if the hood is open. Some cars do this standard, others have aftermarket alarms with such a switch. Check for and disable them as well.
I just used your method and found a 6.3 amp draw on my interior lights. I cleaned all the contacts and the 50 amp fuse and im reading 0.0 amp draw. thanks Eric you saved me 150 bucks.
My mind - much like the damaged fuse I found - was blown. Thanks Eric! Edited: Actually, I was wrong. It was a blown dome light that was ON for me too LOL
I've seen many of Eric's vids but this may have been most educational. Often I'm looking something specific and just need review of steps, but this was the clearest way to understand and troubleshoot the electrical gremlins that freak most people out.
Excellent video, Eric! You give consistently reliable advice. And I thank you for that. But you are also more articulate than most of the folks out there on TV that commentate professionally, in ANY field. So, it's always a pleasure to watch your videos. You get straight to the point in a clear, and concise manner. 👍 Edit...Also, what multimeter brand (& model) was that? And what do you currently recommend? I like the one you are using in this video. But I do realize this was recorded 9 years ago. Maybe consider adding a current affiliate link into this video for your best sub $100 meter. Ok, sub $200. 😁 If one had been in the info I would have followed it. Thanks!
2 года назад+1
Yeah...I would LOVE to know that too. I'm pretty sure that he's using a Fluke. Which one? Not sure. I would LOVE to know as well. I also want to know about the battery tester he was using. It's a nice one. Maybe, you know this...I was looking at some nice carbon load testers online, trying to find one that covers a bunch of different types of batteries, diff. voltages and one that will test ...not only the battery itself and load testing but starter motor amperage draw and even cranking amps(same thing I think). I wonder if his does this extra stuff. My guess .. probably not. It's probably just a battery tester only but his is a nice one. People who have the analog ones, say that they're awesome ..I e...They have a lot of extra functions (like the aforementioned ones). Any help would be greatly appreciated...👍😁...P.S. Love Floyd!! Rock on!! 🎸🤟
@@harrynbrandy8915 mine ended up being the alternator or something, I forgot cause it was so long ago. Still found it with a basic multimeter. Although, the vehicle was from the 80s so new stuff is probably harder
dude i took my car to the same shop three times for this same problem and they gave me some bs and charged me each time. sent a 10 second video to my friends cousin whos a mechanic and immediately he said parasitic draw. this video kept me from selling my van. everything you are saying is easy to follow and makes me super pissed that the shop didnt handle it. anyway thanks for the help
I always used a test light, unhook the ground and hook up the test light between the ground cable and the battery ground. if there is a draw the test light will be lit, pull use fuse at a time until the test light goes out then you know the circuit you need to examine
Sup Erick? Great video like always. I had to send this to a guy customer so he can see that you use amps not volts to test for parasitic loads. He think he knows more than me. Don't know why he hired me...you know the type
@@DJTourniquet Because you test the current flowing "through" the wire. You test voltage "across" something that causes a voltage drop due to resistance. An ammeter actually checks voltage drop across an internal, calibrated shunt resistor and then calculates the resulting current due to Ohm's Law. There are probably some good RUclips videos on how to use a multimeter that can go into more detail.
This video is spot on!! Used it to find a draw on my gx470, turned out to be some old aftermarket stereo stuff that I forgot was there. Removed it, no more draw. Thanks for your help Eric!!!
Determined that the parasitic draw in my 04 Dodge Dakota was coming from a faulty ignition switch which was very hard to find. Might be of use to someone.
I may have a similar issue with my dodge Dakota, how did you go about finding the ignition switch to be bad? I watched the video but how did you go about testing for the switch to be bad?
Thank you, this may be the issue on my 88 S10. I was hoping it was as simple as the guy before me hotwiring the electric choke to a hot at all times but no luck and back to square one.
I like the way he explains, easy to understand and gives effective points. I take automotive class at Garden City Community College, KS. The instructor shows this guy''s explanation about the car problem and diagnostic almost every class. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Good video, but if you don't have an amp meter just use a dome light bulb (or tail/ brake light bulb will work) with a pair of wires on both leads, the bulb will light up if there is a draw of current and you won't have to worry about any damage being done ( save your VOM for more important issures ).
That was OK years ago, but, you can't use a test light on vehicles with computer modules. Using a test light on these vehicles will yield inaccurate test results.
Charlie Atkins That depends on what you are looking for as a current draw. I do troubleshooting for a lot of garages when it comes to electric issues and using a light bulb is for the fuse box test only, mostly for finding overnight batter drain problems. It's important to note that using a LED light will not be accurate because of a one way connection (diode) and very little current is needed to cause it to light. All cars today will have some draw as the ecm eprom circuit is on all the time.
Fantastic Video! Definitely one of the better ones out there for us complete novices. The fact you mentioned to change the port on the volt meter to Amps was great.
What you are doing will work, however, every time you disconnect the battery you lose memory which isn't terrible, butt also when you reconnect the battery via your DVOM you wake up modules. On vehicles such as Ford it can take up to 45 minutes for these modules to go to sleep and you cannot accurately test for parasitic draw while these modules are active!!! If you do it the way you show in your video Eric you must be sure to never break electrical connection, I.E backup battery supply while you hook your DVOM in series, and then remove the back up supply before you start testing. Instead of pulling fuses it is much easier and faster to do a voltage drop across the fuse. If there is current flowing you will see it on a voltage drop because current flow is RESISTANCE!! Resistance shows up on a voltage drop test!! But remember...there is more than one way to skin a cat.
You must disconnect the battery to put the meter in series. You must break the electrical connection. The only thing you can do is pull ECM fuse first or wait 45 min.
