Parasitic draw

PILOTBILL

MEMBER
2009 CHEVROLET COBALT
2.2L
4 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
80,476 MILES

Hello, I have a question for you. I have a parasitic draw that is draining the battery. I have disconnected the negative battery cable and have hooked up my digital multi-meter. I have the red lead hooked to the disconnected battery cable and the black lead hooked to the negative battery post and it is showing a 1.67 to 1.75 parasitic draw.

Some of the YouTube video’s that I have watched, it say to start pulling out the vehicle fuse’s one at a time until the meter drops down to around 100 milliamps or less.

My problem is that my battery is in the truck of the car. I can’t watch my meter and pull fuse’s out one by one and watch my meter at the same time.

Can you tell me step by step how I can check the fuse’s to find the parasitic draw? I have one fuse box under the hood and another one inside the car on the right side. I don’t have a second digital multi-meter.

Just a reminder, my battery is in the truck and my multi-meter can’t be seen from front of the car.

Thank you, Bill H.

1 Reply

KASEKENNY

MECHANIC
18,907 POSTS

Two options. First, you can pull one fuse and then walk back and check it each time. This can get old quick. The option I would choose is to get a retractable test lead reel. Then unhook the battery for the test and connect the alligator clip to it then run that up to the front of the vehicle and connect your meter so you can see it.

If the alligator clip will not grasp the battery post because it doesn't open wide enough, just connect a set of vise grips to the battery post and then clip the alligator clip to the vise grips.

As for the measurement. A properly operating vehicle will have a draw around 25 millamps or lower. So if you still have 100 I would think you will still have issues. 100 milliamps will drain a battery in a night or two. I attached the picture of what I am talking about and the spec on your vehicle's draw.

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