*PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT* - If you are watching this video on 4/15/24 or 4/16/24 and you don't fall asleep before the end screen and you see part II is listed as "Members Only." *DO NOT PANIC* Do not send me nasty emails, don't unsubscribe, don't tell me I am an asshole or a sellout in the comments and *DO NOT CALL MY SHOP* to tell me you can't watch it. The part II will be posted on the 17th at 6am just like *I ALWAYS DO.* The reason it says members only is because there are some folks that support our TH-cam channel by becoming a "TH-cam Member" and it gives them early access to all videos I put out. Take a breath, slow down, everything is gonna be OK. Thanks for watching! -Eric O.
It's absolutely ridiculous you have to post this Eric. I can't believe people get so bent out of shape because of this. This world needs more patience. Thank you for your hard work, and these videos that teach us so much. Let the haters hate. You rock man.
While I don't always like members only videos, when it's just early access to your videos and those who don't financially support you just have to wait a few days, thats fine, and I actually think this is a great idea for you to get additional income for all your hard work in producing these videos for us.
Back in the early eighties, we had a customer whose battery died three times, about every six days. After a slow charge, it would test good. Her charging system, current draw and starter also tested OK. The fourth time me and my helper went to her house to get her started. We found her Chevrolet parked on a steep incline and it was drawing current from the battery. Checking around we found that it had a trunk light that used a mercury switch. My helper climbed into the trunk and sure enough the light stayed on with the trunk closed. Things were much simpler in those days.
I taught wiring diagrams on jets for many years. Love this stuff. Then, I bought a 2015 Silverado WORK TRUCK with a 300+ page owner's manual! I spent 2 days chasing RPO codes before finding the parasitic current draw. I'm retired now so I love watching other people teach this stuff.
I remember when the work truck models were just 2WD manuals with hand crank windows and really basic. Now the only difference is a couple of small features and fleet tracking for the boss.
Between you and ScannerDanner, I can't tell you how much your videos have helped me take my automotive knowledge to the next level. It's really helped me help other people. Thanks for what you do!
ditto. granted, watching Mr. O cost me money 😁(convinced me to buy an Autel MS906Pro)... BUT... it allowed me to help a family friend when her honda minivan started tossing a MIL, and the dealer wanted to replace her cats, to the tune of a couple grand. A test drive with her and I could see that one of her upstream O2 sensors is getting lazy/falling asleep/dying. so basically what I've paid for my Autel, plus 1 year renewal so far, is what she would have paid for potentially unneeded repairs.
@@johnhufnagel Reminds me of a recent Pine Hollow Diagnostics video where a typical know-it-all said he would have taken the car to the dealer where he didn't have to pay for a technician learning. That one was a parasitic draw problem as well and took some time to find the problem. These know-it-alls always know what was wrong AFTER someone else fixes the problem.
Another great video from SMA ..I would rather watch this than the stuff they push on tv ..from a retired mechanic this is totally entertaining Eric ..thank you !!
As someone who went to vocational automotive school in 1970 and quit working on cars in the 1980's, I really got left behind when it comes to electronics. Now at age 74 there is no catching up! Eric, your diagnostic skills really amaze me. Although I don't always know exactly what you are talking about, your videos always make me stop and think. Thanks for someone who can still make me THINK!! Great Videos!!
@@joeheck146 Right you are! Touched up the points of my '71 Mustang on the side of the highway, good to go. These days, your car stops, and it's a tow truck. Try that in the middle of nowhere in Northern Ontario, Canada where the nearest help is a helluva long ways away.
So far I haven’t been able to find a reputable mechanic here in Reno that is willing to dig deep into an electrical issue. If my back wasn’t hurting all the time I would follow in my father and grandfather’s footsteps. They both were mechanics by trade. My grandfather rocked for a man with no high school or college education. Told me to learn electronics if I was going to be a mechanic, he wasn’t wrong.
Outstanding! And as a former GM tech, you sir earned yourself .3 labor for your diagnosis under warranty! (Unless you want to fist fight with corporate for straight time that they kick and scream to deny!)
Interesting this problem and repeated flat battery. I’ve recently had similar issues with my GM Vauxhall 2ltr diesel automatic. It started happening in January 24. The car radio/ Satnav stopped working! My daughter working for a National breakdown company called and plugged into the diagnostic socket to tell us a radio fault? So we disconnected it. But within two days, flat battery again. Cutting to the chase and after three garages looking at the problem and another new battery (the one on the car was 1 year old) it cost me around $1000 to be told that one of my young grandsons had put a 10p coin into the CD player which is a separate device to the radio. Direct short circuit, I got a used CD player off EBay for $25 Oh dear! Expensive 10 cents but after watching many of your videos it made realise how much time these electrical problems can cost in time and money. Keep up the good work, best Wishes to you and your family 😊
Separate, but directly connected to the radio therefore part of that system, just as A/C is when controlled on a touch screen of an Infotainment system. They're not like old cars.
I purchased a used Fusion from a friend that had a draw that drained the battery in a day. Traced it back to an aftermarket remote start system. Removed it and never had an issue afterwards. While removing it I found hideous workmanship done by the installer. They stripped various wires and wrapped the remote start wires around the factory wires and simply taped them up. This is why I never use shops to have work done. I do it myself.
