How to Fix Battery Drain in Your Car (Parasitic Draw Test)

Battery drain test. How to fix battery drain in your car DIY with Scotty Kilmer. How to test battery. How to find battery drain. How to do a parasitic draw test. How to use a multimeter. How to find and fix battery drain using a multimeter. DIY car repair with Scotty Kilmer, an auto mechanic for the last 50 years.

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⬇️Things used in this video:
5. Common Sense

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[scottykilmer]

⬇️Things used in this video:
5. Common Sense

🛠Check out my Garage to see what I use every day and highly recommend:

👉Follow me on Instagram for the latest news, funnies, and exclusive info / pics:

[paulbrowning]

I always like watching scotty kilmer because he is to the point and does not waste time like the other guy video's

[PnwOnTour]

I had a parasitic draw once, took a while to figure it out, incredibly frustrating always draining more and more but I finally left her and have been great ever since ! 💥 🤷🏻‍♂️

[scottykilmer]

@jptrucker29 Yes, you can do it checking amps directly. This method does it indirectly by measuring voltage with that resistor in place. I use this because direct amp measuring can easily burn out your meter since all the current has to run through it. That resistor I used got so hot during filming I burned my finger. I'd rather mess with a two dollar resistor than a five hundred dollar meter system that I use. Scotty Kilmer

[seananthony]

This has been a problem for months. I just tried your method and found the culprit. Thanks Scotty.

[mattmccarty]

These videos are awesome, I think I have saved around $8, 000 in repairs on my vehicle over the years by watching and doing most myself. Even if I take my car in to have it serviced, I’m not getting ripped off.

[DesmoProfundis]

Awesome, Scotty. I was looking to do this test on an '87 Bronco II and was disappointed when you first mentioned that you were going to show us how to do this on a late model car. But I stuck around and you covered the old cars too. Thanks for being so thorough!

[shellykennedy]

Still finding great Scotty older content after seven years of watching. 👍🏻

[scottykilmer]

check the socket and wiring for damage that heats up and blows it. Also check the charging system, if it overcharges it will do that too

[funnypranker]

Hey scotty, heres an easier method to test: disconnect the negative battery terminal, hook a multimeter positive on the negative battery terminal and negative to the negative battery cable, set the multimeter to read amps, take note of the number. Then pull out each fuse one at a time. I would start with the fuses in the cab of the car. Once the amperage drops, thats the component thats causing battery drain.

[shawnp]

Hey Scotty, I have followed your channel for years and you have never let me down, in this instance my car is a 93 Corvette so the truck you showed didnt give me results because i was not detecting any drain at all, BUT I remembered what you said at the first part of the video with the test light and it took 2 minutes to find the fuse, now it's all good to go thank you.

[moofushu]

Watching these videos makes me want to be a mechanic. There is so much stuff to know about cars. I wish I could know as much as Scotty.

[abitmurky]

Love this guy so much. He has the most informative car videos.

[josehonorato]

God bless you Scotty Kilmer !

I love all your videos. Im young and I feel like I'm learning from the best when I watch your videos thank you for making these videos! God bless you forever. I am very grateful just like so many other people.

[bottmar]

I can see where a current measurement and/or voltage drop would be very accurate but I find that a test light shows enough even on newer vehicles since a test light bulb will only glow a little from minimal current flow. (Clock light, computer, etc.) A glove box light or any similar draw that is enough to kill a battery overnight (or sometimes two nights) will cause a test light bulb to glow brightly. I can see though that on occasion there is cause to need numbers, but I have not seen that yet. Keep up the good work Scotty, your advice is good.

[yaybeer]

I love this guy, his videos are corny as can be but he knows his shit.

[cinemabunny]

I like the resistor test lead idea with the parallel volt meter.  I used the Amperage function of my multimeter hooked in series with the negative terminal.  You have to make sure all high amperage accessories are off or your draw may cook the meter (heated seats, fan, radio, dome light door override, etc..). My parasitic drain came from a faulty overhead DVD player wired to an always-on 12v outlet circuit.  

[brandonlewis]

Depending on your multi-meter You could actually just place your multimeter in sequence with your negative battery terminal and negative batt cable. Then just wait 30 mins and check to see what your drain is. After 30 min of waiting for the cars computers to turn off, an acceptable drain would be .003 mv, anything more, you should test your fuses with your multi meter. That way you dont have to unplug all your fuses.

[scottykilmer]

@MrJeremy313 I never really modify cars. But you just drill mounting holes and bolt them on, then wire them to whatever switch you have, using wiring directly connected to the battery as they use lots of power

[scottykilmer]

@tearabite yes, but one never knows what the drain is until you check it, so the 10W resistor is a safety method that can be used for all shorts.