If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Parasitic Drain - Bulb Trick
Just wanted to ask:
Is the "light bulb" test (putting a 12v bulb in series with the battery circuit) an accurate test for a parasitic drain? My ammeter only goes up to 0.25A, and I don't want to risk overloading the meter. How bright should the bulb light up, if it should at all, for a "normal" drain? (clock, ECU, radio memory) Thanks! |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
Parasitic Drain - Bulb Trick
"sharx333" > wrote in news:1163212200.212648.320350
@k70g2000cwa.googlegroups.com: > Just wanted to ask: > > Is the "light bulb" test (putting a 12v bulb in series with the battery > circuit) an accurate test for a parasitic drain? My ammeter only goes > up to 0.25A, and I don't want to risk overloading the meter. > > How bright should the bulb light up, if it should at all, for a > "normal" drain? (clock, ECU, radio memory) > See the relevant page at Bill Darden's excellent Battery FAQ: http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden/carfaq10.htm -- TeGGeR® The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ www.tegger.com/hondafaq/ |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
Parasitic Drain - Bulb Trick
sharx333 wrote:
> Just wanted to ask: > > Is the "light bulb" test (putting a 12v bulb in series with the battery > circuit) an accurate test for a parasitic drain? My ammeter only goes > up to 0.25A, and I don't want to risk overloading the meter. > > How bright should the bulb light up, if it should at all, for a > "normal" drain? (clock, ECU, radio memory) > > Thanks! > sure, but it depends on the bulb and the drain!!! if you describe your problem, maybe we can address that question better? |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
Parasitic Drain - Bulb Trick
In rec.autos.makers.honda sharx333 > wrote:
> Is the "light bulb" test (putting a 12v bulb in series with the battery > circuit) an accurate test for a parasitic drain? My ammeter only goes > up to 0.25A, and I don't want to risk overloading the meter. I had a light bulb that was a parasitic drain, once. I thought I just had a dying battery. It was a little sluggish starting sometimes, and dead if I didn't drive it every day. I bought a new battery, and that made things much better, and then it was dead again after it sat for a few days. I charged it up, got in, and noticed a strange glow on the floor. At first I thought it was a street light, then I realized that the glove box light was on. The switch had gotten knocked out of it's mounting. I didn't see the dim light under daytime conditions, and only happened to notice it at night. > How bright should the bulb light up, if it should at all, for a > "normal" drain? (clock, ECU, radio memory) I would say that a dual filament 1157 bulb should glow dimly. If it is at all bright, that is a pretty good load. At full brightness: bright filament: 12.8V, 26.9W, 2.10A (R=V/I=12.8/2.1=6.1 ohms) dim filament: 14.0V, 8.3W, 0.59A (R=24 ohms) -- --- Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley Lake, CA, USA GPS: 38.8,-122.5 |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
Parasitic Drain - Bulb Trick
Sure, jim. And thanks.
Last week, the battery drained overnight on my '95 Civic 1.6L. I took the battery to be recharged at a shop, and we found that the water level was low. But I suspected a "ground" somewhere, because I had just sprayed the engine with a degreaser and rinsed it (low pressure garden hose). Since my ammeter only goes up to 0.25A (250 mA), and I read on some posts that the current could go over 1A, I tried the bulb trick first. I don't know the exact rating of the bulb (aftermarket dome/trunk light), but it glowed brightly. (All doors/trunk was closed, key off) I tried pulling underhood fuses and even disconnecting the alternator, with no result. Then I tried pulling the cabin fuses, and I found that it was the Pioneer head unit that was pulling most of the power (for the preset memory, I guess). When I disconnected the radio, the bulb was finally very dim. I tried the ammeter and expected less than 80 mA (from the battery FAQ link, thanks to TeGGer). But I still got 170 mA or so. I've checked all the possible bulbs, and I think a bulb would pull more than that. I finally concluded that there was no parasitic drain at all, but I'm puzzled as to what could be making that extra load. |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Parasitic Drain - Bulb Trick
Maybe the Pioneer is wired wrong. It shouldn't take that much current for
