What's draining the battery on this '01 Mercedes SLK320? CAR WIZARD shows how to find power draws
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- čas přidán 19. 03. 2021
- This 2001 Mercedes SLK320's battery keeps going dead after a couple days. The CAR WIZARD 🧙♂️ shows how to track down pesky power draws in just minutes. No more hair pulling or cursing, a simple trick to find those illusive power drains.
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who ever disliked this video is miserable this video is full of knowledge to give it a dislike smh
Russian bots :-)
@@TinS0lder If I want to be entertained professionally, I am looking for a TV show. I am viewing these videos because there is a ton of information for the car enthusiast coming directly from the workbench. As a non native english speaker I also enjoy the clear and very undertsndable speach. Thank you, Mr. Wizard!
What makes these videos even better is the very good work with the camera. Thank you Mrs. Wizard!
Now there’s 47 Thumbs Down. Why!!??
Is it ever informative!
People have to vent somehow. I'd rather they click dislike on a bunch of videos if it means they don't take it out on their families. Sad but true.
They don’t call him the Wizard just because he has a big staff. He’s truly a wizard at this stuff.
we'll have to ask Mrs Wizard is he has a big staff or not ;)
They call him the Wizard because of the beard!
@@michaelwittmann4898 😂
@@stephentrout7879 😂
Why not both?
The irony of potentially being stranded because of your SOS button.
It’s not a Save Our Soles button.
It’s a Shorting Out Slk button.
😂
Souls but soles could apply as well!
Lol. So true.
@@pfsantos007 some just dont want to walk home you know?
Cars from the early 2000 's use the 911 emergency call button based on cellular networks that are no longer available so even if you wanted to fix it would not connect you to anything.
Came to the comments section to post this same thing. The network that button (and car phones in the 90s etc) used to use is now dead.
@@dn8764 I never knew that there was a special network.
Just imagine if your SOS button connected you with a tech-savvy serial killer who had a special phone that picked up those out of date SOS alerts... "Stay right where you are sir. I'll be along in just a little while....to strangle you!". :0/
@@williamr3840 That's a good question actually there should be a way to either upgrade those systems to 4G or 3G or some other phone system so people can still safely use them.
And the missing network causes the module to permanently search for a network which takes much more power than being connected to a network....
That said every car that has this system should have a battery drain...
Maybe its just me but when you were touching the fuses with the amp hound thing, the suspense of waiting to see the number jump was real lol.
Amusing to see the spares tested as well
😦👍👏😬
Same.
When Mrs. Wizard began closing in on the screen of the Vantage with her camera, I could hear Eric O's voice in the background saying "Enhance, enhance, enhance..."
I was saying it out loud if I'm honest...
well at least he didn't say "in the pile" from Vehcor
I was literally thinking about a battery draining situation yesterday and what I would do. Today, The Wizard answers my thoughts.
Used same technique to find: the horn ground wire through firewall gasket was grounding out, and current through horn ALL the time draining battery. IDIOTS at shop could not figure it out. Ran new wire through firewall - fixed.
I have a car that has to stay on a battery tender or the battery goes dead in a few days. Your video shows how to simply check for power draw. Since I have several cars that sit on battery tenders because they don't get driven very much, I ordered a better multi-tester and amp hound from your affiliate page.
This video is a lifesaver, thank you.
Keep in mind that the classic symptom of a bad battery is one that will self-discharge overnight. It may not be the car.
@@russellhltn1396 Same happens to my battery - when I put it on the b.tender it shows 12.5v and I leave it to get full and take it off the b.tender.. when I want to start the car in the morning it already throws a warning about the battery.. it also cranks longer.. I guess i should replace it
@@russellhltn1396 I found a half amp draw and shot it to the daytime running light relay. Replaced the relay, the draw is gone now.
Something about Car Wizard that's different! It's just so soothing and calming to watch expert husband and wife make videos about fixing cars. I would go ahead and even say that these videos are more entertaining than ChrisFix.
Instead of plucking fuses a guy could just measure voltage drop across the fuses. It's the same thing the amp hound does. You ever use that method wizard?
I came here to say the same thing. That's probably the way to go for a diy. The amp hound looks like a good tool for someone who does this all the time, but overkill for a casual mechanic.
