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How to Find a Key off Battery Draw

Sometimes its easy to figure out why your battery is dead because you left the lights on, or accidentally bumped an interior light as you got out and it went unnoticed. But, after the car is jumped and the battery dies again, its clear that you need a new battery or something else is drawing off the battery even when the car is off. Replacing the battery wont fix the problem if your car has a parasitic battery drain. Rather than a costly trip to the mechanic, find the source of the problem yourself with a multimeter, also known as an ammeter.

Instructions

1

Charge your car battery if your car doesnt start. Otherwise proceed to step 3.

2

Let the car sit for at least 20 minutes after recharging the battery so the engine, lights and fuses will be cool.

3

Turn off the radio, unplug any devices from the lighter socket like phone chargers or GPS units.

4

Pop the hood. Remove the keys from the ignition. Check that all interior and exterior lights are off. Get out of the car and shut your door. Check that all the other doors are shut securely.

5

Connect the meter to your cars battery per the manufacturers instructions. Once the meter is in series with the post and clamp, the display will show the current draw from the battery. Now, its time to go searching for the root of the problem.

6

Pop the trunk. Touch the interior light. If the light is hot or warm, that means the light is staying on even when the trunk is closed.

7

Open the glove box. Touch the interior light. If the light is hot or warm, that means the light is staying on even when the box is closed.

8

Pull fuses methodically until you see the number displayed on the meter drop. This means youve found the source of the drain. Put each fuse back in the right socket after pulling it if you found the number didnt go down.