Battery Problem - 3.78 amp draw un-installed???

[Sil240]

I've bee running around trying to chase a phantom amp draw.I couldn't find one.So... I took the batt to get checked at Pepboys.I knew they were all dumb as shyt but I figured they couldn't screw up a battery test.So they tell me my battery is good.It seems soo voltage wise, after being charged up it has about 12.74 volts.But when I put the amp setting on my multimeter, it shows the same phantom 3.78 amp draw i've been chasing.

Does that mean my batt is bad???

*** Also the battery is not installed, just sitting on my bench ***

[fast_s14]

I don't think you measure amp draw like that. When the battery was in the car did you measure the draw? It should go like this put multimeter on amps, disconnect postitive cable and put one lead on positive cable and the other one on the postive battery temninal. I think most multimeters have like a 10 amp fuse inside so becareful not to blow it. If you have a high amp draw start disconnecting componets to see what is causing the issue.

[Kansei240sx]

I don't think you measure amp draw like that. When the battery was in the car did you measure the draw? It should go like this put multimeter on amps, disconnect postitive cable and put one lead on positive cable and the other one on the postive battery temninal. I think most multimeters have like a 10 amp fuse inside so becareful not to blow it. If you have a high amp draw start disconnecting componets to see what is causing the issue.

^fact, also to clarify, on the amp draw test, make sure the leads stay connected.

Put the positive lead on the top center of the negative post, get an aligator clamp lead and put it on the negative terminal and lift the terminal straight up. The amp draw will increase for about 0.5 to 1.5 seconds and drop down, leave the multimeter hooked up one way or the other and start removing fusible links and fuses.

Just thought i'd be a bit redundant or add some detail.

[Sil240]

OK So put the Positive lead of the meter on the top of the Negative terminal.Then with the Aligator clamp Negative lead from the meter, attach it to the Negative terminal hook up on the car.Then pull the terminal off the negative battery post.

What I did was take my meter and put Positive to positive and Negative to negative and set the meter to Amps.Both in the car hooked up and out of the car i got a 3.78 Amp reading.

I'm going to try it out tonight when I get home.

[Darius]

I just spent the last two months tracking down an issue that was at my alternator so I'm freshly familiar with this.

Set the multi-meter on amperage, obvious.

Disconnect the connector on the negative battery terminal . Measure the current between the connector (to ground) and the negative battery terminal. Doesn't matter which lead goes where, it'll just read (-) if backwards.

Leave it connected and go to the fuse box under the hood. Start pulling fuses until the amp draw goes away. Trace it from there with the continuity test setting.

DO NOT try to test the amperage across the battery terminals or you could weld the leads to the battery. 600A is very high current for that small of gauge of wire. There are horror stories of guys accidentally welding their wedding rings to batteries by arcing and nearly losing their finger in the process.

[Carryl]

+1 on the arching, had that happen to me with my wrist watch.

[Sil240]

Ok so this weekend I took Darius' advice.I didn't find anything.I unplugged every single fuse under the hood and under the dash.I even uplugged some of the engine plugs.CAS, Ignitor, 02, MAF and the 2 relays under the dash.

I HATE Eletrical problems!!!!!!

I even took the POS alarm and wiring that the kid before me had put in.

The drain is soo bad that the car wouldn't start when I went around the corner to the gas station. (It's like 5 houses away.)I charged up my Odyssey PC680, let the car warm up, then got gas and tried to restart the car. DEAD......So I had to get a jump.

So my Automatic seat belts only work when the key on on and my roof light does not work.

That POS alarm has some wire connected to the door switch but I disconnected it and nothing happened. I didn't think anything would since it was splice into only 1 wire and then was taped up on the other end.

I thought it had something to do with my not having a Tach signal, since people thought that part of the ECU was blown out.

Anyone have any suggestions???I could definetly use them.

[eh?]

Have you tried replacing the battery? I can't see anything discharging a battery that fast.

[Sil240]

Well I'm in the process of that.I putting a regular size battery in the hatch.

I'm gonna use 100 and 60 amp breaker in parallel for 160 amps. Do you think that is ok?Carl says he uses 140 amp breaker.But right now I have 2 100 amp breakers and 1 60 amp breaker. I really don't wanna buy any more (they're kinda expensive [Monster]).

See the thing is I took the battery to the retards at Pepboys and they tested it and said it was good.But..... I made the mistake of trying to measure the amperage of the batter from + to -. And I got a similar reading that when I do - on the batt and - on the harness.

Hopefully its just the battery.I can throw that away an be done with the problems.

[Darius]

Ok try disconnecting the alternator charge wire. I just had to exchange a brand new refurbished quest alternator because it was internally shorted out. If that doesn't correct the matter, your battery is dead.

[Sil240]

Yeah I'll try disconnecting the Alt when I get home.

[Sil240]

I think my problem was a bad alternator.HAHA

I picked up a used Quest Alternator and I'm gonna put it in. ONE day......

[Darius]

Glad you found the problem. Took ya long enough haha jk man.

[Sil240]

Yeah I know.I'm such a lazy bstrd. lol

Now I just gotta drop that Alt in.

Not enough days in the week......