I fixed a parasitic drain on my car in 408 days
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I fixed a parasitic drain on my car in 408 days
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Re: I fixed a parasitic drain on my car in 408 days
#2I have failed to find the parasitic draw on an RV (slower than this one, it takes a couple weeks to kill the battery). I finally got a "Top Post Battery Master Disconnect Switch", which is a little dinglebob that goes between the battery post and cable and lets you easily break the circuit. I highly recommend the $12 solution for an intermittently used vehicle.
Re: I fixed a parasitic drain on my car in 408 days
#3Well this is timely. I have a parasitic draw on my NC Miata. The first mechanic just replaced the battery. The second told me it's normal for the battery to die if you don't drive it for 3 days (because "cars have computers now"). It seems like mechanics really don't like digging into the electrical part of the car... but these days that encompasses more and more of what can go wrong.
Without time to dig into it myself I've just been parking it with a battery tender every time I come home.
Re: I fixed a parasitic drain on my car in 408 days
#4I have failed to find the parasitic draw on an RV (slower than this one, it takes a couple weeks to kill the battery). I finally got a "Top Post Battery Master Disconnect Switch", which is a little dinglebob that goes between the battery post and cable and lets you easily break the circuit. I highly recommend the $12 solution for an intermittently used vehicle.
You can also grab a trickle-charger and use that when it's at rest, which can (on modern vehicles) prevent the computer from going nuts.
If you're fancy, you can even make it a quick-disconnect setup so that if you drive away with it still on, it won't break anything (or do the poor-man's version where you have the wire connected to the wheel chocks).
Re: I fixed a parasitic drain on my car in 408 days
#5I have failed to find the parasitic draw on an RV (slower than this one, it takes a couple weeks to kill the battery). I finally got a "Top Post Battery Master Disconnect Switch", which is a little dinglebob that goes between the battery post and cable and lets you easily break the circuit. I highly recommend the $12 solution for an intermittently used vehicle.
I thought about this but the problem with newer cars (mine at least) is killing the power wipes the memory so it won't pass an emissions check (or something like that). After my battery died I had to find an excuse to drive an extra 100 miles so I could pass emissions.
On my car the emissions laws definitely caused more emissions than they saved that day.
Re: I fixed a parasitic drain on my car in 408 days
#6Well this is timely. I have a parasitic draw on my NC Miata. The first mechanic just replaced the battery. The second told me it's normal for the battery to die if you don't drive it for 3 days (because "cars have computers now"). It seems like mechanics really don't like digging into the electrical part of the car... but these days that encompasses more and more of what can go wrong. Without time to dig into it myse…
have similar issue with 2011 nissan maxima w/ key fob. guess i have a new weekend project on my hands.
Re: I fixed a parasitic drain on my car in 408 days
#7Well this is timely. I have a parasitic draw on my NC Miata. The first mechanic just replaced the battery. The second told me it's normal for the battery to die if you don't drive it for 3 days (because "cars have computers now"). It seems like mechanics really don't like digging into the electrical part of the car... but these days that encompasses more and more of what can go wrong. Without time to dig into it myse…
> it's normal for the battery to die if you don't drive it for 3 days
I've heard this nonsense a couple times now. I was incredulous at first but everyone seems to say this. What are anyone's suggestions for a weekend-only car? (I bike to work so I don't need a car on weekdays.) Trickle charge the car battery on weekdays?
Re: I fixed a parasitic drain on my car in 408 days
#8Well this is timely. I have a parasitic draw on my NC Miata. The first mechanic just replaced the battery. The second told me it's normal for the battery to die if you don't drive it for 3 days (because "cars have computers now"). It seems like mechanics really don't like digging into the electrical part of the car... but these days that encompasses more and more of what can go wrong. Without time to dig into it myse…
Mechanics are like doctors: find a good one and be grateful.
Re: I fixed a parasitic drain on my car in 408 days
#9Well this is timely. I have a parasitic draw on my NC Miata. The first mechanic just replaced the battery. The second told me it's normal for the battery to die if you don't drive it for 3 days (because "cars have computers now"). It seems like mechanics really don't like digging into the electrical part of the car... but these days that encompasses more and more of what can go wrong. Without time to dig into it myse…
It's fairly straightforward if the car is unmodified, as everything should be fused. Multi-meter between positive terminal and positive lead and pulling each fuse to see when the drop goes away will isolate the circuit. Then you've narrowed it down pretty far and can go from there.
The horrible thing is if the car is modified, and you discover an un-fused circuit.
Re: I fixed a parasitic drain on my car in 408 days
#10I have failed to find the parasitic draw on an RV (slower than this one, it takes a couple weeks to kill the battery). I finally got a "Top Post Battery Master Disconnect Switch", which is a little dinglebob that goes between the battery post and cable and lets you easily break the circuit. I highly recommend the $12 solution for an intermittently used vehicle.
I thought about this but the problem with newer cars (mine at least) is killing the power wipes the memory so it won't pass an emissions check (or something like that). After my battery died I had to find an excuse to drive an extra 100 miles so I could pass emissions. On my car the emissions laws definitely caused more emissions than they saved that day.
I hear this all the time, but I have never understood it. If I clear my drive cycle monitors, they are all passing again just a few miles later. Do some vehicle manufacturers just put insane constraints on the drive cycle monitors?