Parasitic Current Drain

[DCS]

I have had my GT for just under 1 week. I checked the parasitic current drain shortly after coming home. It was about 400 Ma (.4 amps). However, The car had been shut off for only a few minutes and I had removed my key fob from the vicinity so as to not trigger any accessories.
Today after fully charging the battery with my 5 amp NOCO charger/maintainer, I checked the drain again. I came up with ~300 Ma (.3 amps). I decided to leave the car alone (with the hood up) for about an hour. I checked the drain again and came up with ~100 Ma (.1 amp) This doesn't seem to be very much of a drain to cause an issue. However, there may be times when the drain increases when the "computer" needs to do something like check WiFi for system or map updates.
All current readings were taken from the negative lead of the battery. The positive lead was too fat for my inductive meter to wrap around.

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[dusman59]

I appreciate your analysis. I just never got around to checking mine to see what the readings would have been.

 

[DCS]

I appreciate your analysis. I just never got around to checking mine to see what the readings would have been.

If you have the tool, it would be great to get a second evaluation.

 

[dusman59]

My meter clamp can't measure below 5amps.

 

[DCS]

My meter clamp can't measure below 5amps.

You got a BIG one.
I bought mine mostly for electronics and measuring current for small solar systems.

 

[dusman59]

The opening is 4 inches.

 

[roadpilot]

You got a BIG one.

TWSS

 

[REV745DH24]

I have had my GT for just under 1 week. I checked the parasitic current drain shortly after coming home. It was about 400 Ma (.4 amps). However, The car had been shut off for only a few minutes and I had removed my key fob from the vicinity so as to not trigger any accessories.
Today after fully charging the battery with my 5 amp NOCO charger/maintainer, I checked the drain again. I came up with ~300 Ma (.3 amps). I decided to leave the car alone (with the hood up) for about an hour. I checked the drain again and came up with ~100 Ma (.1 amp) This doesn't seem to be very much of a drain to cause an issue. However, there may be times when the drain increases when the "computer" needs to do something like check WiFi for system or map updates.
All current readings were taken from the negative lead of the battery. The positive lead was too fat for my inductive meter to wrap around.

 

[REV745DH24]

Strange enough when I had gotten my DarkHorse and the battery has been acting strange getting low intermittently from days to days so I bought a battery maintainer and plugged in and left it for three days through bad weather! I had checked the battery as fully charged not semi charged as I got it pretty low! Three days to get it fully charged and now, I am not having any problems with the battery being discharged low anymore! Don’t know if you had the same problem or not!

 

[roadpilot]

@REV745DH24 - Most late model vehicles, from cars and trucks to side by sides and more, have become very fickle when it comes to adequate voltage. It's important to either drive a vehicle regularly or keep a battery maintainer on it.

Glad you're not having issues anymore!

 

[DCS]

Strange enough when I had gotten my DarkHorse and the battery has been acting strange getting low intermittently from days to days so I bought a battery maintainer and plugged in and left it for three days through bad weather! I had checked the battery as fully charged not semi charged as I got it pretty low! Three days to get it fully charged and now, I am not having any problems with the battery being discharged low anymore! Don’t know if you had the same problem or not!

No. I was heading the problem "off at the pass". I had read about the problems and the possible reason. It all came down to an insufficiently charged battery. The parasitic current drain doesn't help.

 

[REV745DH24]

No. I was heading the problem "off at the pass". I had read about the problems and the possible reason. It all came down to an insufficiently charged battery. The parasitic current drain doesn't help.

So you’re saying something else is draining your battery as even you turned off the car completely and feel that somewhere in the car was using up your battery at low voltage thereby causing parasitic discharge of the battery? Right? Have you ever made some electrical changes to the vehicle at all?

 

[DCS]

So you’re saying something else is draining your battery as even you turned off the car completely and feel that somewhere in the car was using up your battery at low voltage thereby causing parasitic discharge of the battery? Right? Have you ever made some electrical changes to the vehicle at all?

Brand new car! Owned less than a week.
Remember all the electronics in the car. Some keep running after the car is shut off. WiFi for updates, motion alarm system, Lord knows what else.

 

[roadpilot]

So you’re saying something else is draining your battery as even you turned off the car completely and feel that somewhere in the car was using up your battery at low voltage thereby causing parasitic discharge of the battery? Right? Have you ever made some electrical changes to the vehicle at all?

There will never be 0% drain. Some systems stay alive all the time. What he's seeing is absolutely normal.

 

[REV745DH24]

Reminds me of the movie “Space Odyssey 2001”, evil lives beyond shutdown!

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