DEAD BATTERY | How to FIND a Parasitic Battery DRAIN Using Multimeter!!!
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- čas přidán 12. 09. 2018
- Battery dies overnight. How to find parasitic battery drain. In the video I show the normal method of pulling fuses with key off after connecting to battery. I also show a different issue that only occurred after I turned the key on.
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THE FIX!!! As mentioned in the video the "Driver door module" was bad. This is the window switch panel. I replaced the switch panel and issue has been resolved. Video removing panel here:
czcams.com/video/CnQtqbWc6x0/video.html
Once the circuit is identified, is there anything more that can be done with the meter to try to figure out the nature of the problem, before disassembling anything? such as bad switch, vs burnt actuator vs shorted wiring?
Wow! Excellent video. Thanks for posting it and "turning the key" and "being patient" were two key nuances in this video vs. so many other ones out there.
Was it because the lock wasn't hitting an end switch saying it was locked and therefore always providing voltage to the lock mechanism trying to lock?
Damn great video. Thx. You know your stuff. Electrical gremlins in vehicles can drive us nuts. 👍🙏👌🏆
Could connect your meter through ac10 Amp fuse if it doesn't already have its own fuse....
As a veteran Mechanic of 19 years, this is by far the best test proceedure I have ever come across on youtube. Well done!
Thanks.
I totally agree!! I've been working on cars more than 45 years and no one has ever explained current draw troubleshooting any better! Maybe you should make more videos... Your thought process and technique are fantastic. Well done.
Agreement! Great video ty
Ĥ😊@@tonyturner9146
I got a question?
My man! 3 years in and this video is still complete gold! Not only did you walk me through the entire process successfully, but you also diagnosed my exact problem all the way down to the wife!
Haha.
lol very funny!
You’ll never know truly how much this video makes my heart scream with hope
I know we all want to save money,but based on this it makes you understand why they charge so much trying to find issues like this. Brilliant video 👍
Old video, but a 45 year tech here. You did it correct, but there is a faster way. Your DVOM will let you test for voltage drop at each fuse, any fuse that has a voltage drop is drawing current.
Hands down the best video online on how to track down a parasitic draw. Anyone with the slightest mechanical/electrical inclination should be able to follow along step by step. Thank you for taking the time...
I agree, and flipping on the ignition for a sec, I don't think I would have ever tried that! Great content here.
Don't hang out or listen to people that tell you it's better to disconnect the positive battery terminal. They have NOOOOO idea what they're talking about. YOU are correct in why you disconnect the negative cable FIRST.....and for the exact reason you stated.
Thank you for thoroughly explaining exactly why patience is VERY important when troubleshooting electrical probs.
Dude, this is one the best videos tackling this subject I’ve ever watched. Not only are you thorough, but you are clear. I’d love to see you do more electrical troubleshooting stuff personally. I love it. And I love wiring. It is one of my favorite parts of working on cars. I know that probably sounds crazy to most of these folks, but I recall you saying that with your bg, you had an affinity for it as well. So please, sensei, teach away!
2years later, and this video was straight gold my guy! Thanks! Made me go buy a multimeter and find the problem my self!
I wish you were my neighbour .
Sensei, your valuable video help me out connecting the dots over diagnosing the issue of my Nissan Teana year 2010. Especially the part of waiting. Wish you the best in life !
Ted
What fixed the problem?
@@tedfusco3719 As seen ABOVE
THE FIX!!! As mentioned in the video the "Driver door module" was bad. This is the window switch panel. I replaced the switch panel and issue has been resolved. Video removing panel here:
czcams.com/video/CnQtqbWc6x0/video.html
My friend I’ve been a master tech for 45 years and I thought I was best but you blow me away that was great
Bubba, You're golden. 5 minutes into your vid and you demonstrated, described, and detailed your video title immediately and clearly. Thank You For Your Time, Effort, & Generosity!!!
Thank you.
FINALLY SOMEONE WHO EXPLAINS IN DETAIL!!! Thank you for the help you rock!! 😎😎😎
Saw on another video, the chap tricked the vehicle by keeping the door switch closed. Then you don't have to wait for the cycle time. Cheers
Great basic info video. Plain. Simple and understandable. Useful for more people and not over complicated. Too many people make videos for "look how smart I am" instead of "let me help you."
