Car battery keeps dying - How to find a Parasitic Drain on a battery without a bunch of fancy tools

Today I'm working on my "Super Cheep" 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee on a parasitic draw (drain) on the battery. The battery keeps dying intermittently and I think it has finally become consistent enough that I can diagnose it.

[@1stlast290]

Great work appreciate your videos making my way through them over time. Especially like the OBS vids

[@diymechanictv1233]

I'm happy you're enjoying them. Thanks for watching! Love the screen name, by the way!

[@Bulletz4Breakfast13]

May not be the correct way to fix it but you can get a toggle on/off switch and wire it in between the positive or negative to your interior lights and turn it off when you leave the car. Or you can go to the closest to battery/JB wire for interior lights and you can rewire it into a "key on" fuse so it only gets power when key is on or vehicle is running.

[@titoort651]

Thank you.i needed this video

[@diymechanictv1233]

I'm glad you found it helpful! Thanks for watching.

[@danwall5010]

Apperceive for the walk through! I'm having the exact same issue with my WJ. THANK YOU!!!

[@noahbrenckle4388]

I am also having the EXACT same issue right now. Did you figure it out?! Thanks in advance!

[@danwall5010]

@@noahbrenckle4388 I pulled fuse #7 (skim) from the fuse box in the cab which stopped my power draw for a couple weeks before I could get the part. installed. Your truck will have side effects from pulling said fuse but it will operate safely. You just won't have interior lights, and other minor inconveniences.

[@gregr2951]

What part did it need? I'm having the same issue.

[@SenzuBeaner]

@@gregr2951did you resolved it yet?

[@sith4mmer558]

@@danwall5010what part did you replace?

[@romerom11]

Suv and vehicles with wind shield wipe in the back window are very common to have problems with wiper motor draining battery

[@rabihoneissy4620]

Do you think our problem drain from fuse 7 are wiper motor

[@tammysteele250]

I have a 97 jeep grand Cherokee Laredo 4x4 and I have worked and worked on this thing for 3 years with wiring and fuses and battery and such. From the front to the back...u wouldnt believe the little crazy things that will shit this thing completely down.. it's been a lot of wiring in the door hinges and my fuse box gets wet and my fuses have become loose over time.. it's very rusted more than it should be..I live in the south and no where near any salt water.. but with it getting wet inside its contribute to it...but I have found wires that were covered that had just a little cut in them that makes a difference.. I have had he horn just go off and cant stop it and it shut down for weeks before I figured it out and just pulled the fuse for horn under the hood And I still have never had horn work period.. but something keeps draining my battery and I for a while just kept undoing the cable on battery cause was tired of simply looking for the draw every which way but loose.. until I once again decide to start looking again and checking.lol...why the manufacturer had to use soybean stuff to wrap car wires I'll never know cause that's what attracts the rats to come chew on them as well...but I'm like uh I'm not gonna let it beat me... I love my old jeep.. I ain't getting rid of it. For nothin..I'll hopefully get it all figured out of these days...I also had to put a complete different hatch on it cause I busted window on it and was easier to just put another hatch on it..and they may also seem to be drawing my battery even when it's not open.. but I have nothing on or open right now and battery is going completely dead daily....ughhh. I tested alternator, it's not that..and been threw bout 3 batteries...lol..

[@aer8nadam]

Thank you for the video I learned a lot from you I will keep a eye out for more videos from you I have a 94 Grand Cherokee limited and my battery is dead in about 4 days if I don't disconnect the positive I'm going to try going through the fuse box one by one like you said and I just bought one of those light testers a few months ago and I don't have a good voltmeter just a cheap harbor freight one Thank you very much for the helpful information

[@darnellfunches8213]

Thanks....Im having the same issue with my jeep and my glove box light would stay on draining my battery. I removed the light and that seemed to work for a few weeks but now it's doing it again. Been sitting in my driveway for over a year now just collecting dust. I don't have many tools, but just happened to have the 2 that you mentioned....I thought that was a coincidence...lol

[@diymechanictv1233]

Glad it helped!

[@WHISTRAYA]

I just tried this method and pulled all the fuses under the hood. Light didn't go off. Is the fuse panel under the steering wheel a separate box? Could I have missed something?

[@chief9161]

I had seen a friend test his vehicle with a battery draw, just the way you did with voltage light. I just could remember exactly how he had done the test. I am currently dealing with a battery draw on my vehicle and and wanted to test the fuses. Thanks for the video and how that you got your Jeep going.. Best Wishes!

[@andycoslet6479]

I'm dealing with the same problem with my 01 Durango

[@FreeScripts]

This issue happened to my 2002 Jeep GC Laredo but it was a dead battery that was still trying to power the car even when it was off!

