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battery drain / draw


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Brodie torres
Novice

Feb 5, 2014, 6:58 PM

Post #1 of 9 (1569 views)
battery drain / draw Sign In

1993 GMC suburban 1500.unhooked battery positive put test light on.pulled fuses to find draw test light stayed light up and never dimed down .any ideas


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Feb 5, 2014, 7:02 PM

Post #2 of 9 (1564 views)
Re: battery drain / draw Sign In

You can't use the test light trick on newer vehicles any more. Most vehicles these days have timers that have to expire and all have some degree of acceptable parasitic draw. The test light can't distinguish how much is flowing.

You will need a digital ammeter and a jumper wire with clips on the ends to do this.
First rig any door switches so you can have a door open without triggering the interior lights and unplug the hood light. Remove one battery cable and attach the meter in series between the battery cable and battery post. Take the jumper wire and also attach it the same way. Leave the jumper wire on for at least 10 minutes to expire all the automatic timers. Now remove the jumper wire and read the meter. Anything over 50ma is too much draw. The way you locate this is to start removing fuses one at a time until the meter drops to normal level. This will be the circuit with something staying on. Determine what components are part of that circuit and check them individually until the problem is isolated.



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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Brodie torres
Novice

Feb 5, 2014, 7:10 PM

Post #3 of 9 (1558 views)
Re: battery drain / draw Sign In

OK if 50 is to much what should it be .the test light I have I think reads amp but I think it reads volts to but it reads 12.2 .hood bulb is out n door buttons pushed in


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Feb 5, 2014, 7:12 PM

Post #4 of 9 (1554 views)
Re: battery drain / draw Sign In

Voltage means nothing here.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Brodie torres
Novice

Feb 5, 2014, 7:16 PM

Post #5 of 9 (1549 views)
Re: battery drain / draw Sign In

I see. OK but what is the normal?


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Feb 5, 2014, 7:18 PM

Post #6 of 9 (1547 views)
Re: battery drain / draw Sign In

As the instructions state............ under 50ma. That is .050 of one amp.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Brodie torres
Novice

Feb 5, 2014, 7:20 PM

Post #7 of 9 (1544 views)
Re: battery drain / draw Sign In

Oh man .sorry yes I did read that thank you .OK back out side to see what happens thank you


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Feb 5, 2014, 7:22 PM

Post #8 of 9 (1543 views)
Re: battery drain / draw Sign In

Don't waste your time unless you have a DVOM that reads amps.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.



Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Feb 6, 2014, 2:39 AM

Post #9 of 9 (1535 views)
Re: battery drain / draw Sign In

Brodie: Use bat negative as current flows there too bat to ground without the risk of shorting something to bat + when testing,


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