Problem with electrical drain in a Saturn

[Trusty Steed]

I can not find a draw in the system. I have used my test light, and it does not light. If I leave the vehicle sit for a week, it will not start, and may not even crank. If I jump her, she runs fine. Charging at around 14. 3 volts. I unhooked the terminals, and let sit for a long period of time (several weeks), and started right up, so I do not think the battery is at fault. With the test light not lighting, I can not figure it out? I have a multimeter, if anyone has any suggestions, I would love to hear them.

Thanks

Jay

 

[TPCDrafting]

I'm not sure I can help, but I sometimes lurk over here: www.saturnfans.com

Somebody there might have had the same experience.

 

[I-6DZL]

Take your battery out and take it to a shop and have it checked. A good shop can check that battery to half of it's rated CCA and tell if it's bad or not. Over a period of a week with a week battery the car will drain it in a hurry. All of the cars today have horrible drains on the battery.



The best way i've found to check for a drain is to unhook the ground from the battery, put your multi-meter in-between ( black on ground wire, and red [from multi] to batter neg post) you should see 8 volts or less on the multi-meter. If you have more than 8 volts then you have a draw. At this point start pulling fuses out of the under hood fuse box. When you pull a fuse and the voltage on the meter goes less than around 8 volts you have now found your draw. Get out the wiring diagram and go to town on the draw.



hope this helps

need more help and i don't reply pm me

Curtis

 

[Philip]

The best way to check it is for amp draw. Hook a multi meter up on milivolts. GM says max of 450 miliamps total draw for most GM vehicles.



If your pulling more than that. Start pulling fuses till you find the offending circuit. Then the fun begins.



The old 8 volt rule used to work good. But with newer cars having a computer and a built in clock. Those two items will show 12 volts used all the time. The miliamp test tells actual amount of power used.

 

[JoshPeters]

I deal with this quite a bit as of recently. Philip is correct, no more than 450milliamps or depending on the meter . 04amps.

Here's what you do. Loosen the negitive terminal. DO NOT REMOVE IT YET! Here's the tricky part. Take your meter, Hook one lead to the Ground cable, the other to the negitive post of the battery. No VERY carefully remove the cable from the battery. What is happening is all the current (amprage) is going through the meter. DO NOT open any doors or have the dome light on... . Etc. Wait about 5 min. Check the draw. as Philip said... if it is higher than 450milliamps... start pulling fuses one by one. Watch your meter for the drop. When it drops off... that is your problem.



Good luck

Josh

 

[Trusty Steed]

Thanks alot fellas



I tested between the Neg cable and neg post and got 12. 38 volts. I also tried to check for milliamps, and got 0. 00, or 0. 01 on the 300 milliamp setting. I don't know if I am doing something wrong. Any suggestions would be great. I figured I should get an Overload on the 300 milliamp setting, so I wonder if I am just a retard. I have a fluke meter and am set on amps DC, and my leads are in com, and in the side for amps. Help!



Thanks

 

[Paychk]

Clean the battery case, especially on top, the dirt & acid build-up can conduct electricity and drain the battery. The way to test for this is to disconnect the battery cables, then using the meter, red lead to + and put the black lead on the battery case. Move the lead around on the top of the case, you'll see a reading on the meter, I've seen as high as 6 volts.

 

[I-6DZL]

Guys thanks for more "updated" way of checking for a draw.



Curtis

 

[JoshPeters]

One thing that we are finding on the Benz's is this..... If you accidently disconnect the negitive cable... then hook up your meter... . it will be fine. We have to hook up the meter ever so carefully as to keep constant contact with the post till the meter is hooked up. What happens is the "brains" go to "sleep" and don't draw when the battery is disconnected and reconnected. We then have to test drive it for about 20 min... and try again.

IF you have a jumper box around... hook that positive up to the positive of the car, the Negitive to the body... . then you can disconnect the ground side without worrying. The vehicle is "using" the jumper box as the battery till you get your meter hooked up. Once you are hooked up and have your meter set on amps, go ahead and disconnect the jumper box. Your meter will start to read properly.



Josh

 

[Hohn]

Saturns must be REALLY high tech to have an electrical drain. I didn't even know you could store it in liquid form. Is this next to the coolant drain? Can you pour in more electricity if it leaks?


Justin

 

[Jeff H]

Best way if you don't wanna distrub wires. Use an inductive pickup. It Measures amps. Like the others say start yanking fuses.

Measuring voltage is not really the best way. Ya wanna measue amperage draw.

I would be geussing. A hood light not shutting off. Or trunk light not shutting off. Some vehicles the glove compartment light not shutting off.

 

[JoshPeters]

Best way if you don't wanna distrub wires. Use an inductive pickup. It Measures amps. Like the others say start yanking fuses.

Measuring voltage is not really the best way. Ya wanna measue amperage draw.

I would be geussing. A hood light not shutting off. Or trunk light not shutting off. Some vehicles the glove compartment light not shutting off.

That is a great idea Jeff... . but a 450MILLIAMP drain won't read on an inductive pick-up type. I sure wish I would!



Josh

 

[ToolManTimTaylor]

Crazy Question but did you buy it new? Reason I ask is I had a customer with a crown vic that kept killing every battery in it. Left data loggers on the batt and had found that the car would start draining the battery at nite. ... . ODD yes but the previous owner had a crappy alarm installed but the siren quit on him. At nite the ricers would rip arround boomin' and whatnot setting off the alarm but ya couldn't hear it. The alarm was allways armed and did not have the parking lights flash , nor have an ignition kill. So he was never the wiser until I found the brain under the dash.