Battery Dead? Won't hold a charge? CAR WIZARD shows how to isolate the problem. Can save you $$$

Batteries that won't hold their charge can be infuriating to find. Let the CAR WIZARD 🧙‍♂️ show you a few tricks to help you isolate the problem.
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[@electrofreak0]

To be clear, when the wizard says he doesn't care when a customer says they checked something, the key to remember here is that you mostly likely don't have a multi-thousand-dollar battery tester at home so your test is less reliable and trustworthy than the tools that he has on hand. That's the whole point of bringing something to a shop, they can afford better testing equipment, and have prior experience with most car issues.

[@jamesgaines6468]

Also a good mechanic can do the same test as a you, even if you do it completely right, and get a hint or clue as to what is wrong that you completely missed because you don’t have years of experience in the field.

[@rockyhill9965]

Yes. Myself and some others have had those times where if we took car to a good mechanic to begin with we would have saved money and time getting the problem fixed.

[@garyr7027]

There's a old school way of testing for a bad battery that many owners don't know. Not rocket science but it works, just depends how bad the battery is. Never assume battery is good AFTER charging it, even a bad one will test good then. Once charged, unhook it and let it sit at the rate it took for it to drain, if it still doesn't start the car then it's no good. Or if it does start it but turns over too slow, it at least has one cell going down.

[@25Nightops]

When troubleshooting anything, never trust the work done before you, always check the easy things first.

[@darryltaylor8995]

😊

[@Rickmakes]

One thing that I have seen cause a lot of problems is dirty terminals. Use a battery brush to clean the clamps and the posts every time you remove and replace the clamps.

[@FWDSUXARSE]

Baking soda and water helps clean them or there's a can of battery terminal cleaner that will turn pink if battery acid is detected / present on the terminals. I use an old retired toothbrush to clean the terminals.

[@davecarey7452]

A bad battery can throw you for a loop for sure. You’ve nailed it. Just because the voltage is good doesn’t mean it can provide the capacity or current.

[@MM_in_Havasu]

I remember solving a battery drain issue for our neighbor a few doors down in her late model Ford Mustang, put multimeter leads between the battery and load to measure amperage draw and it was drawing between 1.5 & 3 amps with key off and car shut down. I traced it to the factory alarm control module(process of elimination in the fuse box did it), disconnected it and fixed the butcher job the stealership did installing it, no more problems and negligible battery drain. The owner let it sit for 3 days and then went out to start it and it lit right off. I don't have a good load tester at my house so just used my 35+ years of mechanical experience with automotive and heavy equipment to draw from. You can't always tell, as this video emphasizes, whether or not a battery is good unless you load test it. Great video, Wizard! Thank you!

[@polypetalous]

When checking battery draw and have the hood open, make sure to disconnect the "under-hood light" if you have one... chased my tail on that one once...

[@mattcross1526]

One thing to remember when doing the amp draw check with the fuses is that the car has to be completely shutdown. If you have to open a door or the hood or trunk to get to the fuses, there is often a switch that turns on a light or wakes a module when those are open. You have to close those switches to turn those lights and modules off before you can find the one that's staying on.

[@fluffyblue4006]

On modern cars, you don't want to disconnect the battery. You might lose settings, radio presets, or you might even have to do recalibrations. So you connect the positive of your amp meter to the ground of your vehicle. Then, loosen the negative battery cable and lift it up a bit, without breaking the connection. Then, fit the negative of your amp meter on the exposed battery terminal under the battery cable. Then, lift the battery cable off fully. Current will flow through the meter and you can diagnose your parasitic draw. When replacing the battery, connect a jump pack to the car. Negative to ground, positive to a terminal or fusible link in the fuse box or to the alternator charge terminal, so it won't be in the way when swapping the battery. Now, you can swap the battery without losing settings. Just take care with the positive battery lead: don't let it touch anything and don't touch anything with your wrench while working on the positive lead, because it will be energized by the jump pack. Finding the fuse that powers the parasitic draw can also be done with a multimeter with a millivolts scale. Measure the voltage over all fuses while they are in the fuse box. The ones that show more than 0.0 millivolts are the ones that feed a parasitic draw. Measure them all and start diagnosing the circuit that has the most millivolts on it. The advantage of this testing method is that this won't wake up any modules. The act of pulling a fuse can be enough to wake up a module on another circuit. That can send you on a wild goose chase. DIY-test your battery regularly, especially when it's getting old. After a fairly long drive, the battery should be fully charged. Wait for 2 hours. Come back to your car. Don't start. Just turn on high beams, blower on highest. Radio on and fairly loud. Don't overdo it, so leave the rear defog off. Wait 15 minutes. Turn everything off. Wait 15 minutes. Now, start your car. If it cranks much slower than normal or not all, your battery is on its way out and should be replaced a.s.a.p. Recharge your battery by doing a short trip or by connecting a charger. This DIY-test assumes that your charging system is good. This DIY-test won't prove anything if you are already experiencing problems. It is only meant to reveal a battery on its way out. It should only be performed at places where you will be able to use a battery charger, jump pack or jump leads to another car. It prevents that you get an unexpected battery-related no-crank problem out in the middle of nowhere.