It used to be a rare sight to go a video without some vehicle in at SMA with problems and a bunch of aftermarket garbage installed and causing those issues
Fluke 87 or 88 true RMS automotive meter. Once i used one, never went back to the others. Pricey meter, but worth it for the low voltage and amperage accuracy, among many other test functions. Awesome video as always Mr.O. Thank you for all you do.
One thing that is always worthwhile when you get to a draw on a media disk player is to press the eject button and see if it spits out a disk and the problem goes away. Sometimes, someone will leave a little AC/DC in there and it just starts drawing current.
The same thing happened to me once with my Rav4. Took it to the dealership only to have a service 'advisor' tell me I wasn't driving my car enough for the battery to be charged. It turned out to be a relay that was being left open that was draining my battery. They ended up doing a firmware update. Between that and a conversation with the service manager telling him how stupid my advisor was all was good and it fixed my issue! Oh and the advisor never did apologize when he told me what the issue turned out to be.
My 2015 Kia Sorento has gone through five batteries due to a unknown battery drain. BUT recently I came across a video that suggested the problem with 2015 - 2023 Kia Sorento battery problems are related to the vanity light on the passenger side. Yes you read that right. In fact the owners manual suggests Kia is aware of this issue. The manual suggests you keep the mirror door closed at all times because when the key fob is in range it turns the light on thus killing the battery. Yikes.
Eric, you helped immensely with my buddy’s Hyundai that kept going into limp mode due to “ system too lean at high load”. He was looking for advice and you told him to pull those aftermarket fuel injectors out of it and get some OEM ones. Well, we did it and the car is finally fixed. It’s been a problem since October!! Thank you!!!
On my daughter”s Chevy Impala, it was the door actuator for the heating system, that was drawing the juice. Also heard a knocking sound as well though, even when car was off and key was removed.
With hvac odor getting hundreds of cars lemon law repurchased, carmaker got onto the problem by setting climate system doors to assure passive airflow that allows evaporator core condensation to dry to stop biological growth. An actuator not achieving the position could make for a cyclic attempt if software has no timeout.
i had a draw on my 06 impala . i used my volt ohm meter in line with the battery ground pulling fuses the radio had a draw . had my wife take it to the dealer. dealer wanted to replace battery . i had told my wife it was something to do with the radio . so no new battery.. finally figured if you shut the radio off not let it shut off when it timed out . the battery wouldn't go dead after a couple days . so not the same as this problem . my solution was shut the radio off before key off. battery made it 5 more years
The Topdon TC002 Thermal camera for iOS would be a nice addition. It will help spot thermal anomalies inside the car and elsewhere, which might indicate a device drawing power.
Sirius XM modules have been known for parasitic draw issues. Not sure if that's your problem, but when you mentioned the customer was a subscriber, it was the first thing that came to mind. If she's using XM over her mobile-phone/bluetooth, that's different however.
I was an auto tech at a Chrysler dealership in the late 90's and had to track parasitic draw with a Fluke DVOM on the neg batt cable before lab scopes were a thing. I had to hook it up and wait 30 minutes for everything to timeout. I remember one on a Dodge PU that turned out to be a seatbelt module
Good demonstration of how to trace this type of problem. I've worked with fellow electrical engineers over the years that weren't able to troubleshoot as effectively.
Great video! I see you are using a Vantage Pro. I like using the graphing capabilities of the VP and the actual real amp meter which it has internally once I have established there is an actaul draw. I will use the amp clamp in the beginning to check quickly for the presence of a draw before disconnecting the battery to install a disconnect switch as that can actually fix the concern if a module is hung. I'll bet its the radio. The HMI module I believe is Onstar but not 100% sure. Yes it is easy to miss a fuse voltage drop and you need good test probes with sharp tips on them. In some cases I have been able to see a warm fuse with a thermal camera but only if its a considerably higher current draw.
That is true, but the heat output in watts would be the voltage drop across the fuse x the current through it....which is millivolts x milliamps...which is milli- or micro watts. Very little heat. My Flir scanner wouldn't see it. I don't think, anyway. I'll have to try that.
I had a disc player that got moisture in it somehow and created a draw that would kill the battery if the car sat for 2days. Took me a bit to figure it out.
I keep waiting for infrared camera prices to fall, and I keep looking for one that will focus closely on a circuit board. That would be a quicker way to find the active circuit in a fuse box, although intermittent problems will always be a pain.
Reminds me of a video you did a while back (I think it was you) where the On-Star was trying to phone home, but the service had been discontinued. The fix was to just leave the fuse out. Of course not a great fix for the radio/cd player...
