How Do You Find A Parasitic Battery Drain?
When a vehicle battery won’t maintain a charge, it’s possible that you’re dealing with a parasitic draw. Testing the battery is the only way to find out. To find a parasitic battery drain, use the process of elimination to narrow down the problem. Charge your battery if necessary. Dead batteries (and even weak ones) don’t give accurate results on a draw test. The dome light is a good indicator of battery strength. If the light is weak, pulsating or refuses to turn on, you’ll need to charge the battery. Shut off everything in the car. Pull the keys out of the ignition. Ensure all service lights are off, lighted compartments closed and doors shut. Open the hood, and disconnect the trouble light underneath if your vehicle has one. Wait for 30 minutes before moving on to Step 3. (This enables normal drain from interior components to finish cycling.) Set your battery tester to 10 amps DC. Disconnect your positive battery connection (red cable) and position it safely away from metal componen