[@pedrorojascervantes3928]

Good advice! This is very important and as well pulling fuses on say pre 2010 cars may be ok but newer cars pulling fuses & putting them back can and does wake up modules. This is where the Amp Hound and a thermal imaging camera come in handy. I would say you NEED both to do an effective & quick check of parasitic drain on anything after 2014! Otherwise you are going to be chasing your tail.

[@ThunderbirdRocket]

Thanks for sharing this detailed & in depth step by step process .

[@d.c.3220]

I like when the Wizard pulls back the curtain and shows us his mystical magical diagnostic tips. Finding battery drains can be an art sometimes. I recently found out a failing battery can cause quirky issues when a car is RUNNING also - car would miss at idle with no dash light and it would sometimes start then immediately die - putting in a new battery solved those issues. Modern cars are full of computers that rely on a battery in good condition to operate and start without issues.

[@ogonbio8145]

I had a 1990 4Runner & 2001 pathfinder. One could run without a battery while the other wouldn’t idle without a good battery. Guess which is which

[@nou8257]

Had a alternator over charging on my sisters honda accord that caused the cam sensor in the distributor to say it had lost signal.

[@legacylife2530]

@@ogonbio8145 I’ve got a 1990 4Runner it’s been hydro locked and it’s still going floats down the river and still going..love it but only use it now and for the dump runs

[@ogonbio8145]

@@legacylife2530 mine had the 22re and drove an hour into town on 3 cyl

[@dj_paultuk7052]

On some cars, the ECU will wake up after the engine is shut off. I.e. Some EU Vauxhall's (GM) do this after 1 hr of power off. The ECU wakes up to do adaptions using data from the last engine run-time. Calculates adaptions, saves, and then powers off again. So in these instances you may see 1amp for a few mins, and then it disappears.

[@captainkirk4514]

Back in the old days we used a hydrometer to test the specific gravity of the battery acid in each cell. If the specific gravity fell below a certain number in one or more of the cells ,the cell, or cells were dead and you replace the battery. But now with all batteries being maintenance free, and sealed, you can't do that anymore. That old school test never failed. In fact, I think I still have that old hydrometer in my tool chest, if I recall, I paid maybe $3 for that tool from the automotive section at our local K-Mart store in the 1970s.

[@grantperkins368]

Yep, no lie, I had one too :-)

[@mikeceli]

@@grantperkins368 I still have mine! Along with a tube of Standard Motor Products "Breaker Point Grease"!

[@grantperkins368]

@@mikeceli hang on to that! Did you find 2 wires soldered to a 5watt globe too? Damn autotype... yes , 12 volt!

[@mikeceli]

@@grantperkins368 No. But I still have the 12 volt test light, I made out of an old screwdriver, old 12 volt mini bulb socket and some old primary wire and an alligator clip. I made that in the late 60's.

[@braxtonnelson7422]

I worked in the auto parts field for many years, and before I retired, I managed a battery store. I have tested, charged, and replaced hundreds of batteries of all kinds. The Car Wizard (and Magic Mike) are absolutely correct: 1) just because a battery will take a charge does NOT mean that the battery is good; 2) just because a battery is discharged does NOT mean that the battery is bad! The battery has to be able to put out the amperage necessary to make the starter engage and spin under load. Period. Three things which will kill a lead-acid battery: 1) Vibration; 2) Cold; and 3) Heat. Lol... don't get me started talking about car batteries and charging systems... did I mention that I'm retired? Another great and useful video from one of the best in the business!

[@matthewkinney5474]

Yup when I first got my car every morning the battery voltage would drop to 10.5. Found out that there was no battery tie-down, probably vibrating an internal plate connection and killing a cell.

[@jagtan13]

I have a question. Is there a way to revive dead batteries, short of re-manufacturing them? There are so many videos about reviving batteries and it's all confusing. I got lucky on my last car battery, lasted 7 years a Panasonic model. Of course I just changed that battery for a new one when it couldn't hold the rated cca anymore. All I did in the 7 years was keep the battery clean and kept the contacts free of dirt. it was a serviceable model and in the last 5 months of it's life I was adding distilled water to it. Background, I knew the battery was going when the dome lights dimmed excessively when starting the motor and just said oh heck can't hurt to try and added water, it bought me another 5 months instead of the week the battery may have had left had I left it alone.

[@adotintheshark4848]

I have a battery in the garage that will happily charge to 12.8 volts. But it can't produce any cranking amperage. The starter will spin for maybe one revolution and that's it.

[@guilima1202]

As far as a battery being bad while showing that is fully charged, I ran into a situation a few years ago that taught a good lesson! I charged a battery overnight, and it showed a good voltage in the morning, but the vehicle didn't start. I tried to jumpstart the vehicle with a 4 awg cable and another vehicle but could not do it. I assumed it was something else wrong with the vehicle, so I called a towing company. When the driver got to my house he thought about trying his jumpstarter. To my disbelief, the vehicle started! It was quite an embarrassing experience! After that, I got the battery tested just out of curiosity and got a new one!

[@paulgraumann2774]

The other thing that will kill a battery is if it is discharged too frequently or left to sit too long uncharged or at too low a charge. You can just add heat and cold to this equation. A regular car battery is NOT designed to be run low often.

[@Henry_Jones]

I work in IT. Its like finding a network loop back in thr day. You put a continuous ping on and then start unplugging network cables from your switch 1 at a time till the networks back up. That wires your loop and you see where it came from. Usually it was a mini switch wirex wrong or someone plugged 2 ends of the patch cable into 2 wall jacks...once it was from a patch cable that had been run over with an office chairs wheel a bunch of times and the pairs had crossed!

