The BEST Way TO Perform a Parasitic Draw Test
The BEST Way TO Perform a Parasitic Draw Test
Parasite current draw tests can be a nightmare. When a car has battery drain proper testing is vital to finding the problem. This is the best way I have found to perform a Current Draw Test!
Chart for MV drop to Current draw ~ https://bit.ly/3v5XgXw
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Join me as we discuss:
~ Equipment needed for test
~ Proper Battery voltage
~ Testing DVOM leads
~ Prepping the car for PID test
~ Measuring fuses
~ Using the current draw chart
~ Isolating the circuit
~ STOP PULLING FUSES!
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disclaimer:
The content of this video is available for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for the professional advice of a mechanic who has personally inspected your vehicle, nor does it create a relationship of any kind between the Humble Mechanic and you. Every situation may be different, and the Humble Mechanic does not make any warranties, whether express or implied, as to the accuracy, fitness, or applicability of the information or automotive parts portrayed in this video to any project and makes no guarantee of results. The Humble Mechanic and any sponsors of this video will not be liable for any damages related to personal injury, property damage or loss of any kind that may result from the use or reliance on this video and/or any automotive parts represented in this video. You are using the information and automotive parts portrayed in this video solely at your own risk.
Talk talk talk and nothing đ”âđ«
Is the land Rover trunk release switch drain the battery if this switch is broken ?I have change the battery 3months from now and still draining .
I went to the website to look for the chart I couldn’t find it
Why canât you simply set the multimeter to read amps instead of volts as you touch the leads to the fuse pins? Wonât you get the amp reading directly for the circuit instead of going to a chart?
Very thorough , thanks
â@5:40-47 Why is the voltage dropping across the fuse ? Is that the meter or the circuit settling ?
Iâve been a tech for 25 years. Just letting you know.
I fully charged my battery yesterday, about half an hour later the voltage decreased from 12.45 to 12.35, and in less than 24 hours it’s gone down to 3 volts.. My multimeter said there was a draw of 14 miliamps which is acceptable, right? After that I even took out 4 fuses I wasn’t using for things like the radio, the cigar lighter, convertable roof (which the car doesn’t even have) and I think the subwoofers. Is it possible the battery is messed up even though it can be fully charged? Two mechanics have told me that the alternator is fine otherwise the car wouldn’t be able to power itself. The battery is from 7/2022. I’ve tried to diagnose and fix this so many times, I’m about to just bring it somewhere though I’d much rather fix it myself.. any advice?? No lights were left on by accident, everything is off.
Good video.
Lol. Yeah what about an older car /2001?
You lost me at the shia leBeuf beard đ
Hey man I have a car with a parasitic drain somewhere, 1.33 amps. I pulled every fuse in the car and idk where to go next, I got no drop from anything.
Why not use the FLUKE 73 to test the battery voltage prior to starting on the fuse panel, why use the BLUE POINT DMSC683 – thank you! #SoConfused
How are you testing – and + on fuses, they are all in the + line connection
Just get to the point dude fuck
Think I might buy a Passat for the fuse box location alone. Brilliant thinking VWâŠ
Thank you. Very helpful demonstration.
Awesome…. how does YT know.. I have this problem right now in my Landcruiser
The specification for post 1996 OBD2 vehicles is 30-50 mA, and 0-20mA for 1996 and older. IMO, it’s much simpler to put your meter between the negative batt cable and battery to check for draws, than this more time-consuming method that you outline, especially when you factor in fuse panel location issues that are problematic to get test equipment in to. Once you confirm a P/D, monitor your meter while pulling fuses to isolate the sub-circuit, and then a wiring diagram to perform process-of-elimination. #morethanonewaytoskinacat
Awesome! Thank you!
Nice video…pretty impressive…didn’t blink once…except for maybe at 10:46 of the video.
very well done.
great video. one question….I have a truck with 2 batteries. Do I unhook the ground on both batteries ? This is rather new to me. thanks.
I was clean shaven too.. help!!
Couldnât get all locked and left open. Alarm kept going off. Still tested all. Measured .24 at data link connector/driver seat module. Not a mechanic and not sure if that is impactful enough to chase. Battery dies overnight. Just trying to see what I can figure out with dealership telling me 3 weeks min to look at
đ
I have a 2004 Chrysler Crossfire. Over the last few years two seemingly unrelated things started to happen. The first was that when driving on hot days – say more than 33 DegC [91.5 DegF] – the Security Alarm would start and would eventually stop after lifting the bonnet (to cool things under there down). The second was that the virtually new heavy duty battery would not hold its charge more than about a month or so. I finally decided to address them with the battery-drain being the first; and, following this videoâs instructions to the letter, found that all fuses gave less than 0.1 mV EXCEPT the one which combined the interior roof light, the boot light and the Anti-Theft Alarm Unit, which gave a reading of 0.6 mV. Upon disconnecting the Alarm Unit the reading on the fuse (No 9 in my car) dropped to 0.1 mV. Obviously the Alarm Unit has a fault, which Iâm going to follow-up. So, THANK YOU VERY MUCH âThe Humble Mechanicâ for your really useful method of finding battery drain problems. In my case itâs solved 2 problems at once!! đđ
so whats a good mv # thats acceptable
The doors and such, never thought of that, especially on these modern electric nightmares they pass off on us as transportation.
