Best "Cheapish" Meter to Measure Milliamps
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Cross-Country
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Best "Cheapish" Meter to Measure Milliamps
Hi All! As you know, i have been trying to find out why the battery in my truck keeps dying. Most here advised a parasitic drain. My son came over and went through everything with the meter I have and couldn't find anything which would cause the problem. I feel like a dummy but recently I found out that my clamp-on meter doesn't measure in the low or milliamps DC current. My neighbor said that most meters used in automotive repair to test for milliamps have a small clamp, and of course my meter has the large clamps. I should mention that I would prefer to use a 'clamp-on meter' so as not to create a problem this truck has with the alarm system that occurs when either battery terminal is disconnected. So, thought I would ask everyone here if they know of a decent, hopefully inexpensive meter, that can be used to detect the drain? Again, my wife and I are seniors on a fixed income so we can't spend too much, but I am determined to get to the bottom of this! Besides, here in California we can't go anywhere because of the virus, and now there are curfews preventing us from going anywhere. Crazy times.
Again,, let me say in advance thank you for all the advice and assistance offered!
Again,, let me say in advance thank you for all the advice and assistance offered!
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From: Home Base Nebraska
When I first got my 03 F150 it had what I thought was a battery drain and it turned out being just a bad battery. I also went back and looked at some of your post posts and do you still have that dealer installed alarm system, if so you realize that it's on all the time and if you have a weak battery it will take it down. Your battery can be brand new and still be bad, normaly a bad cell.
Denny
Denny
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Just an update. You guys are/were right. After my son and I tried using my meter, we couldn't find a parasitic drain so we thought the problem must be something else. So we were off chasing our tails & wasting time looking for something else when I found out my meter leads were crap. Today, a guy from Church came over to borrow something and I mentioned the problems I am having with my truck and the battery draining.. Anyway, the guy had a clamp meter in his truck toolbox and he put it on the battery cables. He said I have a 2.5 amp draw, which is said is pretty significant. Then he put his hand on the alternator to see if it was warm. I didn't understand why he did that but I was so happy for the help i just listened. The guy said to charge the battery up, put the meter back on it, and then start pulling fuses. The guy asked me if I had any trouble with the windows or door locks and i told him I do (with a couple of the door locks). Anyway, after he left I thought I should have asked him how to disengage/remove the PATS alarm completely, if there is even a way to do that. I will keep you guys posted.
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Cross-Country
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Yeah, I am going to lift the hood, recharge the battery, and then wait at least 1/2 hour for everything to turn off (ECU, BCU, etc) and then start pulling fuses if it still shows a drain. After checking closer, the battery is only 2 years old but I guess anything can go bad so i am going to replace it anyway. I don't know if it matters or not but the truck horn has been out for quite a while, long before we started having trouble with the battery draining so i don't think it is related.
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Hi all. I want to thank everyone for their help and advice. My son finally offered to have the truck towed to an auto shop that works on automotive electrical. They found two items. They said the alternator was bad (something about diodes) and that moisture or water had gotten into the GEM unit connector. They cleaned off the GEM unit connector(s) and replaced the alternator. After the repair they couldn't get the truck to start after disconnecting/reconnecting the battery. So my son had to go down there when they and played the game with the PATS system (or whatever causes the truck to not start). Guy who worked on the truck said he hadn't seen anything like it but wondered if the issue is in one modules instead of the PATS system. My son finally got the darn thing to start and drove it home. Anyway, the truck has started every morning since.
I am sorry for frustrating those here who offered help and advice - it was never my intent to cause any trouble. But please know that I do appreciate all the help. At least I learned A LOT about parasitic drains!
I am sorry for frustrating those here who offered help and advice - it was never my intent to cause any trouble. But please know that I do appreciate all the help. At least I learned A LOT about parasitic drains!
More Turbo
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One other thing to consider is that ground issues can make these trucks do rather odd things. I suspect the PATS issue you experienced was due to a failing ground as it is in one of the kick panels. Same with the power locks and windows. One ground in either kick panel is slightly below carpet level, making it quite prone to corrosion. Result is the circuit in question works intermittently under light load (radio memory), but fails under heavier load (power locks).
Realistically, the PATS system can't be removed without massive effort. Rehabbing the ground system would certainly help things out. The body to frame ground (between passenger door and front tire) is a common weakness because it is a braided copper strap that is exposed to the elements and getting water/snow/whatever flung onto it by the tire. Mine turned to fluff as soon as I looked at it in 2016. Replaced it with a 4awg cable. Terminals got a healthy dose of dielectric grease and stainless steel hardware. Did the rest of the truck's grounds the same way and no issues since.
Realistically, the PATS system can't be removed without massive effort. Rehabbing the ground system would certainly help things out. The body to frame ground (between passenger door and front tire) is a common weakness because it is a braided copper strap that is exposed to the elements and getting water/snow/whatever flung onto it by the tire. Mine turned to fluff as soon as I looked at it in 2016. Replaced it with a 4awg cable. Terminals got a healthy dose of dielectric grease and stainless steel hardware. Did the rest of the truck's grounds the same way and no issues since.
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Thanks " TravisS"! The next time my son comes over (for more than a few minutes) I will ask him to checks the grounds again. We have experienced many of the symptoms that you have mentioned (locks, PAS, etc,). I have tried to read my Haynes book diagrams to find all the grounds, but with my old eyes, I wasn't very successful. Out of curiosity, do you remember where are the grounds you found (that were corroded) are located? As you said, there is one in the passenger side kick panel, and there is one from the battery to the firewall. Any others that are probably more susceptible to corrosion that we should check? I appreciate my son's help but he doesn't like to really a lot of effort into searching. If I tell him exactly where to look that will help believe me.
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More Turbo
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Thanks " TravisS"! The next time my son comes over (for more than a few minutes) I will ask him to checks the grounds again. We have experienced many of the symptoms that you have mentioned (locks, PAS, etc,). I have tried to read my Haynes book diagrams to find all the grounds, but with my old eyes, I wasn't very successful. Out of curiosity, do you remember where are the grounds you found (that were corroded) are located? As you said, there is one in the passenger side kick panel, and there is one from the battery to the firewall. Any others that are probably more susceptible to corrosion that we should check? I appreciate my son's help but he doesn't like to really a lot of effort into searching. If I tell him exactly where to look that will help believe me.
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