My 95 Firebird used to have a parasitic draw, for the longest time I couldn't figure it out. The battery would be good for a couple days, then dead or almost dead. Finally after some investigating, I discovered it was the after market auto starter (installed long before I bought the car) making the battery go dead. Apparently they are one of the main causes of parasitic draw. Thanks for the video, Eric, and yes I can wait for part 2😜 Take care my friend👍
I really learned something from this video, that is fuse boxes are like the lady kind , you got to wait for them to calm down before you find out who's hot and who's not
As another mechanic on you tube said, "Just leave a Non-Offensive comment below!" Non-Offensive comment ok that's done, nice video Kirchhoff's current law (1st Law) states that the current flowing into a node (or a junction) must be equal to the current flowing out of it. You showed that thanks. If it is the radio/media player, and it needs repair. And the owner does not want to put in an aftermarket with all the crimping. You or your shop can send it out to united Radio in syracuse. they will give you a quick qoute then a bench qoute where you actually speak to the tech. They ask the model number from the manufacturer. Remove the sirius xm box and keep it. Remove and send it to them. Return shipping included. It comes back with a one year warranty. They remanufacter the part. I sent two radio of differerent cars. One was the screen was smashed, and it is a difficult touchscreen to repair but they have a real electronics workbench! Very nice people they have three spots in the country, one in your are. Anyone can use them and get a form. it was cheaper then the aftermarket install from best buy. Used as a quote place. When it comes back pop it in and enjoy the vibes.
I love these who done it videos. Your videos are the best, better than anything on the TV. 68 years old been a mechanic for 51 years and I’m learning every day from you.
Outstanding T.shooting Eric! In all my years of mobile & marine diagnostics I have never theorized a voltage drop across a fuse. I've always assumed them to be a dead short with no resistance...either they were open or a good fuse. Then again, back in my day we didn't have sensitive brain boxes controlling everything like I see you challenged with. Fascinating stuff Sir. Thanks for taking us along!
I Love your Diagnosis to everything You do I learn so much from you even thou I’ve been a tech for 40 years I always learn from You and Never Stop learning from You !!! You are the BEST ERIC O !!!!!!
"Talking bout my generation" The Who. I love your channel. More importantly, I think it is a great contribution to the industry. However, in my youth, I was the go to electrical guy at my dealership. I got my certification when it was the "National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence". Back then a wiring diagram, scope and VOM was all that was needed to uncover any car's secrets. My generation got cars 80% cleaner with a 20% increase in complexity and cost. Your generation made them 80% more complex to get another 5%. All in the name of environmentalism and as a result cars go to the junkyard because they can't be fixed with 80% of their service life left. You are right, my generation doesn't understand modern cars.
Wow, you are absolutely amazing. I don’t know how you learned what you learned that you sure do know your electronics. I enjoy watching you play Sherlock Holmes to find out the criminal in the electronics. Keep up the good work. I will continue to watch.
Any of you guys tackle these using an DMM between neg battery cable and neg post on the battery and use a tool called an Amp Hound test fuses?? As I usually get these calls in the am, customers vehicle won’t start don’t, and I often leave laptop and scope in my workshop and have my phone and tablet with me should I need schematic. Amp Hound has served me well thus far, never an issue for me. Anyone ever had an issue using the Amp hound and DMM vs their scope and DMM. Considering getting a second scope for use with my scan tool for anything outside the workshop so I’m not ripping apart my diag cart for remote work. Love the channel and appreciate that there are some of us still out here that care, have the knowledge, and take pride in their work. I feel better making honest money vs a lot of the vehicle repair shops in the 30 mile radius who are charging customers huge repair bills for parts and labor time that don’t fix their issue. I get most of this cars and it is not a 1 or 2 occurrence it keeping me busy full time. All the customer stories are the same and why aren’t these people being held accountable for this? Sorry to rant on your page appreciate the content, be proud of yourself for providing customer excellence as one of my customers told me recently because I’m told this is not the normal.
Hello Eric, another great video you have posted. I had not been able to comment but had a very similar experience with a 2007 Tahoe. My radio was to blame, found out about it being part of the bus system so eliminating it was out of the question. Glad you have shared this video and the solution:)
Eric, great video! When I installed a 12 v receiver/stereo in my 12 volt converted 66 Bug I had battery drain issues caused by the settings memory and clock in the system. To solve I installed a switch to kill all power to the sound system and solved the problem. If I was using it as a daily I left the power on but if I was leaving it for a few days I'd kill the power. Cheers from New Mexico!.
I think it was one of your videos a while back where the car's OnStar was trying to phone home over the 3G cellphone network (which had just been shut down, so connection was impossible.) That radio module was trying and trying and trying to do the impossible, all the while eating up battery reserve. The only available solution was to disconnect the OnStar connection because there were no "upgrade" parts to be had. It's like having a car that relies on Alta Vista or AOL or Netscape Navigator to operate - very shortsighted. I'm looking forward to see if this is similar.
The diagnostic time on this job is worth more than the '98 Honda I drive --- which does not have all this electronic nightmare stuff. I cannot afford to own a "modern" car.
Back in my youth, I drove 84 Chevrolet Impala police cars, which I'm certain would last 3 times as long with a lot fewer problems. They weren't as fast as I would have liked even with the 350, but they took an incredible amount of abuse and kept going.