Huge thanks to your wife! Without her not mentioning the door lock upfront, we would not have got such a useful vid. ;-)
He handled that fantastically!!! He was very gracious to his wife… I would have been like… I have been working on this for 2 days and you tell me this now???? Thank you sweetie…. Go to the garage, cuss a lot, and get over it!!! Lol… It makes me appreciate this video even more!!!!
Holy Cow! After watching your video, I went outside and locked my passenger door manually from the inside and after closing, testing from the outside to ensure it was locked.
Then, I got inside, turned the ignition twice and IT STARTED!!! It hasn't started for a while.
I too have had a locking issue with my passenger side thinking it was the locking mechanism. Turns out it was! The irony.
Thanks Iron Man!
As a retired, certified electrician who also tinkers with low voltage systems it's refreshing to see someone use common sense to troubleshoot a problem. I don't have a parasitic drain but the title caught my attention. And I did learn something about vehicle systems, they need time to shut down. Thanks, good video.
It’s a great example how to stay calm, think problems through step by step, to find a resolution. I think too many people panic, either thinking they don’t know/can’t fix issues or stressing how much it cost to have others do the work. Many times, if people will have enough faith in themselves to try they can be successful! 👍👍👍
Well said
So true most problems are solved by eliminating step by step process.
You’re very good at making your videos I’ve been a mechanic for years but you showed me things that I didn’t know and I appreciate your videos. Good luck to you brother.
Thank you for posting this video.
I really appreciate the people that take the time and effort to create and post these type of helpful videos.
I have solved so many problems using CZcams video.
Thanks.
Quick tip to not put your meter at risk:
Instead of using the meter in series between negative terminal and negative cable when you cycle the key, use a jumper cable. Once you've cycled the key, connect the meter, and then disconnect the jumper cable. Vehicle still has power the whole time, but you avoid any potential momentary spikes which might blow the meter in the second or two after cycling the key. In theory, you could still blow your meter this way, but the biggest draws are usually momentary ones just after cycling.
You smart
Wow, such a valuable tip
Thasnk you, sir, for adding that valuable context. I had not figured that out yet.
I was thinking about doing that, but us guys like to take chances. I figured he got away with it, so why not. 🤣
Or you could leave the battery connected and use a quality amp clamp? I've used my amp clamp (must have DC amps) and a simple tone and probe kit to trace wires. Just another method maybe.
I had a parasitic drain on a Mercedes gl450. Dealer couldn't figure it out after having it multiple times for multiple days. The car had removable push to start button. I ended up figuring out the drain was when we would have the push to start button inserted. Didn't think it was worth the money to have the dealer tear apart the steering column. Just used the key fob as the key. Good video!!!
One of the Best video, a higher level from the basic techniques of diagnosis for parasitic drain!! Surely a beneficial knowledge for DIYers!!
This video is better than my yoga clases for teaching me about patience.
"It was nice for the wife to tell me the door locks were not working after 2 days of testing".. lol.. Great video. Thank you.
Thank you so much as a female who loves to work on her own cars I love to learn new things this video was the best and I understood everything and you where great explaining it thank you
Got me headed in the right direction. I’ve had a conversation with the other drivers in the house, that if anything looks weird or not right, let me know to help avoid two days of troubleshooting. Great video...you’re an excellent instructor and teacher.
I have been a mechanic since I've been born hats off to you dude good job
You may have just saved me thousands of dollars because I live in a different country with demonstrably shitty mechanics, especially when it comes to electrical issues. Thanks so much for sharing. Subscribed so I can learn more.
As an Electrical Engineer I can say well-thought-out techniques. Thank you!
Quick first pass check- after the vehicle has set for a hour+ with everything off, feel the relays and suspect any that are warm or hot.
Ah, the laying on of hands.
2006 Acura TL would drain over night. I few minutes on Google told me to feel the windshield just above the rear view mirror. Common problem on those was the hands free module located in the top, center console. Unplugged it and Yahtzee!
