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Zysoclaplem

Diamond Member
Is it normal for a car battery to be measured at 12.67 volts at 7pm one day to be down to 11.73 volts at 7:30am the next day? 12.5 hours. Would that be a drain? Or normal battery behavior?
 
sounds like quite a drain. Make sure that your cells are filled. If you don't start the car for a week, will the battery be dead?

How old is the battery.
 
Originally posted by: radioouman
sounds like quite a drain. Make sure that your cells are filled. If you don't start the car for a week, will the battery be dead?

How old is the battery.
Click to expand...

Well the problem was I have been having a battery drain for a while now, and not being able to find the drain, I figured it was the battery. So I bought a new one. It was great for a few days. But now it seems to be showing the same signs of draining. Wasted money I suppose. I just cannot seem to find the drain.
 
It might be normal if the meter your testing with has a low battery... Also did you measure once with car on once with car off. This would make a difference as the alternator would be running.
 
Time to get out a meter.
Start by watching the current flow while you pop the fuses out one by one.
 
Originally posted by: Torched
It might be normal if the meter your testing with has a low battery... Also did you measure once with car on once with car off. This would make a difference as the alternator would be running.
Click to expand...

No, I always measure it with the car off.
12.67v one day, 11.73v the next morning, 12.5 hours later.
I got to work and measured it again, after driving. 12.88.
The meter is working fine.
 
Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
Originally posted by: woowoo
Time to get out a meter.
Start by watching the current flow while you pop the fuses out one by one.
Click to expand...

Would that actually work with such a slow drain?
Click to expand...


That sounds like a pretty good load on your battery actually... I'll bet that it is an amp or so.
 
Originally posted by: radioouman
Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
Originally posted by: woowoo
Time to get out a meter.
Start by watching the current flow while you pop the fuses out one by one.
Click to expand...

Would that actually work with such a slow drain?
Click to expand...


That sounds like a pretty good load on your battery actually... I'll bet that it is an amp or so.
Click to expand...

I wish I knew what could be or is causing it, because I have done no work whatsoever on the car. Nothing had been changed.
Nothing that would be sucking that much power from the car anyway.
I thought it might have been the old alarm. So I had it removed.
I thought it might have been my aftermarket radio, so I took it out.
 
I stuck the meter in each of the fuses to see if I could find anything that my being drawing current or power. I went through each of them until I got to the Engine Bay/Fuel Pump fuse.
It registered at -12.32 volts. I don't know what that means, or why it had a negative sign. Is that normal?
 
Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
I stuck the meter in each of the fuses to see if I could find anything that my being drawing current or power. I went through each of them until I got to the Engine Bay/Fuel Pump fuse.
It registered at -12.32 volts. I don't know what that means, or why it had a negative sign. Is that normal?
Click to expand...
It means that you just had the leads reversed. 😛

You need a DMM with an amperage setting, and you have to set up the meter between the battery and the load. The meter has to become apart of the circuit.

I'm not really understanding the question, though. Are you saying that if you wouldn't have started your car after 12 hours, the battery would've died? Have you had problems with dead batteries with this car before? If there is really that much drain on the battery, it sounds like it would be dead after about ~24.
 
Originally posted by: Eli
Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
I stuck the meter in each of the fuses to see if I could find anything that my being drawing current or power. I went through each of them until I got to the Engine Bay/Fuel Pump fuse.
It registered at -12.32 volts. I don't know what that means, or why it had a negative sign. Is that normal?
Click to expand...
It means that you just had the leads reversed. 😛

You need a DMM with an amperage setting, and you have to set up the meter between the battery and the load. The meter has to become apart of the circuit.

I'm not really understanding the question, though. Are you saying that if you wouldn't have started your car after 12 hours, the battery would've died? Have you had problems with dead batteries with this car before? If there is really that much drain on the battery, it sounds like it would be dead after about ~24.
Click to expand...

Ok I see. This DMM does not have an amperage setting.
Yes, the battery before kept dying day after day. Every morning.
I searched for the drain but couldn't find it, so I bought a new battery.
Looks like I will have to buy a DMM that can measure amps too.

And yes, after about 24 hours, the battery would be dead. Or after a few starts with only tiny drives in between. That happened alot too. Not enough time to charge the battery completely.
 
OK, I read the thread.

Put the DMM in amperage mode and put the meter between the negative on the battery and the car.