Great breakdown of the process and have learned much from you, Ivan, and a few others on the old Tube..... One additional quick check is to find out what accessory is not working or working oddly, just worked on a Caravan with intermittent draw coming from an intermittently working amplifier. There was no network activity showing on the scope and the radio fuse showed no current..... Pulling the big 30 amp amplifier fuse told the story and a used amplifier fixed the issue. I don't work on cars as a profession but do help out folks that have little resources and/or have had little success from other shops.
Eric have you ever tried a voltmeter with a Low Impedance mode? Basically it temporarily drops the meter from being 10 megaohm to something like 100 kiloohm. It's great for quickly checking sanity about good connections and ghost voltage. I have an Amprobe (made by Fluke) meter that has it and I constantly am using that feature now that I'm used to how the readings change. Nothing beats a 4amp test light but it's still incredibly useful.
This is good advice to reduce/eliminate confusions caused by ghost voltage. That being said, you don't need a special meter. Just make yourself up a special set of test leads with a resistor bridging the 2 leads. A resistance value anywhere between 10K ohms and 100K ohms would be suitable for working on low voltage circuitry such as cars.
As an electronics technician, I can tell you that your troubleshooting technique is correct. Although somewhat long and cumbersome. I understand that you are taking us through in real time and that is just the way it is. But some editing here could make for a more watchable video.
Had an 02 impala with the 3.1 and the battery rundown prevention circuit is what was causing my drain. Pulled the relay and didn't have any more problems.
Have watched literally each and every video (most mor than a few times, too) Mr. O has put out and this is by far the most interesting! Why? I own the same car (with the 3.6V6 and white instead of blue). Terrific video Eric! Thank you!
INTERMITTENT Key Off Current Draw. When I got one of those, with the key in the ignition, I'd turn the key this way. "On Off, On Off, On Off, On" within about 5 seconds and watch the drain. Most drains including intermittents would show themselves and then it was follow the procedure to zero in. Like you, measuring across the fuse was a good way, but with auxiliary equipment installed, many times that was the problem. On to part 2.
Right off the hop I figured it was something radio related and I suspect you did as well, but I love that you went through the whole process to show people how to find ANY parasitic draw and not just say “it’s probably the radio” jump to that, find the draw and call it a day.
Funny at first I was thinking wow his meter has really low ghost voltage like I was jealous and turns out it costs you the good confirmation of contact.
I think it would be really handy if the meter could just read the numbers aloud so you don't have to keep looking over at it. Voice commands could be handy to. "Hey meter. Enhance...enhance...enhance".
Some Chevy have a USB in the counsel for aux. input and are stand by when selected at the radio. IDK if Impala has this but Equinox has it. My money is on the Sirius radio module. I have found with all paid for services, when you stop paying for the service, there inlays problems so that you will be forced to start paying again. We will see on part two what the problem really is.
Old people aren't funny! They're grumpy....and always have a reason that they don't want the spouse to know. You'll eventually will find this out when you get to my age! Lol😂😊 Greetings from the Old Jarhead in WNC. Love your videos Eric. You are educational & entertaining. A great combination.
Probably a right hand drive country that wrote the instructions. That would make it the passengers side then. Reasons why saying right or left as you sit in the vehicle is very important.
My truck battery was completely dead yesterday and it was brand new. I thought, oh boy, im going to have to go Mr. O on this, totally expecting hours of testing fuses and eventually leading to a green crusty somewhere. Nope. I left my bed lights switch on. I was certain they timed out with all other lights but I guess not. I may have to a timer relay on it at some point
The fuse being 60A instead of 30A could be from a recall where the amperage was changed to the airbags or something similar to ensure it would activate correctly.
Ivan did a diagnostic on a vehicle Thinking it may be a gm, don't remember, wasn't an Impala And the Sirius XM was causing the current draw, thight his was in the overhead by the rear view, maybe Disconnected and done
Heh! "A lot of smart people watch my channel"......Eric, most of the smart people are smarter because they watch your channel. I do not have a Pico, cannot justify the cost as I am yet to have a current draw issue but do have a sensitive multimeter and a power probe. I would look at radio/aux stuff first as these seem to be a constant from a number of other findings. Here in Aus, Mitchell will not allow me to pay for a subscription to their data as I am retired and not a business owner. Getting good wiring diagrams is a real headache for me. Sadly, I am a pull all fuses, then replace one at a time to find the one with system draw. Slow I know, but still points me in the right direction in the end. I would then pull the plug on each unit to see when the load decreased. Love the diag thus far.
Great diagnostic process. Eric! I had the gut feeling that you had the gut feeling it's the radio / CD player, but you still went through the whole painstaking process, which is the right thing to do, as these videos are mostly educational, and cutting corners and jumping to conclusions, is never a good practice. Very curious about Part 2 🙂
It’s probably the CD player. Had a guy last year with an ‘07 GT500 with 800 total miles on the car. CD player was never used, but it was killing the battery overnight. Found it the same way. Pulled the fuses until the amp draw went away.