Apparently everyone in here is a tech of 25 years. If you don’t know the basics of testing draw and how it has evolved with modern cars. Maybe its time to retire…
I need to do this for my 2006 mustang gt. These cars are notorious for killing the battery in a day or two if not driven every day. Many think it’s the radio or active theft draining the battery.
I’ve been a tech for 27yrs, but only really started doing diagnostics 16yrs ago, and a Suzuki master tech for 4yrs. Anyway, how come I’ve never heard of this method for checking circuit drains!? Lol, live and learn. (I of course have heard of volt drop testing for bad connections etc). Maybe with my new job (I’ll be starting at BMW next month), they’ll teach me that in a future training course? (I’ll tell ’em, too late, Humble Mechanic already taught me that đ).
I’d normally disconnect the battery and have my DMM inline showing current draw, but like you said this can reset modules, which it did when I was checking for an intermittent drain on my 08 M3, after a few attempts I simply left my DMM plugged in for a few hours (whilst I did other work) until it played up, (turned out to be the ‘touch’ sensor on the drivers door handle was intermittently waking the CDL/CAS module(s?)).
This is a very useful great method thanks so much for helping us out with that.
What about putting your DVOM (10Amp rating) in series and a intermittent windshield wiper (40Amp) ‘kicks’ in and out ….will that blow the DVOM’s fuse??
Learned something new every day and this was it!!!
Thank you very much for explaining about the fuses and market I’m not good job
Giving away the secrets to curing parasitic drains I see. Lol. JK. Great video, Sir! I wish more people understood how to do these types of simple tests. Along with just how easy electrical can be on cars. Don’t over think it. Electricity is a river. Voltage is the amount of water trying to flow, the electrical pressure of a circuit, if you will. Amps, are merely the speed the river flows at. Ohms, is essentially a beaver dam in the river blocking the flow, a resistance in the river/circuit. This is what I tell people to help explain it as simple as possible. I had an old man explain it to me like this and electrical made sense, ever since.
I love the way the American mechanics call themselves â master techsâ, and declare their decades of experience, and then tell us they just learnt how to do the simplest of tasks on YouTube, that we were all trained up to do, as teenage apprentices.
Master techsâŠ..lol lol
Ok so once you find a draw. What is the fix? Say for example, radio draw.
Lotta good info here! Just don’t understand why all the doors, hood, and trunk latches need to be open but latched when you only really need to do that with the driver door that you need open to be able to access the fuse panel?
Ran into problems trying to do parasitic draw test after watching videos where they pull the fuses. Aside from forums (TDI Club, VW Vortex), this has been the most straightforward explanation on how to see if anything is draining my battery. Thank you!!
I struggle with math. Any ways do do this without doing charts?
I guess I’m old and have only old vehicles i.e. 25 years old or more. For those older OBD II and OBD I vehicles without the super computers and individual control modules of today’s vehicles, why not just put the amp meter section of your meter in place of the fuse to see what kind of draw you may be getting?
I don’t understand still can someone help me. So after the car is put to sleep and u start testing fuses if it shows zero wouldn’t that mean there is no draw? In the video he turned on the component to that fuse to get a reading. If he had a parasitic draw wouldnt there be a reading with all components off? I have a 2015 accord have just installed a brand new alternator. Bout a week later my 6 year old battery went out now iv3 gone through 3 different batteries cause all the reserves were eaten up. Which tells me there’s gotta be a draw somewhere or I’m buying the wrong type of battery. After the first two batteries I went through I upgraded to the v6 version of my cars battery. I got a efb 24f battery have found thst most people with my car get agm battery. but an efb and agm are very similar and in terms of powering all the electronics and sensors efb is supposed to be superior so I dont think my new efb battery is the culprit. Im thinking I have a draw somewhere so im trying to understand this draw test but am confused cause he had to turn stuff on tk get a reading. I thought if u have a draw and upon testing with everything off u would see a reading? Idk anyone please help me understand s little better ive been fighting my car for 2 months now and have spent so much money on it getting new this and that and nothing has worked
Could not find the chart you mentioned
the link for the voltage drop form is not Power Probe
Interesting approach! Thank you sir
Would this chart help me out on a 97bmw z3 got a draw killing battery overnight
Anyone with a 2000ish subaru forester figure out the parasitic battery drain overnight
7:09 Correction: 1006 milliamps equals 1.006 amps. I think you got that already. Otherwise good presentation, thx