tweetyduck Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 i have a current draw of about 8 amps with everything off. Disconnected live to the second battery and still there. Removed all the Maxi fuses together and still there. Removed all the little fuses one by one and still there. Never had them all out together. any ideas on what i should be looking for ? I'm reading the draw across the (open) Battery Kill Switch. Its not the FIA type but does have a 25Amp fuse across its terminals the keep the radio and clock going. If i pull this fuse this is where i'm measuring the current. I've noticed my battery draining over about a week to the point where there's only one green "dot" left on the display. To be honest i would have thought 8amps would drain it faster than that but the 110 still starts after a week fine but the battery is getting low. 12.2V is the last green dot. Help ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LandyManLuke Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 8A? really?! A typical battery is going to be something around 50 - 100 Ahr (Amp Hours) 8A would therefore flatten the battery in approximately 10 hours. What are you measuring the current draw with? 800mA would be more likely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweetyduck Posted December 15, 2010 Author Share Posted December 15, 2010 Thats what i thought. I'm using a Fluke Multimeter on the 10amp scale and its reading 7.92 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweetyduck Posted December 15, 2010 Author Share Posted December 15, 2010 you got me thinking,,,,you were correct ( and so was I ) 8amps is way too much. So i've just been out to the guy over the road and borrowed his meter. Showing 250mA. Changed the battery in my Fluke and tested it against his. Mine is now showing 247mA. Panic over........still think thats a lot for a clock ! I'll do the same again now the damn thing is working. Who'd have thunk it. Damn Battery. I suppose its been in there for 10 years as its last calibration was 1999. Thanks for confirming/saving my sanity. Its still draining the battery though........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LandyManLuke Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 A couple of hundred mA isn't the end of the world. Less than 100mA would be pretty good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cackshifter Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 To check, temporarily pull out fuse 2 I think (ideally disconnect just the clock) so the current draw should stop. If it doesn't keep looking. I had exactly this with a duff radio which consumed even when switched off. Nigel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweetyduck Posted December 15, 2010 Author Share Posted December 15, 2010 Thanks. I was suspecting the radio anyhow. I'll give it a whirl tomorrow. I'll follow the same process as before except this time i have a working meter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashtray Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 I was always taught to use the multimeter in series between the batteries negative terminal and its Earth Lead, is this where a battery isolator is fitted normally? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LandyManLuke Posted December 16, 2010 Share Posted December 16, 2010 That's one place to use a multimeter to measure current, but not the only place. You can measure current anywhere in a circuit, with the meter in series, as long as you appreciate what you're measuring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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