I agree with Larry and strongly recommend that you do NOT use your
multi-meter on a current scale in place of the battery ground strap. As
others have said use a test-lamp, and if that glows you have a significant
drain. However you could still have a small drain not enough to make the
test-lamp even glow, but sufficient to flatten the battery. Use your
multi-meter but on its 12v scale. If it reads a full 12v then you do have a
drain. If it only reads a few volts that is probably the normal leakage
current of the alternator diodes (if you have an alt, can't remember the
year even if you told us), you can confirm this by pulling the alt plug at
which point the meter should show 0v - subject to any aftermarket electronic
systems e.g. alarm, radio etc.
If you do have a drain make absolutely sure that everything is switched off
including interior/boot lights, then pull the alt plug to eliminate that,
then the purple fuse, then the hazard inline fuse. Then you will have to
start pulling brown from things like the main lighting switch, ignition
switch, fusebox, starter relay etc.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Zach Dorsch" <herr_dorsch@yahoo.com>
To: <mgs@autox.team.net>
Sent: Friday, May 24, 2002 4:06 PM
Subject: Follow-up to dead battery
> I am going to go and have the battery checked this weekend (even though
its only 6 months old..grr). But, how would I check to see if there was a
drain from somewhere on the car? The battery did hold a little charge
yesterday after trying to jump it, but now is dead again. I checked the
radio, console light, and exterior lights hoping that I had left something
on, but none of those appear to be the problem. How should I actually go
about checking for other things? I assume that I should make sure that all
grounds have good metal contact, but what else?
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