mgs
[Top] [All Lists]

Ammeters, was---> Battery Drain???

To: mmcewen@gpu.srv.ualberta.ca (John McEwen),
Subject: Ammeters, was---> Battery Drain???
From: Christopher Palmer <ctp@gbn.org>
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 1998 10:37:22 -0800
>Mike, it does but it's in milliamps which might stress the meter a bit
>much.  Try to get a working ammeter somewhere.  The easist way is to whip
>down to the neighborhood wrecking yard and pull one from any useful car.

Get a decent multimeter which has a proper amps range.  Call Jameco,
1-800-831-4242, and order their part number 27115.  That's a Metex M3800,
it's $39.95.  I have one and it's given me YEARS of service (and having
been in electronics for years, I use it!) It will read up to 20 amps.  DO
NOT BUY A MULTIMETER AT RADIO SHACK, whatever you do!  You WILL pay at
least twice the price, for at most half the meter, of just about any other
place.

The problem with an ammeter out of a car is that they are usually used to
measure up to 60 amps or so.  If your drain is an amp or less, which is
still enuf over time to drain your battery, it won't show up on such a
meter.

>Put the meter in series with the battery and pull one fuse at a time, then
>read the meter and replace the fuse. When the meter reads "0 amps", you've
>found the offending circuit. Figure out what is run off the circuit, and
>eliminate things one by one.

The reason I didn't give this solution is that on my car I have 2 fuses,
and at least 6 circuits coming off the switched fuse.  Yes, this will tell
you if it's in the switched or non switched circuits, but then you're going
to have to check the wires anyway once you've narrowed down which fuse it
is.  I also recommend it this way because you could have more than one
draining circuit, and if they are on separate fuses, having found one
drain, you still better check all the others.

legaleeze---> No, I have no financial stake in Jameco, or Metex.   I do own
stock in Tandy, the owners of Radio Shack, and yes their meters still stink
on ice!

CTP




<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>