If you have a top post battery, the meter connection can be done without breaking the electrical connection, by putting the positive meter probe through the center of the terminal and the negative probe on the terminal. Withdraw the terminal from the post carefully and the meter will maintain the connection without restarting the ECM. No need to stand around waiting for the systems to go back to sleep after disconnecting and reconnecting.
Literally what I needed. 3, 4 videos... Yours is simple, easy to understand, and awesome! I was immediately able to help determine the source of my parasite.
I like this video because Eric the car guy is really knowledgeable and goes in depth with his videos including a 16 min instructional in testing a car battery
I say in this case the battery it self is just near the end of life and can't keep the power. There is a possibility that something like STOP switch is shorted and does provide power to bulb but not enough to let it light up but than again those things are after ignition switch.
I have a draw that kills my battery over night and it never did this before I replaced the alternator with a rebuilt one, can a alternator cause a parasitic draw and still put out charging current when the engine is running?
A properly installed alternator can't have a parasitic draw. If there was a malfunction it would only happen while the key was engaged because the alternator is wired through the active fuse group and isn't permanently in the circuit. It's more likely that the new alternator isn't at fault and it's just damage done to the battery while the old one was failing. Most cases the alternator failure isn't addressed properly until the battery has already undergone a significant drain which will put it in a crippled state and chemically unable to hold a proper charge.
Marti woodchip yes it can, mines did in my old lincoln, it was a 86, ancient.. I had to take it to an electrical shop to find out it was the cause of my draw.. replacing was easy, did that myself..but finding it.. ha!
to initially make the parasitic draw determination, you could clip one end of the DMM to the negative battery terminal, then put the pointed probe tip on the battery post, and carefully lift up the cable terminal to disconnect the cable. That way it doesn't restart the ECU on those newer vehicles and display a misleading reading due to waking the ECU. Just drop back down to restore the battery connection.
Very good video, very clear instructions and good easy voice to listen to. No waffle this guy is a super top professional with good communication skills. One of the best on RUclips. Well done sir. If anyone says your crap it means they are jealous of your skills.
Eric, I have a 2011 Ford Fusion with a parasitic draw that I cannot wait to diagnose with the new skill you just taught me. Thank you thank you thank you!
Great video Eric! Thank u for explaining this in layman's terms. U made it very easy to understand & identify a parasitic draw. I wanna marry this guy. #genius ☺
What about the car alarm, which on many cars comes on as soon as the car is locked. Can this be sufficient to drain the battery over time? How many amps should it be drawing?
Been subbed for years.... this was such a great video that I searched up and found this. I was thinking how do you deal with the door??? Your solution was so simple and elegant. Thumbs up!
Yup , dude. You could do partys ,as a mock cloony , you even talk like Chicago a little ...get a guy , maybe work on your e.r. vocabulary . Or you could do silent camieos in independent films
Please HELPP! I got my Prelude in the summer of 2015. I bought it used on Craigslist. It is lowered, has aftermarket headlights as well as sound-system. I used if from July-October with no issues. Mid October I removed insurance and left it on my front lawn for November-December. In January I decided to reinsure. I had issues starting it since I left it alone for the few months. At first, it would not start. I checked my battery terminals and they were loose. Then my car worked for a few weeks. Again, my car stopped starting. Deduction lead me to go get the battery replaced. I bought a battery from mechanic A. Got it installed. Car still would not work. So I wen't to go get an alternator from mechanic B. Mechanic B said that actually, my battery was bad even though I just got it form Mechanic A. Bought a new battery from Mechanic B. Car worked for a day or two. Went to go buy a refurbished Alternator from Mechanic C, was told that my Alternator was definitely the issue and my battery was OK. Got the new Alternator. Car worked for a few days. Went to start it, now it was not starting again. Took car to more upscale and reputable Mechanic D. I had an AVR Test done and Mechanic D told me my alternator I just bought 4 days ago was shit because it was second hand and it was not charging my battery. So I bought a brand NEW Alternator. Once again, car worked for a few days. But eventually, I would go to start the car and it would not start. Called Mechanic D. Wen't back to them and had an electrical diagnosis AGAIN. They told me they could not find anything. I was able to drive the car home. They must have charged the battery. Within a few days, the car would not start again. I got my neighbour to come check it out. He noticed that when my parking lights are on, my engine would slow down and so he said they were draining a lot of power. We determined this just by listening to the engine. My after-market bright headlights did NOT drain as much power as my duller parking headlights. And now I am here. Every time I would not be able to start the car, I would be able to get it going with jumper cables. I have checked every light and electrical thing I can find and I cant say that anything is staying on and drawing the battery from what I can tell. Before I contacted my neighbour, the car, unlike any other time, made clicking noises while I tried to start it but since then, that has not happened. I used it the other day after jump starting it and it was fine. So as of now, the things i can say are... 1.) It seems that once I go 1 day without driving, It will be dead when I go to start it 2.) My engine did definitely slow down, and my neighbour read a battery draw, when I turned OFF my bright headlights and my parking headlights automatically come on. This is been an ongoing issue now since January-ish and it is obviously quite frustrating. Im not very car savvy. I want to call Mechanic D again but I do not really see what they can do since they told me last time they COULD NOT find anything. It is not apparent that they know bout the parking lights though. Any help would be greatly appreciated, hopefully everything makes sense. Thanks a lot!!
With the aftermarket headlights and the upgraded sound system you might need a high output alternator. One that produces more amps for your needs. Sounds maybe like the original is just not enough.
+Michael Oliver Have you been successful at measuring the actual parasitic current draw ? Make sure you take the reading after the car went to "sleep". With today's electronics, it may take few minutes or more. I'm lucky enough to have a DMM which has a data logging feature, which makes it much easier to establish the triggering point, without having to stay next to the vehicule all that time. BTW, on some cars the lights will stay on for few minutes after you turn off the engine. This is why it is important to take the readings on a car that has been snoozing for a bit.
