Parasitic Battery Draw
 

So I have a parasitic draw coming from my battery. If it stays parked overnight or while I'm at work it will not have enough juice to start the vehicle. I've started disconnecting the battery terminals while it's parked and that has circumvented my issue without actually solving it.

I've pulled the battery and alternator and had both tested and both passed. Put everything back in and had the whole system tested at an auto parts store and the whole system passed there as well.

Tested for parasitic draws with a multimeter and found that I have a -.03 draw coming from the car.

My question is: Is that enough of a draw to be causing the battery to drain enough that I can't start it the following day? If that's the case then I'll go back to pulling fuses and trying to get it to 0.

If not then I'm looking for any possible suggestions as to what it could be.

the jeep svc manual says 5-25 milliamps. thats .005-.025 amp. for a 2000 cherokee.

if you read .030 thats not bad but slightly above spec.
mine reads .014 amp, in range.

Are you sure you're checking it correctly ?

I disconnect the negative terminal and then use a multimeter with one end connected to the post and the other connected to the terminal clamp. If there is another way to do it I have not seen it in my research.

Are you checking it after you've had it running? After its sat 5 minutes or an hour or when?

I've checked it after it's had a chance to sit for a couple hours as well as after if just ran. Both have produced the same result as far as showing me little to no draw.

if your reading is 30 milliamp then your batt must be bad?

I've disconnected the battery at night and reconnected it in the morning. Starts just fine.

Ref Bleepin Jeep Parasitic Bat. Draw youtube
Your on the correct path with pullin fuses to identify the parsitic circuit.
Do you have an aftermarket stereo, perhaps an amp that is on overnight? or other aftermarket electronics accessories?
Is your battery exterior clean and dry, a dirty slimy exterior is a current path.
Keep posting
Best of luck

it will work if you unhook it every nite. i put a kill sw on a car once. just gotto pull the hood at each long stop. we're trying to help fix it right.
are you absolutly sure its .030 amp?

Yeah, the ultimate goal is to fix it and not just do a work around but at this point I just need it to drive.

I'm pretty sure I'm reading that right. I'll double check it with someone who knows a bit more and get back to you on the amount.

Unless its already marginal, I don't think a 30 milliamp draw would kill the battery in one night. A 300 milliamp draw might though. So be sure you are reading the units and measurement correctly.

Some videos will suggest that you start pulling fuses to try and find the circuit that the amp draw is on. However, sometimes pulling the fuses can cause the system to change what its doing, and make it hard to find the offending circuit.

A slicker way, is to use the test points on fuses to measure voltage drop across the fuse, and when using a reference chart for the appropriate fuse type, that voltage drop can be used to calculate the amount of amperage flowing through the fuse. This has the benefit of measuring for amperage draw without disrupting the systems being measured.

The charts can be found here:

http://info.powerprobe.com/fusechartsdownload

Yeah it's a 30 milliamp draw. Double checked it tonight and got a second opinion to make sure that I'm reading it right.

Not sure if it's relevant here but when I pulled the ignition fuse it dropped to a 10 milliamp draw.

Glove box, underhood light, interior lights, The light that comes on in the visor, gone, are "open circuit" in mine. I pulled the bulbs. Myself, I'll have control of the battery draining thank you. I'm not in a position to find my battery dead.

Maybe look good in the dark to see if something is on. Checking out, you are in good company. My Renix computer uses nit while off, a post 90 PCM will use something as well as any alarm system or radio memory, which should be OK unless the battery is on it's last legs.

IMO, measuring the voltage drop across the fuse is not the most reliable method especially if the person has limited knowledge and a cheezy voltmeter.

The most reliable fail safe method is to put an amp meter in series with one of the battery posts, pull one fuse at a time while monitoring the battery amperage draw each time.

Need more info.
Did you check the alternator charging voltage with engine running?
Measure this voltage across the posts, not the battery clamps.
It should be around 14 volts DC.

If the charging voltage is ok then:
What is the battery voltage immediately after shutting down the engine?
Make sure both clamps are back on.
Then take this measurement by turning the headlights on, engine off and then take two measurements,
one across the posts and the other across the clamps.
The voltages should be identical.
Turn off headlights.
Do not re-start engine.
Then take the same voltage measurements a few hours later with headlights back on, engine still off and get back with the results.

If the charging voltage is ok, clamps ok, headlight load test ok then 30 ma. current draw in a few hours in not going to drain a healthy battery.
Not even in a week.
Are you absolutely sure its .030 amps and not .300 or even 3 amps?

How old is the battery?
A battery on its last legs can self-discharge and rapidly do so.
If all else fails, i would get the battery load tested before spending anymore time on this.