Parasitic draw diagnostic procedure

[Ray Iyo]

I have a battery drain problem on a 2003 Windstar. I viewed Eric’s troubleshooting video but I can’t get any readings. I disconnected the negative cable from the battery. Using a Craftsman 82141 Multimeter, I connected the black jack to COM, red jack to 10A and dial to 10A ADC. I don’t get any reading. As a test, I left the interior light on but still don’t have a reading.

On a separate note, I noticed that when I connect the negative cable to the battery I can hear the blower goes on for a brief second, even though the front and rear blower switches are OFF.

Topic

[Ray Iyo]

Realized the multimeter fuse blew. Will replace and start over again.

[college man]

here is a little more help.;)

[Ray Iyo]

Thanks. I already viewed that video. Very helpful. I just need to replace the fuses in my Craftsman DMM so I can actually do the troubleshooting.

[dreamer2355]

You may also want to use a in line fuse in one of your DVOM leads. That will protect your DVOM if you have excessive current draw.

Keep us posted.

[EricTheCarGuy]

Yea, I bought my meter cheap because of that very thing it had 2 blown fuses. Glad you found the issue. Keep us posted on what you find. The blower running for a second may be normal, if it stayed running that might be worth looking into further.

[Author]

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