It’s the sound system. I have one in my car, subs/amps constantly draw power even when the car is off. You need a breaker for the subs, that will cut power to them when the car is off.
Thanks again for showing the test. I work on vehicles occasionally and always forget how to test for this. Your vid is to the point and lots of info! Much appreciated!
Two years, several jump starts and 4 dead batteries. Multiple garages either couldn't do this test or refused to because of the time it takes. Twice to the dealer, twice to the shop in town that was supposed to be THE place for electrical issues. No one could figure it out. Thanks to you, I was able to diagnose the problem myself. 78 milliamp draw on the circuit that included the faulty door latches on my KIA Sedona. Getting them replaced tomorrow. I can't thank you enough for putting this video out there.
❤😊
Most repair shops are basically worthless if it is not a simple repair they can't do it. And the dealers are actually worse. No one can perform any diagnostic testing anymore. There is a youtuber named Car Wizard, he has had customers drive 100s of miles to take their car to him, some have had it shipped to him on a flatbed as the customer has been to so many other shops with zero results.
Over 9 years later, this video is still helping people fix their cars. I had been fighting an issue on my 2003 Silverado 1500 for about 2 months of the battery dying. Had a 2.12 AMP draw on it… Some head scratching and fuse pulling led me to the instrument cluster fuse being the culprit. With fuse removed it went down to 0.052. So i decide to pull the cluster out, and found multiple corrosion marks on the back. $40 repair at a electronics shop, and I no longer need to carry a jumper box everywhere I go! Thank you so much for your knowledge and thorough explanation.
Even 10 years later, still a great video! You just helped to solve the problem with my car! 👍 🇨🇦 Thanks! 👍 🙏
11 years now, still great! It will be a timeless video!
@@w0bblyd0inkb0inknow it's 12 years!
This video came in SUPER handy today for me. After replacing a bad battery a couple of weeks ago (it was tested and had a bad cell...about 5 years old), I tried to start my car today after it had sat for about 2 days, and it was completely dead again (lights wouldn't even turn on at all). I didn't have to test the fuses, because now that this was the second time that a battery completely drained (and this one was brand new), I knew it wasn't just a bad battery.
I tested the alternator after I started it with a battery charger/starter, and it tested good (14.48 V). After that, with the help you provided here, I tested to see if I had a draw. I did -- 1.35 amps. I then coupled this information with odd behavior from my CD player that I hadn't had time to investigate yet. Whenever I started my car, it would eject the CD.
With this information, I checked out my stereo to see if I could find anything wrong. Sure enough, the eject button was stuck pressed in. After pressing it several times, I got it to unstick. I continued to press it in and out to make sure it wouldn't stick anymore (I'll spray some lectra-motive cleaner into it later). Once it stopped sticking, I rechecked the draw, and it was GONE. Woo hoo!
Thanks a bunch for posting this video! Though I didn't have to go through the process of checking each fuse, the overall logic got me to the solution WAY faster than I thought I'd find it. This took me a total of about 20-25 minutes, not including the time to watch this and a couple of other videos. You saved me a bunch of time and headache, not to mention possibly some money, had I ended up taking it to a shop to see if somebody else could figure this out.
Jerritte Couture. Good man!
Holy shit. My truck just started dying a few days ago if it sits for more than a few hours. New alternator and battery both testing good. My CD player too is trying to eject. I'll probably look into that first! 👍
I don't normally leave comments, but the Multimeter between the negative lead and terminal on the battery is SO smart to find that parasitic drain, Eric, you haven blown my mind yet again, thank you.
The genius of an ammeter
Thanks so much for this. I had my '08 Acura TSX (notorious for battery drain) tested for parasitic draw at a local service station; they claim to have found nothing. When the battery they sold me three months ago died, I followed your video and confirmed that the Hands-Free Link was drawing 230mA on its own. Disconnected it and now have a normal car again. Great job by you.
Love Acura, I have 2004 ls and a 93da integra. I am going to be doing this diagnostic on my 93 integra asap!
How did you disconnect the hands free link
Eric, this is an outstanding video. I say this as a former school teacher and corporate trainer. I'm just a handyman and amateur mechanic but I know a good instructional video when I see one. Great detail and explanation of cause and effect. Thanks!!!
Oh he is good, very very good...
,n, ,
there are many videos about parasitic draw, but this one is still the best !
Eric your giving away knowledge for free and I am consuming everything.
Thanks bro 👍
It's the wrong way to do it anyway.
@@alext9067 Tell us the right way, please.
caya pendejo no sabes lo que dices
@@deysanimations1949 jajaja
@@alext9067 It's the easy way than non-mechanic people like those who are watching the video can do.
Currently fighting this issue on a 2003 Ford Focus. Schooling taught me this years ago, but never had to practice it in the real world yet. This video just brushed up on all that knowledge, thank you so much! Old video, but still valuable!
Did you figure this out? I have an 04 that dies after two days. Mine is a sedan with a 2.3 I suspect the alternator
Hey Eric. I'm 6'8" tall and weigh around 360. The point in trying to make is I don't fit in most trunks very comfortably, much less a glove box lol. One of the methods I use is to set my phone to record place it in the trunk/glove box/under hood. Aimed at the light bulb. Then close the unit, reopen and observe the footage Saving the fire department from having to use the jaws of life to get me back out.
Okay?
Good trick, I'll remember that
Joshua Taylor i
My helpers Tyrone and Leroy do all the shit jobs. I pay them with fried chicken and Kool-aid.
Robert Heintz You're not funny. Just another lame, inbred bigot who is too immature to be allowed to use your parent's wifi. Do they have wifi in your hick town?
Eric that was superb.
I am an electrician, not an auto one, and we used methods just like that to find faults. You explained it so well and after the main event listed numerous things in cars that might be taking some amp draw. The remove negative lead explained why and even why a meter migh show a negative value even though the value was correct.
