Parasitic draw - What are the more common culprits?
02-04-2019, 12:45 PM
#21
Yeah probably some built in protection saved it. Before doing anything more now just watch the video it will show how to do it.
Just measuring the voltage doesn't say much at all, if there is any kind of electrical load the voltage will drop.
Just measuring the voltage doesn't say much at all, if there is any kind of electrical load the voltage will drop.
02-05-2019, 09:34 PM
#22
I did, and no boom. But consider that as lesson learned! I sort of remember in the packaging that this multi-meter has some protection against imminent boom.
I will read up/learn more about how to properly test the electrical aspect of my car. But other ways, it looks like I'm dealing with a bad battery to begin with? (12.0 volts)
I will read up/learn more about how to properly test the electrical aspect of my car. But other ways, it looks like I'm dealing with a bad battery to begin with? (12.0 volts)
02-06-2019, 04:39 AM
#23
Eric's test procedure is the way to check where the parasitic drain is occurring. An old girl friend found it was the light in her trunk which wasn't turning off when the lid was closed. She used her young daughter but just set your iPhone to record video and put it in the trunk to check this. 
At 12vDC the battery is not (yet) dead but will be soon. A car battery left overnight should still be at 12.6+ volts in the morning if it's healthy and no parasitic drain is occurring. A Group 51 battery will have about 40 amphours of power in it and a 45ma parasitic draw will pull 1 amphour in 24 hours so it should be good for a couple of weeks and still start the car. 90ma draw will cut that to a week before there may not be enough power to start.
Battery condition is more than just 12.6v, it's also how much amperage can be drawn. A $20 test meter will verify this without an assistant. Amazon or Harbor Freight. Ignore brand names as they all seem to be the same item from the same PRC factory with different decals.
-- Chuck
At 12vDC the battery is not (yet) dead but will be soon. A car battery left overnight should still be at 12.6+ volts in the morning if it's healthy and no parasitic drain is occurring. A Group 51 battery will have about 40 amphours of power in it and a 45ma parasitic draw will pull 1 amphour in 24 hours so it should be good for a couple of weeks and still start the car. 90ma draw will cut that to a week before there may not be enough power to start.
Battery condition is more than just 12.6v, it's also how much amperage can be drawn. A $20 test meter will verify this without an assistant. Amazon or Harbor Freight. Ignore brand names as they all seem to be the same item from the same PRC factory with different decals.
-- Chuck
02-06-2019, 08:03 AM
#24
Thread Starter
Eric's test procedure is the way to check where the parasitic drain is occurring. An old girl friend found it was the light in her trunk which wasn't turning off when the lid was closed. She used her young daughter but just set your iPhone to record video and put it in the trunk to check this.
At 12vDC the battery is not (yet) dead but will be soon. A car battery left overnight should still be at 12.6+ volts in the morning if it's healthy and no parasitic drain is occurring. A Group 51 battery will have about 40 amphours of power in it and a 45ma parasitic draw will pull 1 amphour in 24 hours so it should be good for a couple of weeks and still start the car. 90ma draw will cut that to a week before there may not be enough power to start.
Battery condition is more than just 12.6v, it's also how much amperage can be drawn. A $20 test meter will verify this without an assistant. Amazon or Harbor Freight. Ignore brand names as they all seem to be the same item from the same PRC factory with different decals.
-- Chuck
At 12vDC the battery is not (yet) dead but will be soon. A car battery left overnight should still be at 12.6+ volts in the morning if it's healthy and no parasitic drain is occurring. A Group 51 battery will have about 40 amphours of power in it and a 45ma parasitic draw will pull 1 amphour in 24 hours so it should be good for a couple of weeks and still start the car. 90ma draw will cut that to a week before there may not be enough power to start.
Battery condition is more than just 12.6v, it's also how much amperage can be drawn. A $20 test meter will verify this without an assistant. Amazon or Harbor Freight. Ignore brand names as they all seem to be the same item from the same PRC factory with different decals.
-- Chuck
Do you know if the Interstate batteries allocated to Costco are the ones that didn't past quality control? And to make it a viable business model, throw on a 4 year warranty on them?
02-06-2019, 11:53 AM
#26
Thread Starter
It only died because I decided to use it to power an old and slow air compressor to pump my tires.
I do wonder if these Interstate branded Costco batteries are suspect...
02-08-2019, 08:40 AM
#28
I have a 2002... I don't have an answer to your problem but can tell you the following:
At this time of the year since I live in NJ it does not get driven that much, although weather and salt permitting I will take it out once in a while,
but the car will sometimes sit in the garage for 2, 3 weeks or longer etc. depending on the weather. After 2 - 3 weeks the battery is not dead but does not have enough charge
to start the car. If I keep a battery tender on it while in the garage it is not a problem. During the spring/summer/fall it is not an issue although it gets driven more frequently.
I had an '05 previously which also did not get driven much in the winter but the battery was always fine, even after 4 weeks or so. This car had the original Honda battery
that came with it, while my '02 has a replacement Deka battery.
At this time of the year since I live in NJ it does not get driven that much, although weather and salt permitting I will take it out once in a while,
but the car will sometimes sit in the garage for 2, 3 weeks or longer etc. depending on the weather. After 2 - 3 weeks the battery is not dead but does not have enough charge
to start the car. If I keep a battery tender on it while in the garage it is not a problem. During the spring/summer/fall it is not an issue although it gets driven more frequently.
I had an '05 previously which also did not get driven much in the winter but the battery was always fine, even after 4 weeks or so. This car had the original Honda battery
that came with it, while my '02 has a replacement Deka battery.
02-09-2019, 02:33 PM
#30
Watch the video again, you just did half the work. Start pulling fuses until the amperage drops -- the draw is on that circuit.
Tell us what circuit it's on and we may have hints.
If you have an alarm not installed at the factory in Japan I'm betting that's it. Not factory installed.
-- Chuck
Tell us what circuit it's on and we may have hints.
If you have an alarm not installed at the factory in Japan I'm betting that's it. Not factory installed.
-- Chuck