It should go car > positive DMM lead and then negative DMM lead to negative terminal on battery.

This will cause amperage to have to flow through the meter in order to complete the circuit.

DO NOT try and start the car with this arrangement.

Anyway, this should tell you the current draw on your battery.

Start pulling fuses until it drops off.

Edit: It's early, forgive my crappy explinations.
 
Originally posted by: Eli
OK, I read the thread.

Put the DMM in amperage mode and put the meter between the negative on the battery and the car.

It should go car > positive DMM lead and then negative DMM lead to negative terminal on battery.

This will cause amperage to have to flow through the meter in order to complete the circuit.

DO NOT try and start the car with this arrangement.

Anyway, this should tell you the current draw on your battery.

Start pulling fuses until it drops off.

Edit: It's early, forgive my crappy explinations.
Click to expand...

Okay I will do that. Hopefully the DMM wont be too expensive.
Thanks.
 
Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
Originally posted by: Eli
OK, I read the thread.

Put the DMM in amperage mode and put the meter between the negative on the battery and the car.

It should go car > positive DMM lead and then negative DMM lead to negative terminal on battery.

This will cause amperage to have to flow through the meter in order to complete the circuit.

DO NOT try and start the car with this arrangement.

Anyway, this should tell you the current draw on your battery.

Start pulling fuses until it drops off.

Edit: It's early, forgive my crappy explinations.
Click to expand...

Okay I will do that. Hopefully the DMM wont be too expensive.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Should be able to find ones that will do ~10ADC for around 20 bucks if you aren't looking for anything too fancy.

Are you sure your DMM doesen't do amps? Nearly all of them do... Maybe it only does mA tho.

BTW, props for trying to figure things out for yourself. Most people would've just gone to Autozone.. lol
 
Originally posted by: Eli
Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
Originally posted by: Eli
OK, I read the thread.

Put the DMM in amperage mode and put the meter between the negative on the battery and the car.

It should go car > positive DMM lead and then negative DMM lead to negative terminal on battery.

This will cause amperage to have to flow through the meter in order to complete the circuit.

DO NOT try and start the car with this arrangement.

Anyway, this should tell you the current draw on your battery.

Start pulling fuses until it drops off.

Edit: It's early, forgive my crappy explinations.
Click to expand...

Okay I will do that. Hopefully the DMM wont be too expensive.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Should be able to find ones that will do ~10ADC for around 20 bucks if you aren't looking for anything too fancy.

Are you sure your DMM doesen't do amps? Nearly all of them do... Maybe it only does mA tho.

BTW, props for trying to figure things out for yourself. Most people would've just gone to Autozone.. lol
Click to expand...

This one is a cheap Pocket Digital Multimeter I borrowed. It's not very nice and it's pretty old.
Just something I have been using every time I stop the car to check the voltage, to make sure that it wasn't dropping. In the mornings.
 
Check for miniature lamp switches that are stuck on such as the vanity mirror lamp in visors, glove compartment and such.
 
Originally posted by: Eli
Originally posted by: Zysoclaplem
Originally posted by: Eli
OK, I read the thread.

Put the DMM in amperage mode and put the meter between the negative on the battery and the car.

It should go car > positive DMM lead and then negative DMM lead to negative terminal on battery.

This will cause amperage to have to flow through the meter in order to complete the circuit.

DO NOT try and start the car with this arrangement.

Anyway, this should tell you the current draw on your battery.

Start pulling fuses until it drops off.

Edit: It's early, forgive my crappy explinations.
Click to expand...

Okay I will do that. Hopefully the DMM wont be too expensive.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Should be able to find ones that will do ~10ADC for around 20 bucks if you aren't looking for anything too fancy.

Are you sure your DMM doesen't do amps? Nearly all of them do... Maybe it only does mA tho.

BTW, props for trying to figure things out for yourself. Most people would've just gone to Autozone.. lol
Click to expand...

Autozone isn't a bad idea at all. It is free. I can do anything to my car and wouldn't hesitate to drop by autozone for a free test.

Of note is that an alternator test can kill a battery......
 
Don't connect an open connection between the battery terminal and the cable with a DMM. You need a jumper between the test leads to establish a connection. Check for anything that might be on. If there is any, turn them all off. Remove the jumper.

If you don't use a jumper, you will blow the DMM's fuse with a surge current.

 
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