Cheapest HF multimeter would find that just as quickly
Hey it's Eric. Thanks for the comment guys. I was thinking the same thing but wasn't sure.
I was just thinking the amp hound just measured the voltage drop. It just has convenient prongs. If I was doing this I would just pull the fuses as I've found that measuring such small voltages is a bit finnicky with a multimeter. Besides pulling the fuses is just as quick.
I thought about the same thing after watching one of your vids on parasitic draw Eric O.
Wizard is such a cool dude. So knowledgeable and humble.
I love both of you. It is soo nice to watch decent people creating helpful friendly videos. Thank you.
He is indeed a WIZARD: absolutely magic!! I have had this issue with my MERCEDES ML 350 2003; been to all the mechanics known to me; bought 3 new batteries, all to no avail. I was almost giving up, but I decided to find a solution online for my love for the car. Then stumbled into this video. Although I have not tried it yet, with a glimpse of hope, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. The tool has been ordered, and I will return to give my testimony. In the meantime, Thank you for a million OMEGA AUTO CLINIC!
Mr. WIZARD, you are the MAN!!! Thank You for your most precious time to inform those of us, whom own these nice little pieces.. I had a battery drain issue on my 01 too however after going through your videos and was hoping to duplicate the SOS issue that was not my problem, I was at a lost. Then I looked at this little black box under the hood that held several MIDI fuses. One in particular was the Alternator very high amperage. It was blown... hard to find without buying the entire box from Mercedes-Benz BUT Amazon sells them and that's what fixed my battery draw.... HOORAY for me... thanks to your due diligence in diagnosing to find the issue... I said to myself ... "SELF, would Mr. WIZARD give up?" Problem solved and fixed in 3 days. No more getting towed...
Love all your videos. I learn SO much.
I own a C-Class from the same era, a C320. It also had a parasitic battery drain issue. I traced it to the seat control module.
Ok. You just saved my tail...twice in this video alone. My '01 SL500 (r129) and a 740i (e38) constantly die due to not driving them often. The e38 has an old cell phone in it still. I'll use the AmpHound to trace the SL500 drain. Watch your vids often. the LS swap video is also helpful. Considering swapping LT1 out of 96 SS Impala for a 6.0L. You got a new subscriber. Thank you Car Wizard!
There`s no getting away from it. Wizards video`s are Brilliant. Whoever knocks them are not very bright when the video`s are so Informing They must be Watching Them With Their Eyes Shut Well done Wizard. Keep it up..
I love the straightforward, no condescending way Wizard teaches us. I greatly appreciate his approach.
Thanks Wizard, but here's my story which may help others. About 10 years ago, I went with a friend to buy a used car. It was a 1980's Honda City for just under NZ$1,000 . The car started up and ran great. As we were checking it over at his house, I noticed the radio didn't work. "No Worries" said the guy selling, "I just have to put a fuse in it". It had the typical old type barrel cylinder fuse in the power wire to the radio under the dash. He did so and the radio worked fine. Note that as an '80's simple car it did not have any advanced audio system, no alarm, no central locking etc. My friend bought the car and we did the legal formalities at a nearby post office agency etc etc. The car was great as a "daily driver" but if left for a few days without use, the battery would be flat. Now I've got one of those cheap voltmeter/multimeters which cost about $10, and which have an inbuilt Amp-meter up to 10 Amps capacity only. I lifted off one battery lead and interposed the testleads (similar to what Wizard did above with his much fancier meter) and it read about quarter of an Amp (250mA) current flow. That's equivalent to about a 3 watt load. I thought about it and checked the radio circuit thoroughly. Turns out there were TWO faults and the parasitic draw could only happen because they both occurred. Under the dash were 2 "power" wires. One ran through the "Ignition/Accessories On" and one was permanently powered. The "always powered" wire can be connected to a certain connector on some car radios to keep a clock memory alive. The car radio function normally being connected through the ignition. This radio was connected to the "always on" power. The car radio itself had a fault (or perhaps poor design from the factory?) that the tuning dial lamp, a 3 watt bulb, was "ON" all the time. Even when using the radio's own ON/OFF/Volume switch to turn the radio completely off, the lamp stayed fully on. However as we'd never used the car at night, we never arrived to see a glowing radio face in a darkened car, and hadn't noticed in daytime use. I connected the car radio, instead to the "Ignition/acc only" power wire, and after recharging the flat battery that once, it was fine for ever after ! Obviously the earlier owner had had flat battery problems and just left the fuse out of the radio wire, instead of checking to make sure he'd wired it up properly in the first place LOL
I always say when you buy a used car, get ready to fix or repair the item the last owner did not want to. Almost no one sells their "great working" used car unless it's got some costly repair staring at them. A typical used car will have something needing to be done( brakes, worn shocks, transmission issues, etc. I bought a 2007 Acura TL with a parasitic drain on the battery that caused me fits. Thanks to CZcams, many problems can be solved with little effort if you can do it yourself.