[@davidmazzella3239]

You can also check the voltage drop across the fuse with fuse in place. Use multimeter in millivolt scale.The fuse with a noticeable different voltage drop from the others is the one using current.

[@mikefixescars]

To be honest car wizard, I took my car battery to several places that had similar testers (advance and AutoZone) and they all said that the battery was good. I tested it myself. The connections were tested multiple times. But at the end of the day, the battery was not good. Replacing the battery solved all the problems that I had

[@jaymorgan8017]

Here's another tip - if you have dual batteries you have to disconnect one before you load test.

[@27zacmaklea35]

Legend has it: The Car Wizard can successfully divide by zero.

[@fubartotale3389]

Wow, a New Beetle with electrical probs? NO WAY!

[@theyunglos]

New? lol

[@buzzcrushtrendkill]

These videos are what I love the most, instructional. Yup, those cheap USB adapters one buys at the gas station...are built cheaply too! I had one that weakened a battery. After finding the USB adapter so hot could only touch long enough to pull it out, felt lucky the car didn't burn.

[@philipsgarage]

I got the amp hound in one of your previous videos. It helped me track down a 3amp draw I found that was killing my battery on my ml63. Turned out to be a amazing tool, ended up being my headunit.

[@mrlaw711]

Mr. Wizard - you are the greatest with your knowledge and methodical (but interesting) presentations. I've watched all your MBZ videos because I've had good one and bad ones. The best a 1985 300 SD Turbo which I bought in 1986 when it was still rather new. My daughter was driving it going to college with 380,000 miles on it in 2007.

[@ericbmusic]

Was trying to figure out a parasitic drain the day this video was posted; definitely a stroke of serendipity. bought a cheaper model of the Amp Hound on eBay ($40) and immediately pin pointed two unrelated drains. Was about to bring it to the dreaded mechanic. Thanks C.Wiz!

[@guilima1202]

When doing that inline amp draw test at the battery, I read/watched once that in some scenarios you should "transition" the negative cable from the battery to the inline amp meter to avoid cutting power to the whole vehicle and consequently shutting down the faulty component. draining the battery.

[@bobbishop9339]

For the cheapest test just use a test light to find a drain. Hook the light between the battery cable and the post on the battery. You should get a lite if there is a drain. Then just pull the fuses one by one till the light goes out. There is your drain. Gets kinda confusing if the dome light is on, (you got the door open dummy) block out the door switch. I found the clock was usually the drain. but I have been out of the business for a long time. Anyway good video.

[@jerryl5895]

I love watching the Car Wizard!! This channel is one of my favorites.. it is educational and very entertaining not to mention we get to see more automotive content!!

[@carmudgeon7478]

That little Fluke 115 Wizard used to check voltage can also test up to 10 amps too. It's nice to see those different testing tools at work.👍

[@Mrflash222006]

There a good all around meter had a 115 for years, well worth the money, sent it in for calibration and it hasn’t shifted from spec

[@carmudgeon7478]

@@Mrflash222006 You speak truth. I have an 87 that I sent in every year for certification. It came back for 19 years just recertified, only needing recalibrated in the 20th year when I knocked it off a 988 CAT loader and cracked the + socket. Fluke caught the crack, fixed it and it's working like new all included in the recert price.

[@fluffyblue4006]

Flukes usually have expensive fuses in them. The Snap-on Vantage has a normal automotive fuse, as far as I know. If I had one, I would also use the Vantage instead of the Fluke, when measuring amps in a vehicle.

[@Mrflash222006]

@@fluffyblue4006 tbh flukes are aimed at a different market, anything more than 6-7 amps you move over to an amp clamp tbh

[@entity6966]

@@fluffyblue4006 fluke fuses are pretty cheap. You can get some from Amazon for a decent price

[@hotpuppy1]

On old cars that had trunk or under hood lights, the switches would stick, making the light stay on when closed. That would show in the map draw. Also on old cars was when the keys became worn and could be pulled out before the ignition switch was totally in the OFF position causing an accessory drain. That happened to me once. One thing that most people don't think about is the dirt that accumulates on top of the battery. The dirt becomes conductive in damp weather, draining the battery. Also in damp weather corrosion on the terminals creates higher resistance making the car hard to start. Since I don't have a battery tester, I usually charge the battery (if it will take a charge) like Wizard did, then put my cheap clip-on amp meter on the positive cable and the voltmeter across the battery. Crank the engine and see what the starter draws is and what the battery voltage drops to. If the battery voltage drops below 10.5, volts, the battery is likely bad IF the starter amp draw is OK. If starter draw is like 400 amps, the starter MAY be bad OR there is an internal problem with the engine making it hard to turn over. Our 2015 Subaru sat most of 2020 without being driven. We were using just one car to drive of our two since working from home. The minimal draw from the computer should not have killed the battery over the months it sat, but the battery was stone dead. It was five years old so in went a new one. Didn't bother to test further.

[@jeffgriffith7003]

Good point on a dirt of a battery becoming conductive.