I was able to run my temp gun across the windshield and see the temp difference, but that got me thinking about Flir cameras. They check temperature across a wide area so you don't have to rely on a subjective, "is it warm" touchy feely.
Of course if its in a warm climate, you're screwed, but there are certainly times.
My headlamp relay was ticking, replaced, got hot, pulled it out and truck runs fine now... while in going to a stop the truck would almost die from power drain. WhT next
Thank you for that valuable tip.
Great detective work. I had a door control module issue with my 2000 Corvette. Instead of spending $500 on a replacement module, I took it to a guy who de-soldered and replaced three or four relays on the module with new (and improved) relays. Fixed the problem.
Thanks for sharing
Patience pays, very logical approach. Good trouble shooting to a complex fault,…..thanks
best explanation ever on how to find a parasitic drain. brian
You helped me brother. My Silverado 1500HD started draining the battery. I was two days into this process and when I saw you find your driver door module fault. I jumped ahead to that step. GM like you , door switch like you, BINGO! I GOT LUCKY. Thanks a bunch. I subbed👍
You’re so clever mate … very well explained
I've watched probably a dozen parasitic draw vids on CZcams and this is the best. I'm still trying to find the issue on a 2001 Lexus RX300 but I think your tip "WAIT" is probably exactly the thing I'm missing. Kudos and thanks for the video.
Thanks.
This electrical stuff drives me nuts. It is always so time consuming. This video is excellent! Thank for such a great lesson. Can you come to my house when I have electrical problems with my cars???
2024 and this video has saved my wallet in garage costs, amazing sir big thanks from the UK
Common sense approach to a fix by observation and cycling the ignition circuit! You rock dude!!!
Great diagnostic discussion. You went through all the steps we could expect to find to diagnose difficult situations
Hit every button the driver can reach (door buttons, dome light door sw, etc, ask driver about any issues prior to dead battery, lesson learned. Been there, the "oh by the way" the next day, oh THANKS for letting me know THAT in advance, CHEERS to your technique, good to watch video, keep them coming!
Thank You! That was tedious but I have located the offending fuse and circuit. It's the Stop lights. I also unplugged both of them in the trunk but with no joy. Time to start tracing wires etc. But I can pull a simple fuse and stop the battery drain while I locate the issue. I'll carry a pair of pliers with me and when I stop I'll pull the fuse. Don't need stop lights when parked 🙂 Thanks again for a comprehensive video!!!!!!!
I typically work on old non computer cars and this just opened up a world of knowledge on how to track an electrical problem. Thank you very much. Never would have thought to power up then down like I was driving in order to charge the system then wait until it sleeps again to track down an issue. I will for sure use it on my 2001 VW which has a drain but one that takes about a week or two to drain the battery. I have the time to wait. I had always assumed it would just go to the proper level right away.
This is one of the clearest, easiest to understand videos on troubleshooting electrical issues on CZcams. Outstanding job!
Thanks for watching!
Dude thank you for doing this, explaining it very well and especially the details of cycling to find the pattern, emphasizing patience. That is gonna save alot of time and cursing, so thank you.
Great comprehensive video! Well done and thanks so much for the effort put into this. Patience is key with this issue.
This is the best video explaining and showing how to check and fix a draw I've seen. THANK YOU
Awesome, thank you!
Thank you. I have a 1999 Ford F350 7.3L Diesel Crew Cab Long bed. Isolated what I thought was a parasitic leak on fuse #15 (Generic Electronic Module (GEM) at 152.2 mAmp. But saw your video and filmed the multimeter for 1 hour. Sure enough, at 45 minutes the multimeter went from 152.2 mAmps to 9.27-12.67 mAmps. It took 45 minutes before the GEM went to sleep. You saved me an unnecessary replacement GEM purchase. Cheers!
Nice!
This was an amazing walk through, much appreciated. I’ve been the guy before chasing draws that we’re “normal” thinking they were the issue 🤦🏾
Wonderful video. I know zero but you explained enough I going to try. Thank you people like you make the world so much better and no real greed just helping fellow man or women.