This channel is gold. I never fix my cars, however learning stuff from wizzard gives me a position of not paying a shop for bluff.
I thank you for the wealth of information that you freely share. I wish I could find a competent mechanic like you. I do my own work because of the countless scammy mechanics I have used. Thank you for teaching me how to diagnose problems. That puts me way ahead of most mechanics in Chicagoland. By the way, I have a CL600 with a battery drain. Thanks again.
Love these battery drain diagnosis videos!
Not too many videos on my car and most of them are half a$$ busters DIY videos in which none of them have any knowledge of what they're doing. Just a how to fix or replace, breaking things in the process. You, my friend, are awesome. A few problems on my 97 Merc E420 and you fixed one of them. Your explanations and knowledge go way further down the line than anyone else I've watched. Thank you much for your in-depth KB. Subed and Liked to stay informed here!
One of the best videos Wizard, these types of videos are so helpful. I really like your explanations and the in-depth process. You do an awesome job of informing us of what to look for if something doesn't work and I find it very helpful to know exactly what tools and gadgets you are using for diagnosing issues. Keep up the great content.
Car wizard, always a pleasure watching your videos.
Thanks Wizard and Mrs. Love the channel, always a teaching moment.
I went on your affiliate page and bought this and thanks to your video i will be able to try it out. There are no instructions in the box at all. Thanks Car Wizard
There’s another reason to get that tool, especially for modern cars. When you unplug and re-install fuses on computerized modules, the modules reboot and usually boot up, and depending on the car, sometimes it takes them quite a while to return to their base state. The reading on the ammeter jumps all over the place. That tool does not work like a normal ammeter. I’m pretty sure it detects the resistance across the fuse and then checks for a voltage differential across the fuse. If there is no current flowing, there will be no voltage differential at all. This means that the electrical systems of your car are not disturbed by the test procedure. Thanks for the tip, Wizard!
Finally, FINALLY. A how to. I was worried that this channel was going to become "Car show" type channel. Thank god!!! Thank you Mr and Mrs Wizard. You guys rock! Thank you!
Thank you for showing your diagnostic procedure. Very informative.
Thanks Wizard! I just ordered myself a little tester. Great idea. I have a multimeter but these testers are more convenient than working with two probes.
Dave, I can’t applaud you enough for your resourcefulness. Having worked my way through college as a Porsche tech in the 80’s. Which weren’t even as advanced as a new cvcc civic. I’m still smiling over your Air Flow meter test a couple months ago.
Especially with all the integration of so many components. All it takes is one facet to shut down reliability of entire vehicle. So I gotta figure these newer Mercedes have more wiring than Hubble Space Station. LoL
Fantastic. And your camera girl is cute Also. 👍🚙
Very simple and informative video on how to catch them battery drainer issues. Good work! The wizard did test out some of the reserve fuses that aren't actually connected to anything (yes Mercedes has some in almost every fuse box) but that's not a big deal. As for the engine bay space - the SLK R170 is in fact on the same platform (practically the same car) as is CLK W208 which has a V8 engines in it as well as a C-class W202 which has an I6 and a V8 engines in it. So space wise - they all fit like a dream. And I disagree on most comments here stating that the car is a wallet drainer - obviously you don't know Mercedes cars that well. This car is SOLID. As are most of the pre 2000 Mergs.
My CLK 500 has recently started draining the battery & this video is so helpful 👍🏼
Man I would love to have the Wizard as my mechanic
Great video!!!! Electric stuff is always a cluster for so many of us! Thanks Wizard!
