My battery lasts about 3 days on a good charge, and then I go to start it and there is barely enough juice to crank the engine. It has done it on two other batteries and the one in now is a month old. I need advice on the best way to troubleshoot this problem. I have a good multimeter and good wiring knowledge. Where should I start first?
Need advice on troubleshooting battery drain
- Thread starter jmcboost
- Start date
1-Check to make sure your charging system is working
2- Make sure you have a good battery to start with.
3- Make sure it is charging/maintaining a charge when it is running
3- If the car is charging and a good battery then you may have soemthng wrong that is discharging the car while it is turned off.
4- Check to see how much current is discharging with the car turned off, if it is excessive remove the fuses one by one to find the link that is draining off the battery
5- troubleshoot the link identified in #4
Good luck
2- Make sure you have a good battery to start with.
3- Make sure it is charging/maintaining a charge when it is running
3- If the car is charging and a good battery then you may have soemthng wrong that is discharging the car while it is turned off.
4- Check to see how much current is discharging with the car turned off, if it is excessive remove the fuses one by one to find the link that is draining off the battery
5- troubleshoot the link identified in #4
Good luck
Not sure what year your car is so the cygnusx1 site may have the correct wire diagram for your car.
I had a similar problem, when I turned the car off and had a multimeter placed b etween the + and - terminals on the battery your could watch it count down from like 14.5 to 12 in a couple of minutes. I isolated the circjuit that was causing the excess drain and went from there.
This is a pain in the ass, but I dont know of any other way.
Steve
I had a similar problem, when I turned the car off and had a multimeter placed b etween the + and - terminals on the battery your could watch it count down from like 14.5 to 12 in a couple of minutes. I isolated the circjuit that was causing the excess drain and went from there.
This is a pain in the ass, but I dont know of any other way.
Steve
Unhook the negative wire on the battery and put a test light inline with the lead.I usually put the probe on clamp however it will stay and the clip on the battery...Start pulling fuses one at a time and when the light goes out you found the draw...Whatever circut it is in conjunction w/ is where the draw is being created..pull a fuse and if light stays on put it back,then the next and so on.....Hope this is helpful to you and all for diagnostic ideas...
pimptrizkit said:
Yes use a meter. Some current drain is normal like for the clock, radio, ecu etc so just finding a circuit that has current flowing to ground wont neccisarily mean you found the correct cirucit. You need to find the circuit that has drain that is not supposed to.
Steve
Adjuster
Supramania Contributor
Start with the fuses in your engine bay, then move to the fuses in your car. (Easy that way, and It's likely something in the engine bay if your draining power that fast.)
Remember to check the fusable links too. (Huge fuses basicly.)
Once you find the fuse that when removed takes the load away, then go to the part that is fused, and check for signs of damage. Check the wires leading up to the part that you can see as well. (No need to buy a expensive part when you can see the harness wires have been crushed by a careless prior owner, or auto accident with crappy repairs to your wires before you owned the car.) A short is a short, in the wires or in the part, it's just a "leak" of power to ground. (However some would say the electrons are actually moving the other way around, but you get the point.)
Good luck, this takes time, so I hope you find your short on the very first fuse pull... (This can be easy if you see impact damage, or some old repairs, look for the parts that are in that area, and the wires in that area. Or if somone wired up a stereo or alarm, those are all suspect area's too.) Same goes for SAFC etc.
Remember to check the fusable links too. (Huge fuses basicly.)
Once you find the fuse that when removed takes the load away, then go to the part that is fused, and check for signs of damage. Check the wires leading up to the part that you can see as well. (No need to buy a expensive part when you can see the harness wires have been crushed by a careless prior owner, or auto accident with crappy repairs to your wires before you owned the car.) A short is a short, in the wires or in the part, it's just a "leak" of power to ground. (However some would say the electrons are actually moving the other way around, but you get the point.)
Good luck, this takes time, so I hope you find your short on the very first fuse pull... (This can be easy if you see impact damage, or some old repairs, look for the parts that are in that area, and the wires in that area. Or if somone wired up a stereo or alarm, those are all suspect area's too.) Same goes for SAFC etc.
i belive parasitic draw should be some where around 25-50ma
if your pulling in 100-400ma, it should be easier to find the problem..
a nice one i have had before one a trunk light that had grounded so the light stayed on, but you couldn't visualy see it, and be checking the fuse, then checked the other light, and checked ewd and found one last night in the trunk,pulled the bulb, and our draw went away..
if your pulling in 100-400ma, it should be easier to find the problem..
a nice one i have had before one a trunk light that had grounded so the light stayed on, but you couldn't visualy see it, and be checking the fuse, then checked the other light, and checked ewd and found one last night in the trunk,pulled the bulb, and our draw went away..
and some one didn't teach you nick?
you will need to set it to check for amps, and then need to more then likely move your red lead over to the A side.
dissconnect the negitive lead on your batterie, then hook a jumper wire up between the post and the cable, this way you dont blow your meter when you hook it up and every thing re-powers it self drawin peak current for a second... ask how i know..
ewd/electrical wiring diagrams can be found here...
http://www.cygnusx1.net/supra/index.html
you will need to set it to check for amps, and then need to more then likely move your red lead over to the A side.
dissconnect the negitive lead on your batterie, then hook a jumper wire up between the post and the cable, this way you dont blow your meter when you hook it up and every thing re-powers it self drawin peak current for a second... ask how i know..
ewd/electrical wiring diagrams can be found here...
http://www.cygnusx1.net/supra/index.html
Not on the internet.pimptrizkit said:
I learned what parallel and series circuits are for free in public schools. The advice still stands. There is no shame in paying somebody that knows how to do it for you.
In case it wasn't the dome light... Got Power Seats?
Mine were draining my battery randomly. Then on a long trip the seat started smoking and burning, so yeah.
Mine were draining my battery randomly. Then on a long trip the seat started smoking and burning, so yeah.
Nick M, You are the smartest man alive!!!!
Is that what you wanted to hear? I asked a question, and if you went to public school, you know what they say, "no question is a stupid question." So if you don't want to help, please don't post. Thanks. :icon_bigg
Other than that, thanks for the help guys. I think I am getting close to figuring it out. I'll let you know the results.
Is that what you wanted to hear? I asked a question, and if you went to public school, you know what they say, "no question is a stupid question." So if you don't want to help, please don't post. Thanks. :icon_bigg
Other than that, thanks for the help guys. I think I am getting close to figuring it out. I'll let you know the results.
jmcboost said:
Not hardly. I just have a lot of experience doing electrical/electronic work specifically on Toyota systems.
Did I ask a question? No. I told you if you don't know how to use a multimeter then just don't do it. It isn't worth fucking up the meter, or your car. But hey, no problem, you are on your own. There are plenty of patient spoon feeders on here for you.
Nick M, Did I ever say I didn't know how to use a multimeter? Thanks for your non help! I think you read into to things way to much. As much time as you have spent on this thread, you probably could have helped me solve the problem by now. All I ask of you now is to please not post on this thread unless you have positive help for me in solving my battery drain problem. Thanks (BTW, positive help to me is helping me fix the problem with my own hands, and knowledge and help from my supra buds. )