Can a parasitic drain ruin a battery?

If a battery goes long periods without being recharged by the alternator, those tiny milliamps drawn by parasitic devices will kill it. Even normal parasitic drain, also known as “key-off drain,” puts wear and tear on a battery. Allowing a battery to go dead for long periods of time will cause sulfation.

How should a parasitic drain on a battery checked?

Pull the negative off the battery. Put the test light between the post and the ground wire. If the light illuminates, you have a draw. Use the fuse pull method to find the draw; when the light goes out, you found the draw.

Why does my battery keep dying parasitic draw?

Parasitic Draw There could be a wiring fault that causes an accessory to drain power from your battery even when the accessory appears to be turned off. This is called “parasitic draw.” An accessory that drains energy from your car’s battery even when turned off will need to be repaired or replaced.

What is parasitic battery drain?

Parasitic Battery Drain: Causes and Solutions. According to AxleAddict, parasitic battery drain is when power continues to be drained from batteries after the truck’s engine is off. It shortens battery life in the short term and for the long haul. The more you charge batteries, the quicker they die for good.

Can a bad ground kill your battery?

A bad ground would not cause this. This is called a parastic loss. When this happens, it may keep the charging circuit on after the vehicle engine is shut off, which will cause the battery to drain. …

Can a blown fuse cause a parasitic drain?

The fuse in and of itself cannot be the cause of the power drain. In rare cases, though, a blown fuse can mean that your car won’t start. The most common causes of parasitic drain are under hood lights, trunk lights, headlights or glove box lights that do not turn off when the door is closed.

How to find the cause of parasitic battery drain?

Luckily, you can usually find the cause of a parasitic draw yourself. Start by connecting a digital multimeter to the negative battery terminal of your vehicle. Then, remove the fuses one at a time while watching for changes in the multimeter’s reading.

How to fix a parasitic drain on a multimeter?

Disconnect the negative battery cable. On the amperage side of the multimeter dial, set it to 20 amps. Disconnect the negative battery cable. Touch a lead to the negative battery cable terminal. Touch the other lead to the negative battery post, completing the circuit within the multimeter, which will display the amp draw.

Why is the top of my battery draining?

The top of the battery case itself can be a cause of the parasitic drain due to corrosion. Here there was nearly 8 volts constantly draining the battery.

When to look for a parasitic power draw?

Your battery could be near the end of its service life and it should be recycled and replaced with a new one. If the battery test shows that it is still good, then it’s time to start looking at a parasitic power draw. While you’re under the hood (or at Advance Auto Parts), test the alternator.

How do you check for parasitic battery drain?

Testing the battery is the only way to find out. To find a parasitic battery drain, use the process of elimination to narrow down the problem. Charge your battery if necessary. Dead batteries (and even weak ones) don’t give accurate results on a draw test. The dome light is a good indicator of battery strength.

What is an acceptable parasitic draw?

A normal amount of parasitic draw for newer cars is between 50-milliamp to 85-milliamp current draw. A normal amount of parasitic draw for older cars is a reading less than 50-milliamp. Anything past these amounts indicates an electrical issue and should be addressed by a mechanic.

What causes a battery drain?

The most common causes of parasitic drain are under hood lights, trunk lights, headlights or glove box lights that do not turn off when the door is closed. Relay switches that are stuck in the “on” position can also cause a battery to drain.

How do you test for parasitic draw?

There are two major types of blood tests that can detect parasites in the system. An antigen test can identify a parasite’s protein composition. This test can be conducted via blood draw or directly through a stool sample.