Wizard, you can use a normal multimeter on the mV range to measure the voltage drop across each fuse if you don't have the 'Amp Hound' There are tables online which tell you the current for a given voltage drop on each rating of fuse. Basially doing the same as what your fancy device is doing just takes a bit more time to figure out the actual values but still better than fuse roulette.
Love the videos, keep them coming, You and Hoovie are some of the best!
Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Wizard. Free information. I always thought this would be a difficult thing to diagnose but it appears that it is quite simple. Thank you for your videos.
Great video wheee-zard, you're a patient & thorough instructor. Do more of these!
very instructive video! 18:06 Hayspost, yesterday: Yes ... it rained mud in NW Kansas. We've gotten reports from around Fairbury, Crete, and Lincoln that the light rain is leaving a thin film of mud on vehicles. Some have even noted that it has a bit of an orange/red tint like the soils of Oklahoma or Texas. Well, after looking back at satellite data over the past two days, our massive storm system kicked up a huge area of blowing dust (hot pink in the satellite image) which has since moved in the direction of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. Now today the light rain and drizzle is combining with the dust in the air to deposit a sort of muddy rain around the region.
Really interesting stuff ,
I had a power draw in my 996., I knew you could use an ammeter to find out where it was but it was good to see you going through the whole process to show exactly how to do it 👍🏻
That was one of the most helpful things, that I have ever seen. That tool is a jewel.
Thank you for that amazing episode. Very, very helpful for the uninitiated.
Please keep it up Mr (and Mrs) Wizard.
Best video yet, imo. Really interesting, thanks Wizard.
Great video! There are several other ways to get the same answer using different equipment but takes a lot more time and probably 2 people. I liked the AMP Hound so much, that I took your advice and bought one on-line today.
Thank you, Wizard! I have on 03 E55 that does this very thing. I travel for work, and disconnect the battery every time I have to leave the car. Otherwise, I start it every other day to charge the battery. I’ll be investing in that little tool, for this and other cars I own. There is an aftermarket stereo in the E55, so that is on the list of things to verify. I appreciate you forthright approach to the repairs, and in helping us.
I have a 05 Grand Cherokee that had a battery drain, so now I know how to check it out. Thanks Mr. and Mrs. Car Wizard!
One of your best videos Wizard!
Mr. and Mrs. Wizard seem to be great people. You can tell there great people.
Cool video and very informative, just found an amperage draw last weekend on our neighbor's Ford Mustang, turned out to be the factory alarm module was drawing .9 amp with key off and doors closed/dome light out. Disconnected the alarm and bypassed the ignition key lockout wires, and draw decreased to .07 amp. Car works great now, was going tango uniform overnight before.
Thank you for the Amazon link, ordered up a new Amp Hound unit as pulling fuses with small pliers is tedious!
You can also check for voltage drops across the fuses with a DVOM.
Thank you for your videos. I find them educational, and at times, humorous. Great troubleshooting video on finding the battery drain.
Thanks Wizard and Mrs., always something to learn
one of the more informative dianostic videos i've seen. thanks wizard.
Great vid. Super helpful. Thanks Wizard. Love the channel.
Awesome Video Wizard. From a UK fan .
Excellent tip Mr. Wizard
About as educational as it gets. Thanks Wizard!
Thank you Wizard and Mrs. Wizard for this very informative video!
Thanks for that. I had the CLK E230 on '99 plate and id bought it from my brother . it came with a set of jump leads that he said Id need.Took me a week to find the drain as I went around in circles a bit- but it was the alarm module- the NICAD had leached its fluid and short-circuited the control-board..
I can never get past the "listing to loud music" step expecially when blasting some Pantera!
A feller just needs to listen to the whole album, and that is going to leave me with a dead battery again!
Good work with the right tools!
DAMN Mr. Car Wizard 🧙♀️!
You did it again! 🪄
Nice video. I had a rover 214 and I had issues like this and turned out was caused by electric problem with reverse caused by a frayed cable in trunk.
I spent days researching this back in early 2000s before we had joy of the youtube channels like this.
I wish I knew of tools like this when I was younger
Thank you Wizard 🧙♂️. My 09’ e550 drains battery after 6 hours sitting. Finally I can try fix and use again.
WIZARD YOU ARE THE MAN GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY
A great idea is to use an infrared camera. Let the car sit over night, then use the camera to find the hot/warm spot. Which will direct you to the battery draining device.