[@KiwiCatherineJemma]

Actually a car sitting unused for a month or more, can indeed drain a perfectly good battery, even if there is nothing wrong. Immobilisers, alarm systems and even just a remote unlocker (which most cars have had since the early 2000's) can drain a tiny bit of power all the time. Somewhere there is a tiny radio module listening in every second for whenever "you" might press the "unlock" button on your key remote. I remember reading through a car's handbook, back in the 1990's and it said leaving that car (6 cyl Australian GM Commodore) unused for even 3 weeks, might discharge the battery, enough that the car won't start. If a car is to be unused for a month or more, it may be prudent to remove one lead at the battery terminal, or use a suitable small smart-charger which is intended to maintain a level of charge. Such "trickle" chargers may state they are safe to connect while the battery terminals are still connected. Disconnecting a battery cable will in some models cause all the radio stations in the radio memory to become deleted (and need re-tuning afterwards), or may cause a burglar alarm to sound, when first re-connecting the battery afterwards. Some of the newest cars especially the really exotic weird stuff, is likely to pull a very sad face, if the battery is entirely disconnected or allowed to go completely flat. Certainly with all even halfway modern cars and all the electric stuff on them, if in doubt, replace with a known good battery, even just for testing purposes. Remember to save the receipt as even new batteries can suddenly become defective. I had one go bad on me once. I didn't have the receipt as I'd not long bought the car used, but the battery had a date code sticker on it. The auto parts store was really good and just swapped me a replacement new battery. Also remember folks, a 5 minute drive around the block or 10 minutes to the shop and back WILL NOT fully recharge a battery, even if the charging system is 100% good. That takes about one hour of steady running. In Winter temperatures below 0*Celsius or 32*Fahrenheit, then the battery and alternator have to do a lot more work to do while headlamps, heater blower motor, windshield and mirror defrosters, possibly seat-warmers etc are all on. Plus for "chemical" reasons, even a fully charged battery, doesn't give up it's stored energy as easily, when temperatures plunge below freezing. Under some rare conditions, perhaps being snowed in at a cabin in Montana or Fairbanks Alaska, remove the car/truck battery and carry it into the cabin with you, and set it down about 3 feet/metre from your wood- fired stove for the night, so there's a better change your rig will start for you the next morning !

[@paulgraumann2774]

Letting a car sit unused more than a month or so in the winter will in fact lead to it losing most if it's charge, if used for lots of stop and start with lights on will not recharge it so those stay on in all weather headlights were a real gift to the battery makers!

[@KiwiCatherineJemma]

@@paulgraumann2774 I believe the Alternator charging systems of cars "nowadays" (from year 2000 onwards) put out heaps of power, and have no trouble coping with all of a vehicle's electrical loads. I've read that the alternators typically fitted to American v8s put out about 100 Amps even just at engine idle speed. (4 cylinder cars possibly need more revs. But my mum's 1,000cc / 61 cu inch, Suzuki hatchback runs a slightly higher voltage running with headlamps and Rear Demister ON, even with the engine just idling !). I do however think it's utterly bonkers that, is it BMW (?) now have liquid cooled Alternators, making for more complexity, more hoses under the bonnet and more chances for cooling system leaks. Conventional Air cooled alternators seem fine up to at least 140 Amps, how many more Amp does a normal car or light truck need !

[@therockwellhour3401]

When Wizard says “I don’t care”, only a certain generation understands exactly what he means without being offended. That’s 70’s understanding no offense to anyone it’s what it is. Some of us understand.

[@HarleySLA]

I definitely wasn't around for the 70s, but I've heard him say this phrase many times. It definitely comes off as saying "its irrelevant/ it doesn't matter" or "be that as it may". Definitely doesn't come across, to me anyway, as him saying he literally does not care. He just saying: regardless of whats happened, heres the facts. I dunno, seems silly, people get offended over everything anymore and its kinda sad. Like, is no one allowed to use and expression anymore and does everything have to be taken so literally? I'll pass on that, its no fun.

[@clover7359]

4:23 I need to add that some vehicles have part time charging systems (common on later Honda models) that intermittently don't put a load on the alternator as a fuel saving measure. This freaked me out the first I checked my Acura TSX's charging system. I measured the voltage at the battery terminals with the engine running and it was at 12.5 volts. I almost had a heart attack because I didn't know about the feature. *It can be defeated by turning the lowbeams on.* Later at home I checked again and it was at 13.4 volts. It was definitely time to replace the alternator because it was 10 years old at the time and had serviced a car driven year round in Fairbanks for 9 of those years. 13.4 volts is usually a sign that the alternator is about to go out and it may already be allowing current to flow out of the battery and causing a parasitic draw from that. Some vehicles run 13.7 volts normally, so under 14.0 isn't a death sentence for the alternator.

[@grantperkins368]

Cheers!

[@theundergroundlairofthesqu9261]

I believe Honda started that to reduce load on a cold engine after it has been started, in its first minute or so of running.

[@sejembalm]

A handy gizmo I bought was a AutoWit portable jump-starter that does not use an internal battery (that slowly goes dead in your trunk), but a capacitor that starts the car with just a quick charge from a weak battery (even your dead battery). No pre-charging required and can be used more than 100,000 times. It is easier to use and has a longer lifespan than traditional battery car jump starters.

