Current draw

[Walrus]

I’ve just gotten my Zetec powered SV put together and been driving around in the daytime with my lights on as I’m not used to not being so small and, perhaps, unseen by the Escalade crowd.

 

My battery went flat the last time I parked, even though I’d not left the lights on. The alternator seems to be charging the battery well. When I just parked the car today, lights and everything else off and no key in the ignition, I put an ammeter on the battery and saw 17.7 ma of draw! When I flipped the light switch a few times the draw dropped to zero and has stayed that way.

 

I’m hypothesizing that it could be that the lamp relay is refusing to unlatch?

 

However before I went mucking around I thought that I’d ask if anyone had experienced a similar problem.

 

[tnttim]

I would check your meter again. I fyou are using a FLuke meter or similar the amp draw limit is 10 amps (I assume you have it hooked in correcly). If you turn on both headlamps it may blow the fuse. Ie. 55w(avg. low beam) @ 12v = 4.58 Amps. X2

 

In most cases the 17.7ma which is 0.0177 amps, is the memory in the ECU. Barely enough to light a LED.

You will most likely always see some draw from the battery at any given time.

 

My recomendation if you want to not get run over by an Esclade is to cut off the muffler..... Works for all those damn Harleys, but if we do it is illegal.

 

tim

[wallisek]

Easy way to check for a drain on your battery is disconnect your neg battery cable. Place your meter between the neg post of the battery and your neg battery cable. If you pick up any sort of drain on the meter, start unplugging fuses/wires/connections one by one. My understanding is anything more than 1/10th of an amp (0.10) is usually too much and a drain.