[@WHISTRAYA]

Could u tell me more about that issue? I'm wondering whether I have the same thing in my jeep grand cherokee 2007. I used his method pulling every fuse in the vehicle and the light didn't go out. Then I tried different nights where I fully charged the battery and would leave either the negative or the positive terminal disconnected or both. It is still draining within 3-7hrs depending on the weather. I live in Canada where it's cold. I thought maybe it's something in the alternator initially but with it all disconnected I'm now wondering whether it has to be the batt? Interestingly the light is on during my tests similar to his, makes me wonder if I do have a slight drain somewhere lol?

[@jeremyhunt9524]

That secondary noise you heard to me kinda sounded like your door chime was trying to chi'm...... Also one time my brother installed a radio in his car, and when he put his door speakers in He ran a screw through the speaker And it was given him a parasitic draw.

[@SenzuBeaner]

I have the exact model and I have been experiencing the same thing for the past year. Did you found out the problem exactly? I just subscribe and going to watch all your videos this weekend! Cheers from Texas

[@mohammedmujalled1554]

Great video. Have you changed the camshaft and the crankshaft sensors or just the camshaft ? Thank you

[@diymechanictv1233]

Glad you found it helpful! I just changed the sensor on the back of the engine (the crankshaft sensor?).

[@rabihoneissy4620]

The drain was from crankshaft sensor

[@Mohamadjamal83]

Thanks for the video- Im having the same problem with my 2001 WJ. Beside pulling out fuse#7 what part your waiting for to install and solve this for goog?

[@diymechanictv1233]

Admittedly, I just left the fuse out on my Jeep. It was a cheap work car for me, so I never spent the time to dig deeper to locate the failed component.

[@rabihoneissy4620]

İm suffering from the same problem fuse 7 i change everything still the drain

[@amylane6108]

My 1997 grand Cherokee did this it was 7 fuse and it ended up be the lift gate sencer the bottom one there are 2 one on the top and one on the bottom

[@tammysteele250]

Huh? Two on top of what and one on bottom what?

[@DS-ss7vl]

Multifunction Switch

[@WHISTRAYA]

Why was there a 2 second delay in the light going out when you pulled the 50amp fuse? Shouldn't it happen instantly?

[@venai123]

Residual current I'm guessing

[@rabihoneissy4620]

Hello again did you find the drain from fuse 7 from where

[@diymechanictv1233]

I did not. The Jeep was a beater for me so I just left that fuse out and the problem went away. The wiring on Chrysler products from that era is a mess (I have a 2005 Wrangler now and it's not a lot better).

[@Bulletz4Breakfast13]

To clean those ground bolts, you should get battery terminal cleaner spray and battery corrosion protection spray

[@russellanderson6874]

Why not use coffee?

[@russellanderson6874]

I mean it’s a Jeep so…

[@russellanderson6874]

Lol this guy said “if it makes this thing reliable”. You own a Jeep/Chrysler/mopar product. Reliable is not an option unless you include breakdowns

[@rabihoneissy4620]

Hello i have the same issue on my grand Cherokee 2002 fuse 7 i disconnect all lights still the drain please any advise

[@diymechanictv1233]

Pull the fuse for that circuit. If it keeps draining the battery, it's a different fuse. Wiring issues seem to be an issue with this generation of Grand Cherokee for some reason.

[@rabihoneissy4620]

Thank you did anyone change the fuse box

[@rabihoneissy4620]

I removed fuse 7 and the drain stop but I’m trying to find from where the drain i need to put fuse 7 again to get the light work and the memory of the temperature and the alarm horn so did you find from where the fuse 7 make drain please can you reply

[@diymechanictv1233]

I never went any further than just leaving the fuse out on mine. It wasn't worth the work to me for the condition of the vehicle.

[@rabihoneissy4620]

So sad not finding so problem one month working on the drain no solution except removing fuse 7

[@noahbrenckle4388]

Did you ever figure it out? Im having the same issue! Electrical shit is the worst.

[@diymechanictv1233]

Just left that fuse out and ran it. Didn't really matter enough to me to zero in on an exact cause, it was a work beater for me anyway.

[@grimace188]

Did you find out what the problem was?

[@grimace188]

Mine is having the same problem when I pull #7 the Test light goes out

[@diymechanictv1233]

I suspect the wiri g between the body and the doors is the issue with mine. So far, I've just left fuse 7 out and it's been working just fine (aside from the interior lights not working when I open the door). Oddly, the interior lights work after I start the vehicle. Too bad these have so many wiring issues or they'd be a pretty decent vehicle.

[@gregorybusjahn2116]

@@grimace188 Rear hatch sensor , disconnect it this works 95% of the time

[@thecommodoredecker]

The ground wires in the doors underneath the sheathing like to break, stuff could be touching in there and triggering a relay