Easy to follow, and I ain't ever been accused of being too smart. LOL!! But this is one of your better parasitic draw videos. Thanks for keeping it "for dummies"
When I need more sensitivity with my A.C. clamp on probe, I loop the wire under test 5 times through the clamp. That gives me 5 times the sensitivity. I don't know if that works with D.C. clamp on meters. If it did, then you could unhook the negative battery terminal and make a loop out of 14 or 12 gauge wire (not drawing much with everything off) and place it between the battery and the removed negative cable. I would probably make the loops a few inches in diameter. I don't know how many loops you could get through your probe. I wish I could make my channel as interesting as yours!
Love your videos, minor critique… You spoke of using a better meter but kept pushing forward using the one that make checking fuses harder. You had to go back and do it with the other one anyway. Why use the one that makes you keep second guessing yourself. Work smart not harder my friend!
*PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT* - If you are watching this video on 4/15/24 or 4/16/24 and you don't fall asleep before the end screen and you see part II is listed as "Members Only." *DO NOT PANIC* Do not send me nasty emails, don't unsubscribe, don't tell me I am an asshole or a sellout in the comments and *DO NOT CALL MY SHOP* to tell me you can't watch it. The part II will be posted on the 17th at 6am just like *I ALWAYS DO.* The reason it says members only is because there are some folks that support our TH-cam channel by becoming a "TH-cam Member" and it gives them early access to all videos I put out. Take a breath, slow down, everything is gonna be OK.
Thanks for watching!
-Eric O.
I wasn't worried about it until you said something.
It's absolutely ridiculous you have to post this Eric. I can't believe people get so bent out of shape because of this. This world needs more patience. Thank you for your hard work, and these videos that teach us so much. Let the haters hate. You rock man.
While I don't always like members only videos, when it's just early access to your videos and those who don't financially support you just have to wait a few days, thats fine, and I actually think this is a great idea for you to get additional income for all your hard work in producing these videos for us.
It’s worth, the wait to watch part II. You’re an inspiration. Love watching your video’s learned some tricks of trade.
No Sale
Back in the early eighties, we had a customer whose battery died three times, about every six days. After a slow charge, it would test good. Her charging system, current draw and starter also tested OK. The fourth time me and my helper went to her house to get her started. We found her Chevrolet parked on a steep incline and it was drawing current from the battery. Checking around we found that it had a trunk light that used a mercury switch. My helper climbed into the trunk and sure enough the light stayed on with the trunk closed. Things were much simpler in those days.
Legend has it that he's still in the trunk and "customer states that there's a foul smell coming from the vehicle"
@@nyc8452😂😂 how do some of y’all come up with this stuff?? This is why I always check comments. I appreciate your humor
I taught wiring diagrams on jets for many years. Love this stuff. Then, I bought a 2015 Silverado WORK TRUCK with a 300+ page owner's manual! I spent 2 days chasing RPO codes before finding the parasitic current draw. I'm retired now so I love watching other people teach this stuff.
Problems with having Big Brother track your shit.
WiLie
I remember when the work truck models were just 2WD manuals with hand crank windows and really basic. Now the only difference is a couple of small features and fleet tracking for the boss.
@@brianpiper3188 The main difference that I miss is power seats. I went to the local yard and bought a powered seat track. Bolted right in!
@@bobwright992 not any more. Ha
As an "Old Person" all my safety glasses have readers built in now! I have about 10 sets between the House, Shop and Work!
Between you and ScannerDanner, I can't tell you how much your videos have helped me take my automotive knowledge to the next level. It's really helped me help other people. Thanks for what you do!
Glad to help
ditto.
granted, watching Mr. O cost me money 😁(convinced me to buy an Autel MS906Pro)... BUT... it allowed me to help a family friend when her honda minivan started tossing a MIL, and the dealer wanted to replace her cats, to the tune of a couple grand. A test drive with her and I could see that one of her upstream O2 sensors is getting lazy/falling asleep/dying.
so basically what I've paid for my Autel, plus 1 year renewal so far, is what she would have paid for potentially unneeded repairs.
And Ivan
@@johnhufnagel Reminds me of a recent Pine Hollow Diagnostics video where a typical know-it-all said he would have taken the car to the dealer where he didn't have to pay for a technician learning. That one was a parasitic draw problem as well and took some time to find the problem. These know-it-alls always know what was wrong AFTER someone else fixes the problem.
Another great video from SMA ..I would rather watch this than the stuff they push on tv ..from a retired mechanic this is totally entertaining Eric ..thank you !!
I only wish I had access to great content when I was a kid. Tv sucked!! Never anything to watch, especially when you’re home sick.
Glad you enjoyed it
Old people are kinda funny! That cracked me up because as an old person, I can confirm.
As someone who went to vocational automotive school in 1970 and quit working on cars in the 1980's, I really got left behind when it comes to electronics. Now at age 74 there is no catching up! Eric, your diagnostic skills really amaze me. Although I don't always know exactly what you are talking about, your videos always make me stop and think. Thanks for someone who can still make me THINK!! Great Videos!!
Yeah, I liked the days when the ignition points burned up and you could take a matchbook and get them working again!
@@joeheck146 Right you are! Touched up the points of my '71 Mustang on the side of the highway, good to go. These days, your car stops, and it's a tow truck. Try that in the middle of nowhere in Northern Ontario, Canada where the nearest help is a helluva long ways away.