[@kbVACArestatecarsnrvs]

You just don't know how glad I was to see this video come out today! I just purchased a 2005 Lincoln Town Car Signature (like brand new in & out, 64K miles) that is having the same problem. The car only came with a 30 day warranty from the dealer where it was traded in. So that was beginning of April. Before the end of April, the car sat for a couple of days without being started/driven and dead battery. So it went back to the dealer and they put in a new battery. It had a Napa replacement that was about out of warranty, so it wasn't too new. They replaced it with a Delco they had in stock. Well, great for a few days but as soon as I didn't drive it for a couple or few days, it was DEAD again. So I jumped it, started right up. Luckily it didn't strand me anywhere as long as I had driven it that day or the day before. But after a few months now and a couple of non-starts after not being driven, I get a "won't start" if I don't drive it daily. I had an appointment but cancelled it when the dealer said they may have to have it for a couple of days. I know this place, it'll sit out in the packed lot, get banged up, won't be locked up and the last day they have it they'll decide to work on it for it to be ready last minute or another day they'll have to have it. They said they will still not bill me since it's a continued problem from April. Should I bite my teeth, make a new appointment for early in the week (to get it back before a weekend) and hope no scratches, no damage is done to my cream puff, and let them try and solve the problem hoping that they have the machine you just showed us? Wish you were in VA!

[@norisboren5402]

To K B Check that battery cables bolt isn't corroded or loose. Check that all interior lights & everywhere are turned or switching off. 2. REMOVE battery for auto parts IN STORE load machine testing (this testor may charge it 30 min. before doing test). Usually free. 3. Install known good battery. 4. Wait 10 min. for all electric to sleep. Measure amp usage amount at battery cable with Multimeter AMP CLAMP, should not be more than about .025 amp (25 mili amp). If .08 that's too much. If . 02 that's good. One of these can be the problem. Hope helps. Me ASE electricial. Have store write note about battery if bad, date & sign before returning to car sales.

[@kbVACArestatecarsnrvs]

@@norisboren5402 Appreciate that repky. All of that was to be done the 1st Time the dealer had it for the 1st battery swap. I'm about thinking the 2nd (new) one is not a good one. All cables and post connectors are like new and nothing is staying on like lights etc. Only thing that stays on is the small clock on the dash. I don't even leave the auto light switch on anymore I got so paranoid lol. We'll see soon I guess. Just hate taking my cars to some repair facilities but not too many choices out there. Thanks again for the info.

[@Sonny_McMacsson]

Last time I diagnosed a battery that would die overnight, I charged it fully, put a voltmeter on the posts (not the connectors!) and turned on the headlights. The voltage sagged from about 12.5V to about 9.0V. Obviously the internal resistance was too high so I got a replacement. The store confirmed a bad battery with a tester. I haven't had any trouble since. When I diagnosed a charging problem on a different car, the already too low system voltage would sag when increasing the engine RPM, probably because the ignition coils were consuming more power with increasing spark frequency. I took out the alternator and took it to the store to be checked. Before testing it, the guy snarkily said, "It not the alternator." The tester indicated it was the alternator (I told you). A new one fixed the charging issue.

[@lkneepkens53]

Thanks for your great vids! Love the way you use your language , very civil, no swearing every two minutes. This vid in particular didn’t learn me much but some others really do. Please continue

[@andrewcweaver]

Wizard, this is crazy. I’m having a problem with a parasitic drain on my 2016 HR-V and I just happened to see you posted this video today 😂

[@danielseelye6005]

He's watching you...👀

[@dsloop3907]

The parasitic drain in my chevvie was cured by pulling the radio fuse.

[@timothyharrison8953]

A recently acquired Toyota Sienna van with a four year old battery was giving me fits with an occasional dead battery. The battery tests good at the parts store. Testing for drain I made sure the hood open switch was closed. I placed my multimeter inline and closed and locked the van and waited for about 10 minutes. Eventually the draw was down to 18 milliamps. I replaced the "good" battery and we've not had a dead battery since. Sometimes it's not as easy as it looks.

[@Cheepchipsable]

Yes, you do get marginal batteries that might work most of the time. They are pretty annoying because you don't want to spend the cash for no reason. Since int might start the car in the morning or during the day with no problem, it seems these may pass a test but still be failing.

[@samholdsworth420]

Four years old? those cheap Walmart batteries don't last

[@mediumsizedm]

Batteries last 3-5 years on average

[@nathanm2664]

I used that exact Midtronics tool when I worked at Advance. Came in very handy since it can also test your charging system and starter with the In Vehicle Test function

[@johnmoore6501]

The Fluke Multimeter the Wizard used to measure the workshop flat battery voltage, It also measures amps {10 Amps I think} You can use that in series with the battery to measure drain,

[@simmonspdx]

Yep. No need for those other meters the Fluke 115 he uses is all that is needed. It measures AC and DC current to 10 A (20 A overload for 30-seconds max). It’s rare to see a multimeter that does not measure current.

[@davidedgar2818]

I'm more used to the old school tools before computer modules. I appreciate the up date. Great tools to show off. It helps keep my mind active.

[@blaketindle4703]

Yeah to hell with pulling fuses! You recommended Amp Hound in a video years ago and it is WELL worth it! Fantastic tool!

[@richardsmith2721]

The best way to find shorts is replace your 5A fuses with 30A fuses and look for smoke.

[@stevewhite3424]

I must admit I have been tempted grievously on occasion to do just that but have always resisted it. Lol

[@richardsmith2721]

@@stevewhite3424 I was amped to try it and it was a shocking experience.

