Car Battery Drains Overnight Or After Days Of No Use! PARASITIC DRAIN

Car battery drains overnight(dies), or after days of no use, parasitic drain, parasitic draw, engine will not start. How to easily find/locate/identify the source of parasitic battery drain on your late model car, vehicle, SUV, truck, or boat without losing computer or sound system settings/programming. Enjoy!

ATTENTION: The testing methods shown in this video can be performed using either battery terminal(sometimes one end of a car battery can be much harder to get to, or one cable has very limited movement), but it's much safer to use the NEG battery terminal since it's connected to the vehicle's chassis/engine ground.

CLICK HERE for my extensive video playlists!

(Amazon & Banggood Affiliate Links)

Support the creation of new videos on this channel by watching the ads placed on my videos, shopping for items shown in my videos at the Amazon/Banggood links provided above & below, or by making a Paypal donation. All donations, big or small, are greatly appreciated. Thank you!

(Affiliate Links)

Bobby Tectalabyss: Thanks for your generous $5 donation!
Jeff Barr: Thanks for your generous $25 donation!
xrayjim: Thanks for your generous $25 donation!
Ryan Pedersen: Thanks for your generous $20 donation!
Wanda Thomas: Thanks for your generous $50 donation!
Peter Hines: Thanks for your generous $10 donation!

Thanks For Watching!

***If you enjoy watching my videos, then be sure to SUBSCRIBE & click the notification bell(set to "ALL"), SHARE links to my videos with others, rate "THUMBS UP", and check out my extensive video playlists for many other videos of interest to you. Doing so helps to ensure that many more videos will be uploaded to my YT channel in the future.***

[electronicsNmore]

ATTENTION: The testing methods shown in this video can be performed using either battery terminal(sometimes one end of a car battery can be much harder to get to, or one cable has very limited movement), but it's much safer to use the NEG battery terminal since it's connected to the vehicle's chassis/engine ground.

[DGinNC]

I worked at a car dealership for 15 years (as an aftermarket electronics installer). It always amazed me how many technicians didn't have the slightest clue of how to diagnose a voltage draw.
Before some tech gets heated over this comment, the percentage of ignorance, is about the same among aftermarket electronics installers.
I'm not meaning to be insulting. The point being, never stop learning, I've learned things from people that were just beginning, and I've taught things to 30-year vets. Our ego only serves to limit what we allow ourselves to take in.
Happy wrenching.

[ProjectFarm]

Great video that'll help a lot of people! Thank you for the video and always a thumbs up!

[kimcooleyballoontwisting]

This video is the best video I’ve ever watched on YouTube. Perfectly explains each step. Now I feel my life’s nemesis, my wife’s piece of crap 2013 Ford Escape, will lose again.

[daviddawson]

I use a infrared thermometer to check for the hotest fuse in fuse box to locate the short I the circuit..sometimes you can trace the heat on the wires to the voltage drain

[AXNJXN]

Only two decades later.... I FINALLY found someone who can not only explain it, but 'explain', what and why this is important... KUDOS!

[PRACERZ]

Done this during my career working on cars. Very well explained for anyone too fully understand. Imho

[leh]

That is a topnotch complete summary and delivery of testing for a parasitic draw.
Thanks

[foufoug]

the fact that disconnecting the car battery to do can result in an expensive trip to the dealer speaks much about the sad state of affairs in the car industry

[mrdanger]

This works because at 10amp setting which uses a shunt allowing for current flow...Thanks for this simple comprehensive video

[ab_ab_c]

There you go! You did this vid much better than the older vid!

Thanks for sharing. That post clamp probe clamp jumper wire is a clever technique, too!

[Jodyrides]

My wife’s V W battery would go dead overnight. Battery was still under warranty so I replaced it. It went dead overnight. To make a long story short, I called the service department and explained to a lady mechanic over the phone what was happening. She asked me if the car had a Clock built-in. I said yes..She said that’s the problem. I think her and hung up. I didn’t believe it until I unplugged the clock and my test made her stop showing a current loss. It was the factory quartz clock that was killing the battery overnight

thanks so much! easy to follow and it makes sense! Found my issue immediately, after wasting time at the "dealership" shop and with a private garage. Looked to YouTube and found your video, and voila problem solved.

[yardlimit]

WITH SO MANY USELSEE VIDEOS OUT THERE THESE GREAT TO RUN ACROSS ONE THAT REALLY HELPS . THANKS.

[samsen]

Very detailed and very well demonstrated. Thank you for the content.

[itsnotmeitshim]

If you don't own a multimeter, or if like mine it only measures current in the microAmp range, try this. Disconnect your positive lead from the battery. Connect a battery charger that has an Ammeter fitted (most decent ones do). Note the charging current. Reconnect the positive cable to the battery and reconnect the battery charger, note the charging current.. My car had such a large parasitic drain that the two current readings differed by 2 Amperes. 2 Amperes was the parasitic drain.

[petropete]

Awesome vid and tricks. Will help me indeed 👌. Tks for sharing

[alessandraradhe]

Thank you for this video and detailed explanation that even someone like me, 0 experience, could understand!

[condor]

Great video. Probably be better approach to do this test on the negative post versus the positive post.

[robbeam]

Good video the only thing I would add is if you don't want to jump in and out of the vehicle to look at the meter what I do is use my booster cables. I connect one clamp to the post on the battery and the other clamp to the ground clamp of the vehicle. This allows me to run the booster cables inside the vehicle then I can clip the leads of my meter between the two booster cables and have it in a spot where I can read it easily without getting in and out of the vehicle or moving too much it's really handy when working on a vehicle like my F-150 that has the fuse box in the passenger side footwell. Again great video with lots of good information thanks for the tips on how to not lose settings