>
> >1. What is the easiest way to track down a battery drain?
> >
> >2. Can I measure the current across the fuses with my Multi Meter, and
> >find the guilty circuit?
>
> I have the same problem...here's my 2=A2 solution:
>
> First, to read amps (what you need to do to look for a current drain) yo=
ur
> multimeter must be in the circuit, not accross it ---i.e.---> The ammete=
r
> completes the circuit.
>
> Don't switch anything on, we're looking for leaks here, not normal flow.
>
> Go to your fuse box. Some of the wires are fed all the time, some only
> when the key is on (supposedly). One at a time, pull off a fed wire (as
> opposed to a feeder) and put the meter in the circuit. Does it read any
> amps? If yes, this is a potential leak (drain, short, whatever you want=
to
> call it) If no, this circuit is ok, put the wire back in place.
>
> Once you've isolated the offending circuit, trace it along until you fin=
d
> the short.
>
> CTP
>
Alternately, you can just take the fuse out and put the ammeter
across the fuse terminals. Don't worry about the "feeder" wire and
the "fed" wire. Just read the amps. If the number comes out
negative, it just means you connected the ammeter backwards, but it's
magnitude you're interested in, not whether it's postive or negative.
Also, heed the advice not to turn anything on. Ammeters have a
limit as to the amount of current they can measure, since the current
is actually passing THROUGH the meter. I have a nice digital Fluke
model, and even though it can measure up into the thousands of volts,
it tops out at 10 amps. Loaned it to a friend that wasn't clear on
that concept, and spent two hours with a soldering iron reviving it!
Scott
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