I appreciate your straight forward and thorough approach to the troubleshooting you did. Thank you for sharing those little details that make it simpler and can keep you sane if your having trouble with things. Good job and thanks. Ill approach things that way next time and with patience! Lol
Thank you for this video. Even though I knew that you are supposed to be latient and wait for the various modules to go to sleep, I didn't realize that the wait times would be so long. Thank goodness I've got an ancient car with nowhere near as many electronics modules to wait for because patience is not one of my virtues.
I like your comment about you wife mentioning the issue after your second day of testing. My wife has done the same thing to me with her car.
I really appreciate you taking the time to thoroughly explain the function of the multi meter and explain how the computer takes time to shut down. Very helpful and appreciated.
Thanx!!!
4 year old discovery.. This is one of the best videos on this subject I've seen 👍 .. subscribing
I don't use this tool often and neither do most people, but when I see someone use it so wrong I just gotta go brush-up and make sure I'm good to go. Thanks for this video.
Wow! Thanks for the great pointer. Good analysis and investigation skills. You help us be better and get better at looking after our cars. Thanks a lot!!
Hi new to this but this seems to be best and most comprehensive video on parasitic drain .
Thanks.
Well done !! I did learn a lot watching your how-to. Thank you for your time.
Excellent video brother. I love how you stress the importance of patience. As with all things like this, slow and steady wins the race. Calm patience is the sign of a pro.
Thank you so much I have been chasing my shorts instead of actually having a process that I should have considered God Bless & be safe
Thank you very much for this video it was very informative I am a 54-year-old lady and I am going to try and figure out what's wrong with my vehicle
Thanks that's a good reminder about the accessory power on for 10-minutes radio time or whatever.
I was so glad to find someone using the exact same multimeter, so I could follow along without assumptions or guesswork. Thank you forcall that you do...
Wow, i truly learned something with that video! Great job! Thank you!
Glad it was helpful!
Best video I’ve seen on this subject by far, thank you sir.
Like everyone else has said the best parasitic draw video I have seen. I have been looking at the ranger videos from the start and they are all good. But I can tell from this video that this is your speciality. I have a 2000 Silverado and this could help me someday.
Thanks
Eric
This video showed me why I never delved into becoming an electrician! I'll stick to nuts and bolts!!
I came across your video among many others on battery draining...and I must admit that I tried others video on trying to find out what was causing my battery drain but had no luck at all...going through more videos I came across yours and figured what the heck and low and behold you showed me something different...to turn the ignition on to rest everything and I seen a difference in my readings but the kicker was the detail about the door lock...I bought my truck used and the back hatch never locked which wasn't a big deal but turns out to be my battery drain I've been having since I purchased the truck...thanks for the informative video!!!
Dynamite, the rest of the comments here concur whole heartedly. You should do more instructive videos, as you are gifted and you are of great assistance!
Thanks Fella !!! Top Job.
Nice to know the quickest way to trouble shoot
Cant Fault ya !!
This was brilliant, thanks for the clear instructions and reasoning behind doing what you're doing. Will hopefully help me find the drain on my car!
I troubleshoot electronics quite often… Just not on vehicles…. Hate working on cars!!!! I like the way you broke it down and the process of elimination!!!! Cut it in half, cut that in half, cut that in half and there is the problem!!! I also work with inverters… It take time for them to discharge…. You wait for it tactic is very good!!!!! Well done!!! I would watch more if your videos if you produced similar content… Again, nice job! Good video!!! Thank you!!!
CZcams knew this is what I needed in my life. Great video
Great vid, well explained. I happen to have a 2000 Super Duty with a loss.....and drivers door power lock doesnt work properly. I would have never guessed the door lock could cause a long term loss but now I know how to check....THANX!!!
Thank you! Great video. It addressed a couple of reasons why I had not been able to identify the source of my battery drain. Excellent!
That's a really good method to use. Of all the fix-your-car videos I have watched on Utube, most of which have some kind of fakery, this is the only one with an excellent original idea.
One of the best videos I’ve watched on finding parasitic draw on a vehicle. Thank you!