It would be easy too to not think of those days when opened.
Brilliant.
Been battling a parasitic draw for a few years. My "temporary" fix was to keep it on a battery tender since it sits most of the week. Now the battery has drained so many times it barely sits for an hour and seriously struggles to start. Going to replace my battery asap and find this freaking draw... also, 10 years later, this video got me to subscribe, so I'll see you when you get into your next shop!! Thanks big time man!!!!
Thanks Eric for making this video! I know its been 10 years but it helped me track down a parasitic draw I'd been dealing with for a couple years. Turns out it was from work I had done upgrading my speakers and radio on a 2007 Odyssey, just like you said was a common cause in the video. My draw wasn't enough to drain the battery overnight but if I let the car sit for more than a couple days, the battery died. Thanks again!
I love it! When you re pulling the fuses, the "tension" is unbarable :)
Yup
i was getting so excited to see the numbers drop haha
Lol...
Ikr? It's like the anticipation and suspense on a game show.... waiting to see which curtain had the winning prize behind it...Lol...like on "Let's make a Deal" ...only extended a lot more!!...Lol
I found my parasitic draw. She weighed 250 lbs and she’s never coming bac!
😂😂😂
😂😂😂😂😂 good one!!!
Classic
😂😂😂😂
Remember to have the alignment checked; cars subjected to extraordinary or unpleasant weight on the front passenger side can have weakened front springs, plus worn-out shocks and bushings on that side, and the front passenger seat may have to be replaced due to deformation from excessive weight. Fixing the steering components can improve the steering, although both fixing the steering and replacing the passenger seat can have a deleterious effect on your wallet. Because of such cost considerations, those who live in rural areas find that replacing a worn-out passenger seat with a plastic milk crate helps your peace of mind by discouraging inadvertent future encounters involving requests for rides by unpleasant persons, and gives you a handy place to carry the much smaller amount of groceries you'll be needing as you move forward in your stress-free life. You can also listen to the music or podcasts you like on your car or truck stereo, instead of having to listen to a veritable fountain of loud, unwanted advice from unpleasant people.
Thanks so much for the logical process using my VOM. Was able to locate the source of drain on my daughters 82 Mercedes Diesel recently purchased. Only took 10 min of setup and fuse pulling! On suspect circuit, found a broken head off a fuse that fallen (w/P.O.) arching between two circuits. Great feeling to get this w/o big shop fees!
you are another of my heroes.A man's man. thanks alot. you are a super helpful person. I don't know what's in it for you, but you should be rewarded for all the help you provide. Donyboy73 is another. thank you Eric. You should have your own show.
bobby redondo n
he gets rewarded when you watch his videos man, he gets paid for it :)
he gets paid... you learn something. so i'd say its a good trade! thanks so much eric the car guy... be safe, have fun and stay dirty.
then i have to watch more of it so he can get more rewards than he deserve!
Excellent video with in detail commentary on parasitic battery drain issue. Thanks for posting!
As always when I encounter something above my knowledgeably I find Eric to more times than not have the answers or advice to help me solve the issue.
Love the fact that he covers everything in such great detail and does so in layman term so the that the average Joe that most of us diy's guys are can understand the sometimes complex terminology evolved in the automotive problem solving filed.
Just an example as of today I'm trying to solve a head and tail light issue with my sons 2000 explorer and thought I had checked all fuses until I hear Eric mention that some vehicles have a fuse compartment in the rear part of the car and that reminded me of something that I had totally forgotten about.
Sometimes a little fact like this can get overlooked and turn in to a big headache and that is what I appreciate the most about Eric's videos is his attention to every detail! Thanks Eric for making this channel available!
Eric I enjoy ur videos I have been turning wrenches for about 15yrs and i am still learning. U cant think u know it all in this field u must be open minded. Keep making great videos
This is one of the best of many videos I've seen (incl. the overview at the end) on parasitic draws -keeping doors closed, waiting until car goes to sleep, side things like keys, aftermarket systems, and isolating circuits, etc... Yes all are "commonly known" yet also easy to forget when seeing amp draw and wanting to troubleshoot & fix it...
Many others start with the amp draw without mentioning some of these... So, Great video & info !
Great video! I did not have a parasitic draw when I hooked up my multimeter, but being able to diagnose and rule it out is great knowledge to have.
I've been working on cars most of my life, and found this video very helpful because there were a number of things that I would have never thought of! Thank you so much for posting it.
there are many things wrong with this video, look at other videos
@@RandolphRC What is wrong with this video? I've watched many and this one seems to be very succinct.
I'm an avionics technician on Military aircraft. Not having the wire diagram for a car sucks. Your information is spot on, excellent. My friends 2016 Durango had a .089 draw. Pulling the TCM fuse didn't do anything but it did when the fuse was put back in. We had a similar issue on "my" aircraft where a computer shuts down on battery power but failed to. Drained the aircaft battery. Thank you!
Because of your video, I fixed my battery drain. The amps dropped with the radio fuse out. I guess that's a common thing. So I am keeping the fuse out. No radio but have a running farm truck. Thank you!
Patty Daniello be u
Patty Daniello Nice!
I love this young man, guess it's too late to adopt him. The kind of person I would enjoy knowing! I have been turning wrenches for over 70 years and still learning. Thanks Eric!
Rev. David I am always learning too! But only been turning wrenches for about 16 years.
Just wanted to thank you for your video. I knew nothing about this. 2008 impala went through 3 battery’s in 2 years. Drain on interior light/dimmer fuse. Looked at all the int lights and they weren’t on. Finally found a wiring diagram for that fuse and one of the things it ran were map lights. Got in the car and on the mirror were 2 buttons. One on and one off. Pushed it in and drain gone. Would have never got there without your help.