Nice
Thanks for showing the diagnosis routine. Very informative.
Want to see you more working on cars.
Helpful video, CW!
A Mercedes sounding SOS - "weight of money detected in wallet. Service soon."
If you have a cheap multi-meter and a bit of knowledge, you don't need an 'Amp Hound'.
Set your meter scale to the lowest DC Volt setting that it has, then measure across each fuse.
A reading much higher than all the others will show where the current draw is!
Love the videos Mr & Mrs Wizard. I used to do all my own work on cars.
Now old and infirm, I let a local, trusted garage do it (yes - garage, I am in the UK)
Spent all of my working life in electrical / electronic industry.
I liked this episode so much that I just bought the Amp Hound 2 $80. Thanks so helpful
In a pinch you can use a 12 volt light bulb with pigtails. Simply disconnect the hot (+) terminal and connect the bulb across both leads. In a normal car it will glow very dimly, in a car with a high drain the bulb will be bright. Simply pull fuses one at a time until it goes out or just barely lit. Easy peasy!
Wizard aka Inspector gadget. A pleasure watching you work.
Absolutely EXCELLENT VIDEO!!
thanks for the knowledge Wizard
Thanks Wizard - very informative. Glad to hear your appreciative comments on the SLK as opposed to the more usual ‘hairdressers car’, but then I’m biased as I own one of only 263 SLK32 AMG models built for the U.K. market - a supercharged 354BHP engine in a small bodied roadster, what’s not to like! 🙂
Keep up the good work & and say hello to Hoovie from me please.
Toodle pip old chap! 🇬🇧
The SLK is the coolest car Mercedes ever made,anybody that have one absolutely loves it,any year,any color,any model
Just added a Amp Hound 2 to my Amazon Cart. Thanks Car Wizard! You the Man!!!
Incredibly useful. Thanks, Wiz.
Great demonstration. Got a lot of workable information. Thank you wizard.
Thank you so much CarWizard. Had the exact same problem on my wifes car, remembered your video. Car draws no power so it should be a bad battery. Many greetings and happy easter from Germany. Oliver !
This is fascinating, especially in view of the fact that my stepmother sold her '85 Testarossa for peanuts because no one could find out why the battery was dead every morning. Just to clarify, since the client didn't need the emergency button and it was the source of the drain, the fix was simply to remove the fuse? Thanks so much, Car Wizard, you make me almost wish that I still lived in Kansas City.
Going through a hard time at mo, I look forward to Mr Wizard😁, keep it up my boy👍🇬🇧✊
Great camera work. Thx
I own a 2001 SLK 230 and 2006 SLK 280. The ‘01 model (170) is more fun to drive than the later 171 tbh. Love these cars.
Love the UK 🇬🇧 Amazon link. Thanks Wizard 🧙♂️
thanks, you're a God sent. I already ordered the relay test set ( through your affiliate link ) amp hound is next ( actually i'm ordering NOW ) thanks Mr and Mrs Wizard!
I really love these lessons. learned a lot with this video
I Lean Something New With Every New Wizard Video
Mr & Mrs Wizard you guys are the best and such a brilliant team. The Lord has truly blessed you. Sending you guys big love from Gloucestershire England 👍🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧
One of the most beautiful, fun, reliable cars I've ever owned! I loved that car!
Great Information... definitely one of the better videos
Great detective work Car Wizard. Yay 😃
thanks so much wizard, I have had issues with my SOS button since it was new. Now it's got a drain. I'll check it this PM.
Amazing breakdown Mr. wizard!!!
Had an issue like this with my sons Chevy truck. Turned out to be the positive battery cable had worn through at the battery tray. Thanks for your videos
Good job. I will do the same to my 1998 SLK230 compressor with 49k miles (built in mid-1997 and delivered to the OE a month later). Love it. I'm 6'5" and have little issue in fitting in it. We only drive it in the Summer. Great car!! The worst issue has been the headliner sag (replaced) and the paint peeling away from the interior plastics. (I used some elbow grease and steel 0000 wool with various grease removers. Had to replace the instrument surround piece with a new one, which is actually now charcoal and not black as the rest of the interior plastic now is... Imperial Red with black leather and only the auto tranny as the sole option. No hole for an antenna (uses the rear bumper). Fantastic ride. It's my wife's car and she loves it dearly.