So far I haven’t been able to find a reputable mechanic here in Reno that is willing to dig deep into an electrical issue. If my back wasn’t hurting all the time I would follow in my father and grandfather’s footsteps. They both were mechanics by trade. My grandfather rocked for a man with no high school or college education. Told me to learn electronics if I was going to be a mechanic, he wasn’t wrong.
Outstanding! And as a former GM tech, you sir earned yourself .3 labor for your diagnosis under warranty! (Unless you want to fist fight with corporate for straight time that they kick and scream to deny!)
Interesting this problem and repeated flat battery. I’ve recently had similar issues with my GM Vauxhall 2ltr diesel automatic. It started happening in January 24. The car radio/ Satnav stopped working! My daughter working for a National breakdown company called and plugged into the diagnostic socket to tell us a radio fault? So we disconnected it. But within two days, flat battery again. Cutting to the chase and after three garages looking at the problem and another new battery (the one on the car was 1 year old) it cost me around $1000 to be told that one of my young grandsons had put a 10p coin into the CD player which is a separate device to the radio. Direct short circuit, I got a used CD player off EBay for $25
Oh dear! Expensive 10 cents but after watching many of your videos it made realise how much time these electrical problems can cost in time and money. Keep up the good work, best Wishes to you and your family 😊
Separate, but directly connected to the radio therefore part of that system, just as A/C is when controlled on a touch screen of an Infotainment system. They're not like old cars.
I purchased a used Fusion from a friend that had a draw that drained the battery in a day. Traced it back to an aftermarket remote start system. Removed it and never had an issue afterwards. While removing it I found hideous workmanship done by the installer. They stripped various wires and wrapped the remote start wires around the factory wires and simply taped them up. This is why I never use shops to have work done. I do it myself.
It used to be a rare sight to go a video without some vehicle in at SMA with problems and a bunch of aftermarket garbage installed and causing those issues
Fluke 87 or 88 true RMS automotive meter. Once i used one, never went back to the others. Pricey meter, but worth it for the low voltage and amperage accuracy, among many other test functions. Awesome video as always Mr.O. Thank you for all you do.
Electrical issues have always been my weak suite as a technician! I'm truly grateful for your diagnostic skills and very much appreciated and helpful!
One thing that is always worthwhile when you get to a draw on a media disk player is to press the eject button and see if it spits out a disk and the problem goes away. Sometimes, someone will leave a little AC/DC in there and it just starts drawing current.
I saw what you did there.
It's good. 😊
Heh, indeed
Some other lover as well as her
The same thing happened to me once with my Rav4. Took it to the dealership only to have a service 'advisor' tell me I wasn't driving my car enough for the battery to be charged. It turned out to be a relay that was being left open that was draining my battery. They ended up doing a firmware update. Between that and a conversation with the service manager telling him how stupid my advisor was all was good and it fixed my issue! Oh and the advisor never did apologize when he told me what the issue turned out to be.
How was a relay being "left open"???? 😮 I can see being stuck closed, but " left open"?????
Mr. O.: "Old people are kind of funny." Me: "Why you young whipper-snapper!!"... 🤣
Get OFF my LAWN!!!
If the guy is old enough, he still won’t know his wife got XM even after EricO announced it to “the people.”
So she can listen to her Pastor Fussycat.
@@BigEightiesNewWave O boy... I saw a vid of Clint Eastwood just now... He's getting really old...
I resemble that remark!
Never before have I been on the edge of my seat watching someone current probe an interior fuse box
You do a great service providing these videos. This one is a very good example of why we need more people capable of doing great work
My 2015 Kia Sorento has gone through five batteries due to a unknown battery drain. BUT recently I came across a video that suggested the problem with 2015 - 2023 Kia Sorento battery problems are related to the vanity light on the passenger side. Yes you read that right. In fact the owners manual suggests Kia is aware of this issue. The manual suggests you keep the mirror door closed at all times because when the key fob is in range it turns the light on thus killing the battery. Yikes.
Doesn't the vanity light have a manual switch?
@@johnt.848 Depends, the video mentioned the light goes on when the sliding door is open.
Eric, you helped immensely with my buddy’s Hyundai that kept going into limp mode due to “ system too lean at high load”. He was looking for advice and you told him to pull those aftermarket fuel injectors out of it and get some OEM ones. Well, we did it and the car is finally fixed. It’s been a problem since October!! Thank you!!!
On my daughter”s Chevy Impala, it was the door actuator for the heating system, that was drawing the juice. Also heard a knocking sound as well though, even when car was off and key was removed.
With hvac odor getting hundreds of cars lemon law repurchased, carmaker got onto the problem by setting climate system doors to assure passive airflow that allows evaporator core condensation to dry to stop biological growth. An actuator not achieving the position could make for a cyclic attempt if software has no timeout.
You and my wife will have the same inscription on your gravestone, “I’ll go get my glasses”
My wife's will be Where are my glasses
Mine will, “ Where are my glasses “.
