help with 12volt power drain
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
Always include the year C4! Remove the negative cable and place an ammeter in series from the cable to the battery terminal and if using a VOM test meter, set it on its highest scale because the courtesy lamps draw a couple amps and you will have to wait for them to time out or you will have to pull their fuse. Leakage current should not be higher than 50 milliamps. My 87 draws 27 ma. First check at night if your underhood lights are on, or the console compartment light or the vanity mirror lights. Do you have a radar detector? or an aftermarket alarm, or an audio amplifier? Check em. Pull the fuses (after removing the courtesy light fuse) one at a time and watch the ammeter. If you see a dramatic drop, then investigate that circuit further. If no drop, remove the nut on the jump start teminal behind the battery (depending on year, you may not have this bolt) and remove one at a time the 8 wires on this bolt while watching the ammeter. If no drop, let us know for further checks as some circuits are not fused and there are a number of circuit breakers.