You left your dome light switch on. That'll be $180.
Gotta pay the man for his time...
Nobody work for free !!
Mohannad Jaradat And then you have to pay for the knowledge used. Most of the diagnostic stuff takes a ton of time to learn. Now if you say it's really easy and you can do it yourself then do it yourself or pay the man for his time. Fucking freeloaders I swear.
What?! Says the customer
You didnt know what to do, I did. You pay me for what I know not what I do
This video is a plethora of information Be sure to watch the entire video as he explains possible causes. Don't guess USE KNOWLEDGE
This is one of the best videos I've seen on RUclips, very informative. I feel much smarter now, thanks Eric.
daniel w Some minor logic applied here would have saved him some time for the first half of video... plus if he's pulled the fuses for the doors he could eliminate the need to disconnect the battery between fuse boxes and eliminated the automatic windows as the cause of the power draw.
Thank you so much sir. I am a single mom and have to do as much diagnostic testing and work on my 93 Acura Integra as I can, I'm doing this parasitic draw test tomorrow, thanks to your lesson!
This is helpful even years later. I have a 2006 BMW e60 5 series with a heavy drain. it was in the local Christchurch (NZ) dealers because I THOUGHT they would surely be the one to track it down but nooo they spent 7 hours on it and failed to find the draw. Price for this 7 hours of no result was about 800 NZ dollars. I was left utterly unimpressed and my wife was upset. So far I tested the bonnet switch and that seemed ok and the fuel door is also ok. Apparently known for being possible areas of drain. At one point they thought it was the passenger door but that didnt prove to be true. This car does not have comfort access so that is not the issue either. I have removed the fuse for the alarm and will see if that solves the issue at least till we can afford another go at with someone better than the dealer... From watching Erics video it looks like pulling fuses one by one will surely find the area of drain.
there are alot of bad techs at the dealer
They should not charge you if they did not fix anything...
that sucks, hope you did not pay that
Curious if you found the problem following this video.
Black Terminal , did you solve the problem?
Eric, you are THE CAR GUY. Thanks for doing the video. It was well presented, understandable and detailed without becoming needlessly complex.
You my friend are a lifesaver. I’ve been holding out for a couple years but lately the battery draw has been worse ! My starter and alternator and everything checked out and replaced my battery multiple times thinking it was faulty ! Chatted with a few people and eventually thought maybe it’s a parasitic draw? I’m not a car guy at all, I don’t know what half the things are on a vehicle but I studied up just a bit and followed your video religiously. I have a 2008 Scion tc, when I was checking how much amp was being drawn I was getting about 0.20 and it would spike up to almost 0.50. Decided to start first on the fuses in the engine compartment, and lo and behold I pulled one out and it immediately went down to 0.00 and sometimes 0.03 at best. You saved me so much money and I only spent about 30-50$ at harbor freight ! I have no knowledge on none of this but you my friend saved me Thankyou !
What was it?
This really helped me find the parasitic drain on my wife's '96 Pontiac Grand Am. Too bad it won't help me fix the rusted out engine cradle and rockers!
I did recognize that sound!! I'm just home from picking up my father. He called and said the engine was done for and needed towing and wanted me to come get him. So I drove according to his directions (for some time - he was in the middle of nowhere!) and when I got to him I tried starting the car and it did THAT exact same sound! And because I saw your video we checked the battery with a multimeter (bad battery 6.8 volt), connected the two cars and within ten minutes managed to start his car and were on our way to his house. Thank you Eric!
All you did was jump the car..........you didn't fix the problem................
Thanks Eric, So glad you did this on my engine. It also was the overhead door/dome switch. I see 548 negatives , dealership techs, no doubt.
I learn so easily from you Eric! Thank you so much! AND I especially like the precautions you point out as to not destroy anything (which has been my specialty!)
VERY IMPORTANT ! When you connect the leads of your meter, to the meters "Amps" sockets, it doesn't matter what the dial of the meter is set on, the meter will be flowing AMPS. In other words, if you set the dial to Volts and you try to measure Volts, but the leads are connected to Amps, POOF, your meter will INSTANTLY and silently blow it's Amps fuse (or burn up something). Yes, I have done it more than once.
There are dozens of us . gif
Excellent video, 10 years ago and it is still relevant. Covered everything and didnt miss a detail. Thank you for taking the time to make this!
Eric, you are one of the best RUclips educators out there. Thank you for these most excellent vids.
Thank you Eric, I am a shade tree mechanic, and was looking just to find out what was an acceptable parasitic loss, but I had always tested the amp draw by taking out the fuse and bridging the fuse terminals. A lot more work, your way is much easier and faster, great tip! Unfortunately for me, I have a 0.15A draw, which explains the dead battery.
Thank you for posting. Using this technique I was able to identify and repair a parasitic current draw issue on my 2009 Honda Civic. Turns out it was the AC Magnetic Clutch relay was staying engaged. Replaced the $7 relay and the problem is gone. Thank you!
Here's a little tip to protect your app meter from shorting out. Actually the meter already has a fuse in it but often it's a pain to replace it and you also need a special fast blow fuse. The fast blow fuse is important, can't get it at the automotive shop. Most cases the meter case has to be opened to replace the fuse. To ovoid all this put in a sparkless or electronic fuse inline with the meter leads, a few amps lower than your meter's rating. Don't use the thermo breaks you normally find at the auto parts store. These are for head lights. What you want is the sparkless or electric type used in racing. You can find them for a couple of bucks on-line. These breakers prevent sparks when wires are shorted to ground and reset as soon as the short is ended. Good idea to use these fuses in jumper wires too. In fact that's what I use is a jumper wire with one of these fuses in it for amp readings. Makes allot of electrical work safer since sparks are prevented when shorts happen.