Maybe “where’s that 10mm” for him and “eat it , that’s good for you” for her. Keep mind out of gutter please. Steve
I've heard, I can't find my glasses without my glasses. 🤣
@@Servant927My wife will have the Same. 😬👍
Brilliant way to start the week, watching Eric O chase phantom current. I was on the edge of my seat.
i had a draw on my 06 impala . i used my volt ohm meter in line with the battery ground pulling fuses the radio had a draw . had my wife take it to the dealer. dealer wanted to replace battery . i had told my wife it was something to do with the radio . so no new battery.. finally figured if you shut the radio off not let it shut off when it timed out . the battery wouldn't go dead after a couple days . so not the same as this problem . my solution was shut the radio off before key off. battery made it 5 more years
The Topdon TC002 Thermal camera for iOS would be a nice addition. It will help spot thermal anomalies inside the car and elsewhere, which might indicate a device drawing power.
Perfect morning waking up to a SMA video 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
good morning!
Sirius XM modules have been known for parasitic draw issues. Not sure if that's your problem, but when you mentioned the customer was a subscriber, it was the first thing that came to mind. If she's using XM over her mobile-phone/bluetooth, that's different however.
I was an auto tech at a Chrysler dealership in the late 90's and had to track parasitic draw with a Fluke DVOM on the neg batt cable before lab scopes were a thing. I had to hook it up and wait 30 minutes for everything to timeout. I remember one on a Dodge PU that turned out to be a seatbelt module
Good old seatblelts keeping you safe by keeping you home
Good demonstration of how to trace this type of problem. I've worked with fellow electrical engineers over the years that weren't able to troubleshoot as effectively.
Great video! I see you are using a Vantage Pro. I like using the graphing capabilities of the VP and the actual real amp meter which it has internally once I have established there is an actaul draw. I will use the amp clamp in the beginning to check quickly for the presence of a draw before disconnecting the battery to install a disconnect switch as that can actually fix the concern if a module is hung. I'll bet its the radio. The HMI module I believe is Onstar but not 100% sure. Yes it is easy to miss a fuse voltage drop and you need good test probes with sharp tips on them. In some cases I have been able to see a warm fuse with a thermal camera but only if its a considerably higher current draw.
Being that a fuse has resistance, it also generates heat. A quick scan with heat/infrared scanner might save a bit of time.
That is true, but the heat output in watts would be the voltage drop across the fuse x the current through it....which is millivolts x milliamps...which is milli- or micro watts. Very little heat.
My Flir scanner wouldn't see it. I don't think, anyway. I'll have to try that.
I had a disc player that got moisture in it somehow and created a draw that would kill the battery if the car sat for 2days. Took me a bit to figure it out.
I keep waiting for infrared camera prices to fall, and I keep looking for one that will focus closely on a circuit board. That would be a quicker way to find the active circuit in a fuse box, although intermittent problems will always be a pain.
First class diagnosis you are very patient at that kind of job keep up the good work
You may know, but I am clueless! Amazing focus and skill. Thank you
Reminds me of a video you did a while back (I think it was you) where the On-Star was trying to phone home, but the service had been discontinued. The fix was to just leave the fuse out. Of course not a great fix for the radio/cd player...
My 95 Firebird used to have a parasitic draw, for the longest time I couldn't figure it out. The battery would be good for a couple days, then dead or almost dead. Finally after some investigating, I discovered it was the after market auto starter (installed long before I bought the car) making the battery go dead. Apparently they are one of the main causes of parasitic draw. Thanks for the video, Eric, and yes I can wait for part 2😜 Take care my friend👍
I really learned something from this video, that is fuse boxes are like the lady kind , you got to wait for them to calm down before you find out who's hot and who's not
More like the male kind that can't think straight until they calm down, and even then don't always work.
As another mechanic on you tube said, "Just leave a Non-Offensive comment below!"
Non-Offensive comment
ok that's done, nice video
Kirchhoff's current law (1st Law) states that the current flowing into a node (or a junction) must be equal to the current flowing out of it.
You showed that thanks.
If it is the radio/media player, and it needs repair. And the owner does not want to put in an aftermarket with all the crimping.
You or your shop can send it out to united Radio in syracuse. they will give you a quick qoute then a bench qoute where you actually speak to the tech. They ask the model number from the manufacturer. Remove the sirius xm box and keep it. Remove and send it to them. Return shipping included. It comes back with a one year warranty. They remanufacter the part. I sent two radio of differerent cars. One was the screen was smashed, and it is a difficult touchscreen to repair but they have a real electronics workbench! Very nice people they have three spots in the country, one in your are. Anyone can use them and get a form. it was cheaper then the aftermarket install from best buy. Used as a quote place.
When it comes back pop it in and enjoy the vibes.
Not much crimping if any when installing after market now as they all plug directly into the factory harness using adapters.
@@johnt.848 ok but still it was cheaper and my steering wheel has to be integrated and it ran functions in the car like for lock and light settings.
I love these who done it videos. Your videos are the best, better than anything on the TV. 68 years old been a mechanic for 51 years and I’m learning every day from you.
Outstanding T.shooting Eric! In all my years of mobile & marine diagnostics I have never theorized a voltage drop across a fuse. I've always assumed them to be a dead short with no resistance...either they were open or a good fuse. Then again, back in my day we didn't have sensitive brain boxes controlling everything like I see you challenged with. Fascinating stuff Sir. Thanks for taking us along!
