| Testing for battery drain [message #316888] |
Mon, 01 May 2017 10:28  |
bukzin
Messages: 840
Registered: April 2004
Location: North California
Karma: 0
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I have a ongoing drain on engine battery that needs trouble shooting.
I have a meter but not sure how to proceed.
Meter shows voltage between negitive post and ground.
Thanks!
Bukzin
1977 Palm Beach
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| Re: [GMCnet] Testing for battery drain [message #316899 is a reply to message #316889] |
Mon, 01 May 2017 12:09  |
Ken Burton
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
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emerystora wrote on Mon, 01 May 2017 10:40You don't say whether it's the engine battery or the house battery.
Assuming it's the engine battery, remove the positive lead from the battery. Connect the meter leads to the negative battery post and to the end of the negative cable. Put your meter on D.C. amps (or miliamps) so that you see a reading indicating current flow or a drain.
Pull one fuse (fuse box is behind the glove box) at a time until you see no current flow on the meter. That will show you which circuit is causing the drain.
Emery Stora
77 Kingsley
Frederick, CO
Hey Emery, I think you have a small error in your posting. You have him removing the "positive" cable and installing the meter in series with the "negative" side.
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
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| Re: [GMCnet] Testing for battery drain [message #316904 is a reply to message #316901] |
Mon, 01 May 2017 14:07 |
sgltrac
Messages: 2797
Registered: April 2011
Karma: 1
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You can perform the same thing with a test light between the negative post
and negative cable and pull fuses like emery said until light goes out.
Sully
77 eleganza 2
Seattle
On Mon, May 1, 2017 at 10:16 AM Emery Stora wrote:
> Ken
> You are correct. I did make a big mistake. I should have said to put the
> meter in series with the POSITIVE post.
>
> Emery Stora
>
>> On May 1, 2017, at 11:09 AM, Ken Burton wrote:
>>
>> emerystora wrote on Mon, 01 May 2017 10:40
>>> You don't say whether it's the engine battery or the house battery.
>>>
>>> Assuming it's the engine battery, remove the positive lead from the
> battery. Connect the meter leads to the negative battery post and to the
> end
>>> of the negative cable. Put your meter on D.C. amps (or miliamps) so
> that you see a reading indicating current flow or a drain.
>>>
>>> Pull one fuse (fuse box is behind the glove box) at a time until you
> see no current flow on the meter. That will show you which circuit is
>>> causing the drain.
>>>
>>> Emery Stora
>>> 77 Kingsley
>>> Frederick, CO
>>
>> Hey Emery, I think you have a small error in your posting. You have
> him removing the "positive" cable and installing the meter in series with
> the
>> "negative" side.
>> --
>> Ken Burton - N9KB
>> 76 Palm Beach
>> Hebron, Indiana
>>
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Sully
77 Royale basket case.
Future motorhome land speed record holder(bucket list)
Seattle, Wa.
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| Re: [GMCnet] Testing for battery drain [message #316912 is a reply to message #316909] |
Mon, 01 May 2017 16:21 |
77Royale
Messages: 461
Registered: June 2014
Location: Mid Michigan
Karma: 6
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Senior Member |
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Lot of unknowns to answer that question.
Assuming its all completely stock, there should not be much if anything that would draw off the engine battery.
The minor draws are usually a clock or radio presets on a newer dash radio or CD player. Fuel Injection computer settings if you have a FI set up. A hardwired smoke/CO detector that was wired into the engine battery instead of the house battery.... Aftermarket radio that is wired to 12 v Hot all the time instead of keyed hot.
In addition to pulling fuses and watching the meter or light, Id look for the easy stuff. When its dark, go out to the coach and see if any lights are on. Gen compartment, closet, radio, bath fans etc. Then listen, if you can hear anything running that should not be when everything is off, and you are not plugged into shore power.
I had a parasitic draw on a car once that gave me fits for 3 months. Turned out it was a dome light that would come on and off intermittently due to one door switch. Sometimes the switch would close when the door was closed, other times it would not. Other times in the middle of the night the light would come on. I only realized it when I looked at the car one night when it was dark out. I lubed that switch and the problem went away. When I tested those circuits everything checked out, because the switch just happened to be closed that time when I tested.
Lastly, perhaps a bad battery or bad connections, bad cables. Load test the battery by itself and see what it says. Bad connections will start the coach one minute and not on others.
77 Royale, Rear Dry Bath. 403, 3.55 Final Drive, Lenzi goodies, Patterson carb and dizzy.
Mid Michigan
[Updated on: Mon, 01 May 2017 16:23] Report message to a moderator |
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| Re: [GMCnet] Testing for battery drain [message #317518 is a reply to message #316891] |
Sun, 14 May 2017 00:29 |
bukzin
Messages: 840
Registered: April 2004
Location: North California
Karma: 0
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Senior Member |
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Thanks for the tips guys.
Gave up and took it to a shop. He said even though meter showed 10+ volts
amp meter showed draw of 0.2, not enough to stress over.
Replaced battery as it had a dead cell.
Bukzin
1977 Palm Beach
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| Re: [GMCnet] Testing for battery drain [message #317519 is a reply to message #317518] |
Sun, 14 May 2017 00:50 |
Ken Burton
Messages: 10030
Registered: January 2004
Location: Hebron, Indiana
Karma: 10
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Senior Member |
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Actually .2 is a lot of draw. GM spec for maximum draw is .02 . At that .02 spec GM says a car will start after sitting a maximum of 30 days. You are at 10 times the maximum. I would go chase it down and eliminate it.
Ken Burton - N9KB
76 Palm Beach
Hebron, Indiana
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| Re: [GMCnet] Testing for battery drain [message #317539 is a reply to message #317518] |
Sun, 14 May 2017 14:42 |
Bullitthead
Messages: 1411
Registered: November 2013
Karma: 5
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Senior Member |
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What Ken said. Make sure of that decimal point with the technician, if you call him that. A .2 amp draw is 200 milliamps, 1/5 of an amp...enough to drain the battery sufficiently between runs to cause that dead cell. Also, the amount of current drain from the vehicle systems needs to be measured with a fully charged battery. Values can change with a low state of charge or a charger set for a high current that may bring in AC ripples into the electrical systems.
Terry Kelpien
ASE Master Technician
73 Glacier 260
Smithfield, Va.
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