Thats really smart tnx
Thanks Eric for your easy to understand & easy to follow videos. This is another great diagnostic video that helped me figure out why my battery keeps dying. You're the best!
This video is truely helpful. My car has a battery draw hugging me all the time. I know how to test draw but what he said in the end about a possible glove box light really hit me. Fixed my problem.
Disabling the door switch at 7:22. I've also seen similar switches to detect if the hood is open. Some cars do this standard, others have aftermarket alarms with such a switch. Check for and disable them as well.
Samniss Arandeen There is also usually an under-hood light that turns on.
+Samniss Arandeen I didn't understand that part of the video. What is he doing with the wood plank?
Camron Conway the door light switch is pushed back in with the wood and clamp. To keep the dome light from coming on while the door is open.
Oh okay, thank you
Yeah although you made this vid 9.5 years ago, it's still very helpful - great teaching style Eric. Tks.
I just used your method and found a 6.3 amp draw on my interior lights. I cleaned all the contacts and the 50 amp fuse and im reading 0.0 amp draw. thanks Eric you saved me 150 bucks.
Dude you rock, thank you so much for this video. Now it’s time to pull some fuses and see what’s pissing me off.
Keep these videos coming
Sorry to hear the door switch is depressed at 7:29
Allen Mundorff it later took its own light.
Nice one Rick (insert rimshot here)
Scuze me, at first I thought you said "rim-job" JAJAJA!
Look on the bright side. When God closes a door, he opens a window.
If someone clamped a board to your button to keep you from getting turned on, you would get depressed, too.
I like his methodical, logical and concise approach to troubleshooting the issue while giving critical warnings and useful hints.
I invested in a mutimeter, watched this video and found the problem (The dash clock).
Thanks. Eric.
My mind - much like the damaged fuse I found - was blown. Thanks Eric!
Edited: Actually, I was wrong. It was a blown dome light that was ON for me too LOL
I've seen many of Eric's vids but this may have been most educational. Often I'm looking something specific and just need review of steps, but this was the clearest way to understand and troubleshoot the electrical gremlins that freak most people out.
Excellent video, Eric! You give consistently reliable advice. And I thank you for that. But you are also more articulate than most of the folks out there on TV that commentate professionally, in ANY field. So, it's always a pleasure to watch your videos. You get straight to the point in a clear, and concise manner. 👍
Edit...Also, what multimeter brand (& model) was that? And what do you currently recommend? I like the one you are using in this video. But I do realize this was recorded 9 years ago. Maybe consider adding a current affiliate link into this video for your best sub $100 meter. Ok, sub $200. 😁 If one had been in the info I would have followed it. Thanks!
Yeah...I would LOVE to know that too. I'm pretty sure that he's using a Fluke. Which one? Not sure. I would LOVE to know as well. I also want to know about the battery tester he was using. It's a nice one. Maybe, you know this...I was looking at some nice carbon load testers online, trying to find one that covers a bunch of different types of batteries, diff. voltages and one that will test ...not only the battery itself and load testing but starter motor amperage draw and even cranking amps(same thing I think). I wonder if his does this extra stuff. My guess .. probably not. It's probably just a battery tester only but his is a nice one. People who have the analog ones, say that they're awesome ..I e...They have a lot of extra functions (like the aforementioned ones). Any help would be greatly appreciated...👍😁...P.S. Love Floyd!! Rock on!! 🎸🤟
This makes so much goddamn sense that it makes me feel like I lack certain amounts of common sense...
There is no guarantee that you will grind it in the fuses. You need a very expensive tester to find this if it's not the fuse
@@harrynbrandy8915 mine ended up being the alternator or something, I forgot cause it was so long ago. Still found it with a basic multimeter. Although, the vehicle was from the 80s so new stuff is probably harder
@@harrynbrandy8915 the 3.00 Harbor Freight multi meter will work just fine for this...
Don't sweat it mate! Common sense is the least common of the senses. Or so they say...
Hahaha true
Great video. And the only video I’ve found that warns about opening the door and disabling the door switch to do the test. Thank you!
I learned more from this tutorial than any other viewed over the years....THANK YOU. I now subscribed!
Very nicely done, thorough and comprehensive.
dude i took my car to the same shop three times for this same problem and they gave me some bs and charged me each time. sent a 10 second video to my friends cousin whos a mechanic and immediately he said parasitic draw. this video kept me from selling my van. everything you are saying is easy to follow and makes me super pissed that the shop didnt handle it. anyway thanks for the help
I always used a test light, unhook the ground and hook up the test light between the ground cable and the battery ground. if there is a draw the test light will be lit, pull use fuse at a time until the test light goes out then you know the circuit you need to examine
Sup Erick? Great video like always. I had to send this to a guy customer so he can see that you use amps not volts to test for parasitic loads. He think he knows more than me. Don't know why he hired me...you know the type
Why do you use amps and not voltage? It may be a dumb question but I am curious.
@@DJTourniquet Because you test the current flowing "through" the wire. You test voltage "across" something that causes a voltage drop due to resistance. An ammeter actually checks voltage drop across an internal, calibrated shunt resistor and then calculates the resulting current due to Ohm's Law. There are probably some good RUclips videos on how to use a multimeter that can go into more detail.
@@cyborgdale Ahhhh, thanks man. I always wondered but none of the guys I worked with could give a straight answer.
This video is spot on!! Used it to find a draw on my gx470, turned out to be some old aftermarket stereo stuff that I forgot was there. Removed it, no more draw. Thanks for your help Eric!!!
Determined that the parasitic draw in my 04 Dodge Dakota was coming from a faulty ignition switch which was very hard to find. Might be of use to someone.
I may have a similar issue with my dodge Dakota, how did you go about finding the ignition switch to be bad? I watched the video but how did you go about testing for the switch to be bad?
