Electrical draw help

[Flyingfish]

I have been dealing with a slow battery drain for a few months now. The history of the truck is aftermarket HID low beams, LED running board lights, and thats it. No aftermarket stereo, alarm, or any tie-ins anywhere. Battery goes dead after a month. I drive the truck every 2-3 days. Charging great. I have tested the draw using a "True RMS mini clamp meter" on the negative battery lead. I have been getting 0.172 amps on the 2A setting. This is after ten minutes of a door being open. Does that seem like a excessive draw? I have pulled some fuses and it seems to drop lower when I pull the "short" fuse. I know this is dealer installed fuse that powers up another circuit. Thanks for the help. Trying to stay away from the dealer.

 

[duffdog]

I have been dealing with a slow battery drain for a few months now. The history of the truck is aftermarket HID low beams, LED running board lights, and thats it. No aftermarket stereo, alarm, or any tie-ins anywhere. Battery goes dead after a month. I drive the truck every 2-3 days. Charging great. I have tested the draw using a "True RMS mini clamp meter" on the negative battery lead. I have been getting 0.172 amps on the 2A setting. This is after ten minutes of a door being open. Does that seem like a excessive draw? I have pulled some fuses and it seems to drop lower when I pull the "spare" fuse. I know this is dealer installed fuse that powers up another circuit. Thanks for the help. Trying to stay away from the dealer.

Try the same test and disconnect all the aftermarket stuff. If the current draw changes then you know what the problem is. 99% of the time any chinese made aftermarket product of any type is to blame. If the current draw is the same it is possible that you have an electrical problem - many years ago on another 4runner I found out that the alternator itself can short and cause battery drain. But first try removing the aftermarket stuff and whatever that dealer fuse thing goes to.

 

[ElZilcho]

172 milliamps is definitely high but not egregious if the ECU hasn't gone to sleep. The door being open might prevent the ECU from entering rest mode. I'm not sure what normal is for these trucks, but I'll check my draw tomorrow and report back. I don't have any electrical mods so it should be representative.

If it's possible, park it overnight with the hood open and check it first thing in the morning without opening the doors. This will guarantee the ECU is in rest mode. The draw on most cars in this state is ~25 milliamps (definitely under 50). Come to think of it though, I did have a dead battery earlier this year after I had been traveling for a while and left the truck parked. I thought I had left something on but couldn't find it.

Gremlins!

 

[TowMeOut]

Are the HID lights tied straight to the battery (ballasts) then triggered via the old headlight wiring?? There shouldn't be but I'd be looking closely at those. I can't see any dash lights causing big problems.

Are you making really short trips?? If you're getting this much draw, only driving every 2-3 days, and making short trips it's likely your battery just never gets a chance to fully recharge.

 

[earthrealm]

-17 amps is not enough to kill a battery, uness you are making short trips, and drive it like 4 times a month.
what is the draw with all the doors closed and locked?

 

[Flyingfish]

Thanks for the help guys. The HID headlights are the 35w type with no battery power added. Just plugged into the original headlight sockets. They have been installed for over 2.5 years. The draw after everything goes to sleep is .172 with the meter. This is after 30 minutes of all doors being closed. The battery has been replaced with a new Interstate. The only listed items for that "short" fuse is the dome light, radio, and ECU-B. Seems like the issue is with the ECU-B circuit. Not sure how to check anything on that circuit though.

 

[ElZilcho]

So I tested my truck with the DC clamp meter and the results were... I need a new clamp meter. The readings were all over the place, granted the conditions were not as sterile as I would have liked. If I get a chance this week Ill check it in-line with the Fluke. Sorry.