[@stevewhite3424]

@@richardsmith2721 😄

[@a1ar127]

I have a 2003 Mountaineer that only has 120,000 miles, and for the last half dozen years we use it occasionally as a hauler with the back seats flat. There was some sort of parasitic drain where if it sat for a week or so the battery would go flat. The only clue to the gremlin is a "door ajar" message on the dash. Rather than try to troubleshoot it all, I installed a cutoff switch on the battery terminal, and if it’s going to sit for more than a day or so I’ll disconnect it. Sure, when I reconnect it I need to reset the radio stations but I guess the rest of the electronics aren’t phased by being shut off. For the price of the battery terminal cutoff and minor inconvenience when I need to use the car, the battery stays fine.

[@RayanMADAO]

my favorite wizard video, love the problem solving steps and it's not too mechanical for me to understand

[@juancarlosdelgado7791]

This example of troubleshooting is often overlooked by a lot of people, including me with a mechanic background and even IT degree. Key thing to take away for us all is to take one step at a time and you’ll find the solution, etc. I did the cost basis for the troubleshooting/logical reasoning and this particular fix is cheaper by doing the steps he took prior to that machine, try doing this by dealer hour rates… Thanks wizard/mrs wizard, and crew.

[@Aretec]

If you have a multimeter you can use that on the amp setting dont need a stand alone amp meter, if you cant find the drain pulling fuses start pulling relays, I have had relays stick closed many time

[@robertbigler7743]

I liked this Car Wizard video much more than the "tour of the car" videos. I actually learned something today.

[@Mrflash222006]

Another basic test is to watch the voltage while cranking (flood clear mode) as the current rises the voltage drops anything below 9v will freak out modern electronics

[@wildman510]

I remember reading a story where somebody bought a really nice Mercedes but for some reason randomly the electronics would just totally stop working and you'd have no lights, they then bought another one with a similar issue and after months of research found out that it was caused entirely by a cheap radio that had been swapped in

[@rossbrough6198]

I have a 2012 Smart and the original 10 year old battery still checks out perfect at every service! Just shows the variability in manufacture - helps that I live in a moderate climate without great hot/cold extremes. Yes, it s tiny car, but it's a tiny battery as well. Great work Wizard.

[@leonascherer1617]

I know why you are called the Wizzard. Your knowledge level is so far above most other technicians. Thank you for the lesson.

[@juanmortaco831]

Been waiting ages for this video, thanks!!

[@TheSleepingonit]

My problem is I was driving with the belt off, because of a bad power steering pump and pulley

[@jbstepchild]

One has to love how thorough the wizard is just amazing

[@FermSingh]

My car has a parasitic drain and the battery typically dies after 2days. I "fixed" it by driving to work everyday.

[@stevewhite3424]

That's a tough job, 7 days a week. :)

[@lyfandeth]

+1 for the Amphound! Much less screwing around pulling fuses.

[@Bizija123]

Yes that's a very good tip Wizard. Good battery voltage does not equal a good battery and bad voltage does not equal a bad battery. Load testing while at a full charge is the best test. I have a $40 Top Don load tester that has been pretty good at showing me the health of a battery, certain no where near as accurate as that beast of a tool Magic Mike was using.

[@ctu5086]

I bought a used car with a good looking aftermarket radio. I adjusted the audio settings to make the sound louder, higher Hz, and associated equalizer settings. I thought wow this stereo system sounds great and just as good as a system with aftermarket speakers and a amplifier. About a couple of weeks later I was stranded with a dead battery. I put two and two together after having to walk a couple miles with a car battery: And I haven't touched the default radio settings two years since then. Never had that problem again.

[@docgiggles130]

Anyone with OnStar in their GM need to keep in mind that OnStar is always drawing power. It can kill a battery in as little as a week. If you are going to park the car for awhile, pull the fuse for the OnStar.

[@dicknodnfs]

This is why I watch this channel. I can't not be informed about car behavior and the fix because, if I take my car to a trusted shop, I want to communicate where the problem might be. That might not be the fix for your problem, because in the end, they're the professionals. But you need to tell give them a place to start to save labor dollars. Well done.

[@Oddman1980]

One of the weirdest "electrical drain" issues I have had was on my 2010 Colorado. You could jump it, and it would start right up. You'd shut it off, and it would show a good charge on the battery. But as soon as you tried to start it, it would drop to about two volts. I isolated the battery from the truck, charged it, and it would show 12v again. But as soon as any load was put on it, it's back down to 2V. It wouldn't even illuminate a test light, and when I took it to Autozone to replace it, the battery wouldn't even run their tester. Another weird one I saw was on an Isuzu Trooper (which was a massive, massive piece of shit) where the alternator failed in such a way that it was drawing current off the battery when the vehicle was off. It was also putting some AC current into the battery. A new alternator fixed it right up.

[@marks8068]

The regular Isuzu Trooper wasnt that unreliable, the Turbo-Trooper was the one every shop fears around here. (mostly since about 1 in 5 throws a rod during the yearly emissions torture test) I nearly lost my inspector licence after getting caught not having tested one, I didnt do it since I had to pay for a new (used) engine the year prior when it blew up at 6000rpm

[@ForTehNguyen]

i have a simple battery load tester at home, its been really useful when i periodically test my batteries to see if a battery is on its way out before it leaves me stranded somewhere

[@bradklingensmith]

Being from PA ww get used to the cols winters wrecking batteries. Then when I was in the Air Force in TX thats when we learned that heat is just as bad for a battery as a cold PA winter. It is also cool how you bring your techs into the videos. Seems like you have a good family type shop.