Thank you, this may be the issue on my 88 S10. I was hoping it was as simple as the guy before me hotwiring the electric choke to a hot at all times but no luck and back to square one.
Thank you Sir! Found my draw on my '03 Silverado pretty fast with your instructions. A/C Relay being fed by the 10A AC fuse. Fixed!
My 03 Tahoe brains a battery in 4 days. Which relay?
@@MegaHowtoMan Mine was the A/C clutch relay which had stuck in the closed posistion.
I like the way he explains, easy to understand and gives effective points. I take automotive class at Garden City Community College, KS. The instructor shows this guy''s explanation about the car problem and diagnostic almost every class. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Ita always the last fuse you pull...
That is so true ! Same when try to find the right circuit breaker in your house , allways the last one.
Yeah, why would you keep pulling fuses when you found the problem fuse?
Whoosh!!!
Should have pulled that one first ! LOL !!! ;-)
Of course,it would really be stupid to keep pulling fuses after you found the problem.;)
Good video, but if you don't have an amp meter just use a dome light bulb (or tail/ brake light bulb will work) with a pair of wires on both leads, the bulb will light up if there is a draw of current and you won't have to worry about any damage being done ( save your VOM for more important issures ).
That was OK years ago, but, you can't use a test light on vehicles with computer modules. Using a test light on these vehicles will yield inaccurate test results.
Charlie Atkins That depends on what you are looking for as a current draw. I do troubleshooting for a lot of garages when it comes to electric issues and using a light bulb is for the fuse box test only, mostly for finding overnight batter drain problems. It's important to note that using a LED light will not be accurate because of a one way connection (diode) and very little current is needed to cause it to light. All cars today will have some draw as the ecm eprom circuit is on all the time.
Robert Brunner "mostly for finding overnight batter drain"
I'll keep that in mind next time I bake from scratch ! :--)
Fantastic Video! Definitely one of the better ones out there for us complete novices. The fact you mentioned to change the port on the volt meter to Amps was great.
You just saved me a crap load of cash. Thanks Bud
What you are doing will work, however, every time you disconnect the battery you lose memory which isn't terrible, butt also when you reconnect the battery via your DVOM you wake up modules. On vehicles such as Ford it can take up to 45 minutes for these modules to go to sleep and you cannot accurately test for parasitic draw while these modules are active!!! If you do it the way you show in your video Eric you must be sure to never break electrical connection, I.E backup battery supply while you hook your DVOM in series, and then remove the back up supply before you start testing. Instead of pulling fuses it is much easier and faster to do a voltage drop across the fuse. If there is current flowing you will see it on a voltage drop because current flow is RESISTANCE!! Resistance shows up on a voltage drop test!! But remember...there is more than one way to skin a cat.
You must disconnect the battery to put the meter in series. You must break the electrical connection. The only thing you can do is pull ECM fuse first or wait 45 min.
if you look at the end of his video he point out what you said and more.
If you have a top post battery, the meter connection can be done without breaking the electrical connection, by putting the positive meter probe through the center of the terminal and the negative probe on the terminal. Withdraw the terminal from the post carefully and the meter will maintain the connection without restarting the ECM.
No need to stand around waiting for the systems to go back to sleep after disconnecting and reconnecting.
FANTASTICALLY EXPLAINED
For many years I don’t see something so nice
CONGRATULATIONS and
Thanks
Use your phone video camera in the trunk or glovebox to see if light stays on.
what if you are intelligent and do not have a cell phone
@@trillrifaxegrindor4411 then you would be intelligent and screwed up for that matter
Thanks for the information. I just want to point out that bad alternator causes parasitic draw as well.
Literally what I needed. 3, 4 videos... Yours is simple, easy to understand, and awesome! I was immediately able to help determine the source of my parasite.
No literally
scientific precision in explanation, thank you
The suspense is unbearable.
I like this video because Eric the car guy is really knowledgeable and goes in depth with his videos including a 16 min instructional in testing a car battery
what do you do if your looking for a parasitic draw on small motor cycle or scooter that only has one Fuse? Would you unplug the light bulbs?
Roger SoCalBeaches
I say in this case the battery it self is just near the end of life and can't keep the power. There is a possibility that something like STOP switch is shorted and does provide power to bulb but not enough to let it light up but than again those things are after ignition switch.
Disconnect anything that draws power one by one. Disconnecting that one fuse didn't decrease the draw?
Come on people show Eric some love
This was definitely the best way to find the culprit causing the drain,for an amateur.Thanks Eric
Thank you Eric, very well explained and really helpful.
I have a draw that kills my battery over night and it never did this before I replaced the alternator with a rebuilt one, can a alternator cause a parasitic draw and still put out charging current when the engine is running?
A properly installed alternator can't have a parasitic draw. If there was a malfunction it would only happen while the key was engaged because the alternator is wired through the active fuse group and isn't permanently in the circuit. It's more likely that the new alternator isn't at fault and it's just damage done to the battery while the old one was failing. Most cases the alternator failure isn't addressed properly until the battery has already undergone a significant drain which will put it in a crippled state and chemically unable to hold a proper charge.
Back when dinosaurs ruled the earth bad alternator diodes could cause a parasitic current draw. I guess that changed ...
Marti woodchip yes it can, mines did in my old lincoln, it was a 86, ancient.. I had to take it to an electrical shop to find out it was the cause of my draw.. replacing was easy, did that myself..but finding it.. ha!
Well explained Eric, I really hate these newer vehicles however one comes through the shop every now and then. Thank you sir!
Without watching this video I would have probably blow up my multimeter.
Some (most?) multimeters have a replaceable fuse (usually rated at 10A).
to initially make the parasitic draw determination, you could clip one end of the DMM to the negative battery terminal, then put the pointed probe tip on the battery post, and carefully lift up the cable terminal to disconnect the cable. That way it doesn't restart the ECU on those newer vehicles and display a misleading reading due to waking the ECU. Just drop back down to restore the battery connection.
