How does parasitic draw affect the battery life?
How does parasitic draw affect the battery life?
Along with being a nuisance and potentially leaving you stranded, even minimal draw can wear down a vehicle’s battery over time, often leading to performance issues and possibly a slow death. The key to good battery life is to nip any parasitic draws in the bud and also ensure the battery keeps charge above 12.4V.
How can I find out if my car has a parasitic draw?
Luckily, you can usually find the cause of a parasitic draw yourself. Start by connecting a digital multimeter to the negative battery terminal of your vehicle. Then, remove the fuses one at a time while watching for changes in the multimeter’s reading. Once the reading drops, you’ve found the culprit and can take steps to repair it.
What is ” normal ” for a parasitic draw?
This truck is equipped with two Group 34/78 REDTOP batteries, which means it has 100Ah of reserve capacity. If the parasitic draw is 60 milliamps, that means it will discharge the batteries at a rate of 1.44 Ah per day (.060 x 24 hours).
Where do I place my parasitic draw meter?
Put your meter on the highest DC amp scale. This might require that you move your test lead to a special location on your DVOM. Place the leads in series between the negative cable and the negative battery post and take your measurement.
What’s the next step in parasitic draw testing?
The next step is to start removing fuses one by one while observing the amp readings. If you see a sudden drop when removing a particular fuse, this is likely your culprit. The next step after you find the offending fuse is to find a wiring diagram showing what’s on that circuit. After that, it’s a process of further elimination.
Luckily, you can usually find the cause of a parasitic draw yourself. Start by connecting a digital multimeter to the negative battery terminal of your vehicle. Then, remove the fuses one at a time while watching for changes in the multimeter’s reading. Once the reading drops, you’ve found the culprit and can take steps to repair it.
Along with being a nuisance and potentially leaving you stranded, even minimal draw can wear down a vehicle’s battery over time, often leading to performance issues and possibly a slow death. The key to good battery life is to nip any parasitic draws in the bud and also ensure the battery keeps charge above 12.4V.
Put your meter on the highest DC amp scale. This might require that you move your test lead to a special location on your DVOM. Place the leads in series between the negative cable and the negative battery post and take your measurement.