Great video. My ASE Master Tech uncle with over 60 years experience told me always disconnect the NEG cable, so that's what I do.
Thanks. I learned so much, especially about patience. I had been using a clamp meter, which was just too erratic. I can also see that a lot of work was put into making the instructional video itself. Really appreciate it. I might be able to find the problem now. Just takes a rudimentary knowledge of amps on my part.
Very handy, and the most well explained on this difficult subject. Be patient, so says the master.
Best video on parasitic battery Drain EVER!!
Thanks for the video,perfect timing for me!! Added gauges and e fan to my Ranger and now I have a drain somewhere
thank you i just started working on the same style vehicle with a parasitic draw. thank you again. very informative.
Smoking good video, pun intended. Watch and learn if you're having trouble diagnosing a draw! I can remember, trying to track down this kind of problem when I was a youngster, back in the 1980's on a CJ-5. Would have been much easier, w/multimeter and internet. Instead, I had test light and my time. Thanks to the old timers who hated black boxes but had so much knowledge they didn't realize their value! Taught me more than I can ever repay. Thanks, Blaser Builds for today's diagnosis techniques! Watch and learn people!
Thank you for this video! Going to be looking at mine because it seems to always be weak after a new battery been put in. Love the patience you've put in to this to help anyone that is fighting this.
Brilliant video. Thanks so much, you make it so easy to understand what you're doing and why.👍
Fantastic example of patients win’s the day . Thanks very much
Thanks!!! I've been worrying with an electrical issue on my ride for over a week now.. just got it fixed after watching your video!
Ahhh! So glad I found your video.
I have the same issue with my Escalade battery draining ( and same meter lol) I will check to see if it’s my door lock first! I’ll be sure to watch it again! 👍🏼
Best parasitic draw vid out there. I've seen a few, and totally agree on being patient while everything goes to sleep. It does suck that the wife knew about the lock and you spent 2 days in troubleshooting. But an excellent vid came from it that will likely help a lot of people. 👍...still...no ice cream for her tonight. 😂
Well within grounds for divorce! :)
@@jjustinengineer 😂😂😂
A very well presented and explained video showing methodical troubleshooting techniques...proper use of terminology too...a big compliment! and cheers from Connecticut!
If you have an unknown draw that might be potentially over 10A based on how quickly it kills a new battery, it might be worth using a current clamp if you have one, or making a current shunt out of some 14 to 12 gauge household wire. You can use that to bridge the connection and use your DMM in the millivolt voltage range to get an idea how high it is without the risk of blowing your DMM fuses.
My current clamps only do AC amps. I don’t want to invest in a DC capable clamp, even though my Fluke meter will do DC amps
That is weird.. Great analysis. Useful techniques, including patience and thoroughness. Thanks Guy.
THANK YOU for making this video. This is one of the best parasitic draw videos on CZcams!
Wow, thank you!
Great video: Working to solve similar issue on my 2004 Volvo V70. I knew to wait but didn't know it could take that long, so thanks. Cycling info also useful.
Hope it helps solve your issue. Good luck. 👍
Very thorough and informative and explain in terms of anybody can understand Great video
Glad it was helpful!
Correct, ALWAYS disconnect the negative first. Most EXCELLENT video, perfect diagnostic approach. Many thanks. I happen to have the same vehicle, but not with any problem. My GMC, however does have a parasitic draw that I will track down with my new-found confidence from your instructions. Good stuff, thank you.
Man I have my life stressed to the max, this electrical issue I have is killing my battery in 24hrs and it's just a week before a huge move across the country in my truck and enclosed trailer, some 36 hour drive. This video is giving me some relief I'll be able to find the problem. Not only that but now my engine is knocking and I've already paid for the place I'm moving to but cannot leave as it will surely break down. I won't go on because it just gets worse but this video is a gift to someone who has been very down on his luck and I hope this helps me at least make it to Christmas w the fam on my 7hr drive tomorrow. I've gotta put on a smile and not ruin the Christmas spirit and this will definitely help! Cheers and happy holidays to you and yours.
I subscribed within 58 seconds after hearing engine swaps mentioned.