Or hook the leads up and wait a few mintues til it settles down
Yes a good point I just posted a comment on this , especially on luxury cars
Very good video, very clear instructions and good easy voice to listen to. No waffle this guy is a super top professional with good communication skills. One of the best on RUclips. Well done sir. If anyone says your crap it means they are jealous of your skills.
I love when George Clooney shows me car stuff.
George Clooney probably doesn't know how to change a tire.
@@packrat76 George Clooney probably doesn't drive his car.
@@ricky-sanchez what does that have to do with the fact he's a priss?
He looks like Devon Larratt man 😂
He has George 's voice.
WOW George Clooney is here :D
Eric, I have a 2011 Ford Fusion with a parasitic draw that I cannot wait to diagnose with the new skill you just taught me. Thank you thank you thank you!
SO SO SO SO VEEEERRRYY helpfull.! Thanks for the knowledge.!
Great video Eric! Thank u for explaining this in layman's terms. U made it very easy to understand & identify a parasitic draw. I wanna marry this guy. #genius ☺
What about the car alarm, which on many cars comes on as soon as the car is locked. Can this be sufficient to drain the battery over time? How many amps should it be drawing?
Aaaah, so THAT'S how you check...
Thanks. I'll be checking my new car this week.
man, this guy is as cool as a cucumber.
Sid with sour cream ?
He has come a long long way and I for one am happy for him.
I had a cucumber I left outside in the sun and it was NOT cool.
Cool Cats don’t think Cucumbers are Cool..!!!
Been subbed for years.... this was such a great video that I searched up and found this. I was thinking how do you deal with the door??? Your solution was so simple and elegant. Thumbs up!
when I started this video, I thought it was young GEORGE CLOONEY,,until I seen the pony tail....haha
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Yup , dude. You could do partys ,as a mock cloony , you even talk like Chicago a little ...get a guy , maybe work on your e.r. vocabulary . Or you could do silent camieos in independent films
Please HELPP!
I got my Prelude in the summer of 2015. I bought it used on Craigslist. It is lowered, has aftermarket headlights as well as sound-system.
I used if from July-October with no issues. Mid October I removed insurance and left it on my front lawn for November-December. In January I decided to reinsure.
I had issues starting it since I left it alone for the few months.
At first, it would not start. I checked my battery terminals and they were loose. Then my car worked for a few weeks.
Again, my car stopped starting. Deduction lead me to go get the battery replaced. I bought a battery from mechanic A. Got it installed. Car still would not work. So I wen't to go get an alternator from mechanic B. Mechanic B said that actually, my battery was bad even though I just got it form Mechanic A. Bought a new battery from Mechanic B. Car worked for a day or two. Went to go buy a refurbished Alternator from Mechanic C, was told that my Alternator was definitely the issue and my battery was OK.
Got the new Alternator. Car worked for a few days. Went to start it, now it was not starting again. Took car to more upscale and reputable Mechanic D. I had an AVR Test done and Mechanic D told me my alternator I just bought 4 days ago was shit because it was second hand and it was not charging my battery. So I bought a brand NEW Alternator.
Once again, car worked for a few days. But eventually, I would go to start the car and it would not start.
Called Mechanic D. Wen't back to them and had an electrical diagnosis AGAIN. They told me they could not find anything.
I was able to drive the car home. They must have charged the battery. Within a few days, the car would not start again. I got my neighbour to come check it out. He noticed that when my parking lights are on, my engine would slow down and so he said they were draining a lot of power. We determined this just by listening to the engine. My after-market bright headlights did NOT drain as much power as my duller parking headlights.
And now I am here.
Every time I would not be able to start the car, I would be able to get it going with jumper cables. I have checked every light and electrical thing I can find and I cant say that anything is staying on and drawing the battery from what I can tell.
Before I contacted my neighbour, the car, unlike any other time, made clicking noises while I tried to start it but since then, that has not happened. I used it the other day after jump starting it and it was fine.
So as of now, the things i can say are...
1.) It seems that once I go 1 day without driving, It will be dead when I go to start it
2.) My engine did definitely slow down, and my neighbour read a battery draw, when I turned OFF my bright headlights and my parking headlights automatically come on.
This is been an ongoing issue now since January-ish and it is obviously quite frustrating. Im not very car savvy. I want to call Mechanic D again but I do not really see what they can do since they told me last time they COULD NOT find anything. It is not apparent that they know bout the parking lights though.
Any help would be greatly appreciated, hopefully everything makes sense.
Thanks a lot!!
With the aftermarket headlights and the upgraded sound system you might need a high output alternator. One that produces more amps for your needs. Sounds maybe like the original is just not enough.
+Daniel Smith thank you
+Michael Oliver disconnect your headlights or your amp or whatever, and see if it drains again..
+Michael Oliver Have you been successful at measuring the actual parasitic current draw ? Make sure you take the reading after the car went to "sleep". With today's electronics, it may take few minutes or more. I'm lucky enough to have a DMM which has a data logging feature, which makes it much easier to establish the triggering point, without having to stay next to the vehicule all that time. BTW, on some cars the lights will stay on for few minutes after you turn off the engine. This is why it is important to take the readings on a car that has been snoozing for a bit.
It’s the sound system. I have one in my car, subs/amps constantly draw power even when the car is off. You need a breaker for the subs, that will cut power to them when the car is off.
Thanks again for showing the test. I work on vehicles occasionally and always forget how to test for this. Your vid is to the point and lots of info! Much appreciated!
It's always the interior dome light/ radio fuse
I had a sticky trunk light switch one time. Try sourcing that! (It stayed on after the trunk was closed)