Amp Draw

[Nosmog73]

What is the best way to find out if I am drawing amps from the battery with nothing on or the rig not running..I bought a multimeter this weekend and I checked my battery before I left for work and it was at 12.24 volts then when I got home 8 hrs later it is reading only 11.13 volts..
FYI the battery was new off the shelf when I got it sunday and I put it in and it wouldnt start or even turn over the motor and I used the ohm meter and got a reading of 8.54 Volts...So I stuck it on the slow charge over night and then after I started the motor is when I got the readings above...

So where should I or can I check with the meter to see if I am getting any extra load draw that I should not be getting... :2thumbs:

[Twisted Whipz]

bring the truck by geweke before 4:30pm and i'll check it out for ya w/ my meter and show you how to use it. i start work @8:00am just in case. we're located off of kettleman lane for our shop. ask for Dillon

[k5LS2]

I hate giving up my tricks, but to test for a draw at home, put test light on negative terminal (with neg cable removed) now the lead on test light to neg cable if the light glows, theres a draw, you can start pulling fuses to find your draw, primitive but works :thumb:

[Nosmog73]

I hate giving up my tricks, but to test for a draw at home, put test light on negative terminal (with neg cable removed) now the lead on test light to neg cable if the light glows, theres a draw, you can start pulling fuses to find your draw, primitive but works :thumb:

Thank you...

And I would take you up on that dillion if I could drive it...lol thanks though.. :2thumbs:

[Ryan B.]

yep, a voltmeter or ampmeter hooked in series on the negative side of the battery.. (disconnect the cable and hook the voltmeter in between)
Your radio and tpi computer should draw a few milliamps for their memory circuits..
but if you have a short somewhere it will be a parasitic drain on your battery just like you are describing. think about what you wired up recently if this is a recent issue.
like k5tpi said pull fuses one by one until the draw goes away and that will narrow it down to which circuit it is on that is drawing.. usually there are several things hooked to one circuit so once you find the fuse, then you get to figure out which one of the things it is (like heater, stereo, wipers, and cig. lighter are on one fuse?)
Also might want to check the alternator first. if its a 3 wire unplug the connector for the two wires going into it.. i had an alternator draining my battery a few years back.

[Nosmog73]

I hooked the ohm meter up like you said and with the cables still on the battery the reading was 11.74 then took off the neg side and used it again like you said and the reading is 9.24...So that is a 2.50 diff...am I right..And I should start pulling fuses with the neg cable still off or on (and when the circuit is found it will match the battery volts,is that right or should I have no reading on the meter))..or should I be thinking the battery is bad

[crewcabroller]

You want the meter set to read current, not voltage.

[Nosmog73]

You want the meter set to read current, not voltage.

Ok what setting it that...DCV,ACV,DCA,Ohm,

This is the meter I gots..

http://www.partsamerica.com/ProductDetail.aspx?mfrcode=EQU&mfrpartnumber=4320

[Ryan B.]

:unsure:

who said ohm meter?

DCV-direct current voltage, ACV-alternating current voltage, DCA-DCamperage, Ohms-Resistance.
DCAmp scale is what you want.

pull fuses until it reads very small like milliamps. instad of an half an amp or an amp??
k5tpi said use a test light because its a simple test that will work can't really go wrong.

Did you wire something for the tpi to constant hot where it should have been switched power!?

[stunnin650]

i use the test light all of the time most of the time it's the alt or starter