Can a parasitic draw be intermittent?
Parasitic drains on newer vintage vehicles seem to be intermittent more times than not due to the complexities of data buses and modules staying awake when they should be asleep. The most complex modern vehicles, however, can still have old school drains that can run a battery down in a few hours or few days.
Can a BCM cause a parasitic draw?
The battery keeps draining A short circuit or faulty circuit board in the body control unit can drain the vehicle battery. This can be caused by what’s called a parasitic drain, when too much current is used by a system that is controlled by the body control module.
How to find and fix a parasitic battery drain?
You should see the multimeter display the number of Amps that are actively causing your battery drain. Use zip ties or small clamps to keep the multimeter leads connected to the battery terminal and battery wire. Tip: A normal operating vehicle will have about 50 milliamps of Amp draw on the battery.
Is there such thing as a parasitic battery?
It doesn’t involve parasites in your battery, so that’s a good thing. No need for HazMat suits, yet! A parasitic battery drain is just something that consistently and continually drains your battery. This could be a faulty relay, a headlight/dome-light switch, alternator, or any other electrical gremlins.
How can I find out if my battery is draining?
You should see the multimeter display the number of Amps that are actively causing your battery drain. Use zip ties or small clamps to keep the multimeter leads connected to the battery terminal and battery wire.
Why does my car battery drain at night?
You could set up a low voltage relay in-line on the battery ground cable (obviously only for when parked at night). Even a small current from an activated circuit (like the door light) should cause the relay to trip. Use the relay to turn on an alarm so you can go see what’s causing the draining.