[@dustoff1472]

Outstanding. Enjoying the channel. Tks for sharing.

[@loner686]

I have a cheap tester that doesn’t have a printer in it but it gives you the internal resistance of the battery and the screen will tell you if it’s good ir replace, the best $60 I have ever spent.

[@yambo59]

This is invaluable testing information for situations like this, I had it happen to me on more than one occasion. in one instance the battery would show a full charge but immediately after it would barely start the car one time with a known good starter and good connections, however a jump battery would start it repeatedly. Of course I didnt have the $$$$ tester shown here so I went to a very good battery retailer in my area and they fully test your charging starting system as well as battery for free using a tester similar to what is show in the video. In less than ten minutes they confirmed a shorted cell and brought me out to show the readout -- I bought a new battery which they also pre-tested before installation just to be thorough, that was two years ago and ive had zero problems since. I recommend anyone, especially anyone who isn't car savvy just take it to a competent trusted shop or battery retailer so they can save you tons of guesswork and aggravation in finding such unusual issues. Just because a battery is new doesnt mean its not defective, mass production almost guarantees a certain amount of defects. On another note, one can also use a quality multi-meter with a reliable milli-amp range to find a draw, once you see the draw as wizard says just pull fuses one by one until the draw drips down to the low milli-amp range, it doesnt take a $$$$$ tester to do this either just use a good quality digital multimeter with a reliable milli-amp range. However finding a shorted cell on todays sealed batteries requires a more sophisticated testing device than most DIY'ers would have.

[@wotrulke5868]

Great video I love watching this type of video from you guys 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@douglasmiller1467]

Learned allot Wizard, thanks much.

[@thebigguy8306]

Thank you, Wizard and Mrs. In Minnesota these problems typically come up when we are sub-zero. Battery, alternator, wiring? My 96 Audi A6, unsure why the accessory was active when the car was shut off. Battery under the back passenger seat, ta-da, changed in 2007 was original Bosch stamped Feb 96. Why do you keep dead batteries around - doorstop?

[@jeffjankiewicz5100]

Always good advice from Car Wizard.

[@harrisonchevy4452]

Great video Wizard, appreciate so much. I guess that is why you are the Wizard 🧙‍♂️. You have the procedure and the tools to locate the problem. While me, Joe Customer, has few tools 🧰 and limited knowledge. I have been watching since before you started this channel and we’re on Hovies channel. Good job on content and teaching us poor ignorant lay folks. Take care and have a great day.

[@jondoes7836]

Had current draw issues on two of my cars: 1970 GTO - glove compartment light wouldn’t shut off. 2004 Mustang GT - factory Mach amp wouldn’t shut off. Found with amp meter & pulling fuse method as shown by Car Wizard.

[@petrilaakso7927]

excellent video, thanks wizard and folks!

[@proudtexan5513]

Excellent informational video!!!

[@dneedham8302]

Great video Wizard! I just went through this with our 2006 VW Beetle Convertible. In our case it was a USB charger/ Bluetooth transmitter. It never shut off and drained the battery overnight.

[@samholdsworth420]

Get a USB charger from a reputable brand (say anker). You won't have that issue.

[@15DudeAwesome]

I was giving a lady a jump start at the parking lot near my work. Her confused look I will never forget because I had to back up to her bumper because my battery is located in the trunk

[@dansaver8247]

Terrific video. Thank you.

[@BitchKillerKitty]

I did this with a $7 harbor harbor freight multimeter on a 87 corvette. It turned out to be a problem with the security system, the customer was happy with leaving the fuse out as they didn’t want to spend the money fixing the anti theft system. It was very satisfying to pull that fuse and see the amps drop.

[@nelsonbrum8496]

I've used a 1 ohm 10 watt resistor in between the cable and battery, and used a multimeter set to volts to read across the resistor. It gives me current reading in volts. Not gonna blow the fuse in my vintage Fluke 87 regardless of what powers on.

[@31dknight]

Another great video from the wizard. Thanks

[@JaySlow7]

Great video. As a battery nerd many people forget that 12v only means the cells have a combined voltage of 12. The fancy machines the mechanics use bring in battery temperature, expected current capacities, and so on then apply maths and finaly determine state of health. A fail is typically less than 40% remaining capacity where it can no longer produce required current and with only 80 amps calculated that 10% of your rating.

[@lyfandeth]

All of which is why several cars makers kill the power outlets when the ignition is off. But a bluetooth OBD2 diagnostic device, or any device plugged into that port, can draw power ALL the time. That's controlled by the device. FWIW.

[@artfordlowery490]

Thanks Mr wizard 😀 and also magic Mike for sharing this very informative information about batteries and shortage in vehicles its good 👍 advice

[@sgttombailes3380]

Great Video Wizard !! Very informative !! HooAh !!

