I have discovered that there is a 3 amp drain on the battery. What is the acceptable amount when the car isnt

Question

running? I think that the radio draws a little power for the preset stations etc. and the clock in the car does too.

My original question:
How do you isolate an unidentified draw of current from a car's electrical system?
I have a 1991 honda CRX. It mysteriously drains the battery even thought nothing is left "on". What can I do?

Answer 1

Your 3 amp drain is a battery eater for sure. Install the meter in the negative lead of the battery. Then the easiest place to start is to start pulling fuses. If that doesn't turn something up you have your work cut out for you. Then it takes a good looking over to find a "hot all the time" wire that may have the insulation wore off and is shorting to ground, (not dead shorted as that would have blown something from the get go, but a high resistance leak to ground.) Jiggling wires and hitting things may help. It could be a door switch for example, or an electric trunk lock or most any thing that normally gets power with the key off. Anything past the ignition switch is not normally going to be a problem due there is no source for power to that stuff with the key off.

Answer 2

remove the negative clamp on the battery attach a head light bulb from the battery negative post and wire from the head light bulb to the battery clamp. That bulb should light up 3 amps worth. Start by removing the big wire at the alternator light go out you found it! If the light is still on just as bright put that wire back on carefully. Now pull fuses one at a time until you find the (load) or draw. A proper keep alive amperage draw is less than .25 amps wont even light up a side marker bulb. Draw located to a fuse now the work begins hope you have a shop manusl from Honda no other reference will do you will need wire color and what that fuse powers to locate and repair.

Answer 3

It is really small, like milli amps. You have to let the computers go to sleep before you switch to the meter. Have the battery hooked up and install a test lite to the neg term. with out breaking the circuit of the test lite remove the neg term. If you have a draw the lite will turn on. Now you can pull the fuses one by one until the lite goes out. Remember the dome lite will draw if the door is open and if you pull the ECM fuse the comp wakes back up.

Answer 4

3 amps is a lot. The radio memory and clock draw milliamps.
If you are watching a ampmeter start taking out fuses until the current drops to less than 1/2 amp.

Answer 5

in case your power is going out even as driving then you definately have an alternator difficulty. the more effective stress on the alternator out of your gadget might want to be putting a toll on the alternator. it would want to be going undesirable and by no skill able to provide adequate present day on your gadget. what's likewise going undesirable is your battery. in case your alternator isn't totally charging your battery the cost on your battery receives too low. If this happens back your battery will in all probability no longer carry a cost to any extent further. meaning you'll desire a sparkling battery. in case your battery dies you'll opt to interchange it. once you have become it replaced you may have Autozone or maximum automobile shops verify your alternator for loose. that could want to allow you to recognize if it is going undesirable or no longer. in case you alternator is going undesirable and also you don't get it replaced you've gotten a difficulty with a sparkling battery demise back. it truly is a difficulty you'll opt to fix formerly you get a sparkling battery. when you're operating a extreme powered gadget you may desire a extreme output alternator instead of a inventory alternator. good luck!!!

Answer 6

Do you have a Sub. and amplifier?
The amplifier, if not wired with a remote switch will draw down a battery in two days.


Added: Check at night for a light that may have a stuck switch and is staying on.