the presets. Earle "sharx333" > wrote in message ups.com... > Sure, jim. And thanks. > > Last week, the battery drained overnight on my '95 Civic 1.6L. I took > the battery to be recharged at a shop, and we found that the water > level was low. But I suspected a "ground" somewhere, because I had just > sprayed the engine with a degreaser and rinsed it (low pressure garden > hose). > > Since my ammeter only goes up to 0.25A (250 mA), and I read on some > posts that the current could go over 1A, I tried the bulb trick first. > I don't know the exact rating of the bulb (aftermarket dome/trunk > light), but it glowed brightly. (All doors/trunk was closed, key off) > > I tried pulling underhood fuses and even disconnecting the alternator, > with no result. Then I tried pulling the cabin fuses, and I found that > it was the Pioneer head unit that was pulling most of the power (for > the preset memory, I guess). > > When I disconnected the radio, the bulb was finally very dim. I tried > the ammeter and expected less than 80 mA (from the battery FAQ link, > thanks to TeGGer). But I still got 170 mA or so. I've checked all the > possible bulbs, and I think a bulb would pull more than that. > > I finally concluded that there was no parasitic drain at all, but I'm > puzzled as to what could be making that extra load. > -- Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
Parasitic Drain - Bulb Trick
sharx333 wrote:
> Sure, jim. And thanks. > > Last week, the battery drained overnight on my '95 Civic 1.6L. I took > the battery to be recharged at a shop, and we found that the water > level was low. But I suspected a "ground" somewhere, because I had just > sprayed the engine with a degreaser and rinsed it (low pressure garden > hose). > > Since my ammeter only goes up to 0.25A (250 mA), and I read on some > posts that the current could go over 1A, I tried the bulb trick first. > I don't know the exact rating of the bulb (aftermarket dome/trunk > light), but it glowed brightly. (All doors/trunk was closed, key off) > > I tried pulling underhood fuses and even disconnecting the alternator, > with no result. Then I tried pulling the cabin fuses, and I found that > it was the Pioneer head unit that was pulling most of the power (for > the preset memory, I guess). > > When I disconnected the radio, the bulb was finally very dim. I tried > the ammeter and expected less than 80 mA (from the battery FAQ link, > thanks to TeGGer). But I still got 170 mA or so. I've checked all the > possible bulbs, and I think a bulb would pull more than that. > > I finally concluded that there was no parasitic drain at all, but I'm > puzzled as to what could be making that extra load. > well, first, you have to eliminate the battery as a problem - if it's draining itself, it's no good. after that, 170mA is a 2W bulb at 12V [hence bulb glow]. that drain seems high for the ecu memory [what you'd have left after disconnecting the audio.] i'd continue looking for leakage. check both sets of fuses pulling each one individually and connect the meter probes between the slots. |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
Parasitic Drain - Bulb Trick
Ok. Thanks for the heads-up.
|
#9
|
|||
|
|||
Parasitic Drain - Bulb Trick
In rec.autos.makers.honda sharx333 > wrote:
> I don't know the exact rating of the bulb (aftermarket dome/trunk > light), but it glowed brightly. (All doors/trunk was closed, key off) That might be a low wattage lamp, and glow brightly at a low current draw. A stoplight bulb is a better choice, perhaps. I could look at autozone.com to find the dome light bulb number, and then sylvania.com for the bulb specs, but I think you found your culprit. > I tried pulling underhood fuses and even disconnecting the alternator, > with no result. Then I tried pulling the cabin fuses, and I found that > it was the Pioneer head unit that was pulling most of the power (for > the preset memory, I guess). I think you are indicating that 170mA made the bulb glow dimly, and the Pioneer made it bright. That's not good. The pioneer should only draw a few milliamps in standby. There should be a figure in the manual. There should also be a standby control on the Pioneer. A voltage supplied to the Pioneer that is always on is expected to be a heavy current feed for the amplifier, that also draws a tiny amount of power in standby. There should be another switched control that comes on with the radio or ignition that cause the Pioneer to turn on its amplifiers. I think yours is switched on all the time. Or maybe not... ;-) Check the manual for some specs on the Pioneer. -- --- Clarence A Dold - Hidden Valley Lake, CA, USA GPS: 38.8,-122.5 |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
Parasitic Drain - Bulb Trick
|
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Recommendations for Jeep Mechanic near Edison, NJ | [email protected] | Jeep | 1 | July 30th 06 07:10 PM |
touch halogen, lose low beams if installing | [email protected] | Chrysler | 11 | January 20th 06 05:51 AM |
AWA [OFFER] 5 Gallon Anti-Freeze/ Oil Drain Pan, 15 and 10 Quart Oil Drain Pans. Sold i | [email protected] | General | 0 | January 5th 06 07:51 PM |
In-the-tank fuel pumps cause death and destruction | Silver Surfer | Chrysler | 293 | November 7th 04 03:41 PM |