[@loringmccrorey6981]

Great lesson.🙂👍

[@NoahHeadglitch]

I had a bad battery once at the beginning of college and it took me 6 months and multiple Napa trips just to tell me the battery was just fine even though I knew the battery was bad. Took me going to a shop to tell Napa the battery was bad. Sure enough I got my free warranty battery. Haven't had a problem since. The stupid battery test where they charge it and tell you the battery is good so you don't get your warranty is such a load of bs. Tells you nothing about the condition of it. I'm very happy the wizard made this video to show the right way. 👍

[@jonnardjackson2884]

Test at the battery is correct! I have seen my share of new bad batteries. Make sure the modules go to sleep. USB chargers and cheap ones can cause problems!

[@Deth43]

wizard pulling them fuses was pure ASMR

[@steveauston6020]

Can also test for a drain with a simple multimeter. No need for a high end device. The battery tester is expensive but an excellent tool. I use mine all the time!

[@ndafarachaitezvi1139]

Great content as always

[@Blurky82]

For the simple exclusion of electrical faults you can also use a cheap clamp meter, it doesn't have to be very accurate, if you use the fuse pulling methode you will see a difference in Amps, and yes that also works with DC voltage. Also what Car Wizard didn't tell in this video, if you did some investigation yourself but can't solve the problem, then pass on everything you have found already (for instance which fuse you saw the amp drop when pulled) to the shop you bring it to, it can save a lot of time and (your) money.

[@engineerinhickorystripehat9475]

I am so old , I learned everything there (was) to know about flooded cell batteries from an EE working on the original Midtronics conductance tester .... over the phone.....long distance , toll free..lol. Heady times indeed.

[@patrickduffy3809]

My kid is a lot runner at a Honda dealer. They test the battery on every single car that comes in, usually within a minute of pulling it into the service area

[@samfungccim]

How do you charge the customer when it takes you half a day (4 hours?) to find out the battery is no good when your shop rate is $150 a hour? ($150/hr x 4 hr = $600) You're losing money if you do not have the youtube channel? thanks for showing us all the stuffs about car repair and maintenance!

[@d1mennis]

2 years ago I had a problem with my 2009 RAM 1500 not starting. The battery was stone cold dead! It would take a charge but in the morning it would be stone cold dead. My 10 amp charger would pop the internal overload trying to charge the battery so I would have to jump it off another car battery to get it to start. I checked all the obvious things that would draw power and nothing. Finally after 3 days of messing with it I got out my amp probe and hooked it up to the battery terminal. It was pulling 0.72 amps just sitting there! I got curious so I started pulling fuses and relays. BINGO! The radio fuse dropped the amperage to 0.05! Great! I wanted a newer radio with GPS anyway so I started taking the dash apart to pull the radio out. Just when I was about to start disconecting the wires I thought let me see if there's a CD in it which ther was so I ejected it out. Guess what! The amperage dropped down to 0.05 again. The CD player was drawing power even though everything was off!! Another time I had purchased a motorcycle battery. It was a sealed gel battery. 3 months later the bike wouldn't start after sitting for 9 hours. Checked it with a multimeter and it read 12.8 volts. Left the meter on it while trying to start it and the meter went to 0 volts. Shut it off it went back to 12.8 volts. If you crossed the terminals not even a spark! Dead cell. They refunded me the money but I had to prove to them that it had a dead cell!

[@ronniemaeker9102]

I have a "prong" type load tester that has a load coil and an old school ammeter bolted inline between the positive and negative. It is easy to read and has no electronics to break. If you have removable caps, you can test and if a cell is bad, you can watch it boil. It is a "one trick pony", but does the trick...

[@rustyrazor1853]

@9:21 "You really want to have POINT zero two. not POINT TWO!" That's what the cops told me LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

[@johnlenoir1023]

And I love it nice video that's a heck of a nice tester please keep them coming

[@lylezink1518]

thank you thank you thank you. I know it is impossible for you to do a super informative video everytime but its videos like this one that makes you the car wizard and why 759,000 people have subscribed!!!!!

[@CarWizard]

Too bad the views are so low on this video.

[@stevewhite3424]

@@CarWizard I think that with the general public and many mechanics when you mention electrical their eyes glaze over. Lol

[@NafanyaZX]

@@CarWizard Thank you for what you do. Though seeing how this is aimed at DIYers, I'm surprised you didn't use the multimeter in amp meter setting hooked up in series via alligator clips. It is the cheapest method to test for parasiitic draw. Personally, I love to see how people in the trade do things on the other side of the pond. Greetings from Germany.

[@robertfolsom1]

First thing for those watching; did you buy your battery for cheap at WalMart? I went through 3 brand new batteries in the space of three months this last winter; returning each. I did a parasitic current draw test each time showing no excessive current draw and was left scratching my head, because what are the chances of having three bad "new" batteries in a row? When I returned my last battery, I asked the sales clerk how many of these batteries do you get returned; he sheepishly looked at me and simply said, "a whole lot". I said, "ok, see you again in a few weeks!" As Wizard has said in some of his last videos concerning mechanical parts such as camshafts and lifters, companies are putting out very inferior products these days, which is sad. Luckily, my current battery which I replaced in March (and Feb, and Jan) is still working. Stay away from cheap WalMart batteries.

[@SVSky]

Costco ones much better and no hassle warranty

[@blackdragon46819]

The auto parts store I work for is switching over to something similar to that battery tester and is able to print out if the battery is good or bad with how many amps it's putting out

[@DeLaLosPedros]

Thank you sir for help❤️

[@tomtheplummer7322]

Ah yes, the old load test routine...missed it by that much.😉