I Love your Diagnosis to everything You do I learn so much from you even thou I’ve been a tech for 40 years I always learn from You and Never Stop learning from You !!! You are the BEST ERIC O !!!!!!
"Talking bout my generation" The Who. I love your channel. More importantly, I think it is a great contribution to the industry. However, in my youth, I was the go to electrical guy at my dealership. I got my certification when it was the "National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence". Back then a wiring diagram, scope and VOM was all that was needed to uncover any car's secrets. My generation got cars 80% cleaner with a 20% increase in complexity and cost. Your generation made them 80% more complex to get another 5%. All in the name of environmentalism and as a result cars go to the junkyard because they can't be fixed with 80% of their service life left. You are right, my generation doesn't understand modern cars.
First guess was radio.
Old school stand alone radios never had this problem.
Tying everything together through modules causes extra problems it seems.
Awesome diagnostic video cannot wait to see part 2.
Do ppl really call ur shop ? How rude. Ppl have No patience anymore
Thanx for you videos I am happy to see any you put out .
Have a great day.😊😊😊😊😊
Wow, you are absolutely amazing. I don’t know how you learned what you learned that you sure do know your electronics. I enjoy watching you play Sherlock Holmes to find out the criminal in the electronics. Keep up the good work. I will continue to watch.
I never knew you could find current draw by measuring voltage drop across a fuse like that. THANK YOU
Your knowledge is welcome. Another fine video.
Any of you guys tackle these using an DMM between neg battery cable and neg post on the battery and use a tool called an Amp Hound test fuses??
As I usually get these calls in the am, customers vehicle won’t start don’t, and I often leave laptop and scope in my workshop and have my phone and tablet with me should I need schematic. Amp Hound has served me well thus far, never an issue for me.
Anyone ever had an issue using the Amp hound and DMM vs their scope and DMM. Considering getting a second scope for use with my scan tool for anything outside the workshop so I’m not ripping apart my diag cart for remote work.
Love the channel and appreciate that there are some of us still out here that care, have the knowledge, and take pride in their work. I feel better making honest money vs a lot of the vehicle repair shops in the 30 mile radius who are charging customers huge repair bills for parts and labor time that don’t fix their issue.
I get most of this cars and it is not a 1 or 2 occurrence it keeping me busy full time. All the customer stories are the same and why aren’t these people being held accountable for this?
Sorry to rant on your page appreciate the content, be proud of yourself for providing customer excellence as one of my customers told me recently because I’m told this is not the normal.
Hello Eric, another great video you have posted. I had not been able to comment but had a very similar experience with a 2007 Tahoe.
My radio was to blame, found out about it being part of the bus system so eliminating it was out of the question. Glad you have shared this video and the solution:)
Eric, great video! When I installed a 12 v receiver/stereo in my 12 volt converted 66 Bug I had battery drain issues caused by the settings memory and clock in the system. To solve I installed a switch to kill all power to the sound system and solved the problem. If I was using it as a daily I left the power on but if I was leaving it for a few days I'd kill the power. Cheers from New Mexico!.
I think it was one of your videos a while back where the car's OnStar was trying to phone home over the 3G cellphone network (which had just been shut down, so connection was impossible.) That radio module was trying and trying and trying to do the impossible, all the while eating up battery reserve. The only available solution was to disconnect the OnStar connection because there were no "upgrade" parts to be had. It's like having a car that relies on Alta Vista or AOL or Netscape Navigator to operate - very shortsighted.
I'm looking forward to see if this is similar.
I was going to place my bets on OnStar, but Sirius is in the running by these comments. Guess I'll have to watch Part II.
Never order the factory navigation stuff due to that very reason, it will go stale in a year and you’re stuck with it in your dash
The diagnostic time on this job is worth more than the '98 Honda I drive --- which does not have all this electronic nightmare stuff. I cannot afford to own a "modern" car.
Back in my youth, I drove 84 Chevrolet Impala police cars, which I'm certain would last 3 times as long with a lot fewer problems. They weren't as fast as I would have liked even with the 350, but they took an incredible amount of abuse and kept going.
Hooray! I give a buck a month patreon but am not a member! I will continue to do so because I love you guys.
Great breakdown of the process and have learned much from you, Ivan, and a few others on the old Tube..... One additional quick check is to find out what accessory is not working or working oddly, just worked on a Caravan with intermittent draw coming from an intermittently working amplifier. There was no network activity showing on the scope and the radio fuse showed no current..... Pulling the big 30 amp amplifier fuse told the story and a used amplifier fixed the issue. I don't work on cars as a profession but do help out folks that have little resources and/or have had little success from other shops.
Thank you for this wonderful opportunity to learn more about diagnosing the problem much appreciated thank you sir have a great day Mr o
Eric have you ever tried a voltmeter with a Low Impedance mode? Basically it temporarily drops the meter from being 10 megaohm to something like 100 kiloohm. It's great for quickly checking sanity about good connections and ghost voltage. I have an Amprobe (made by Fluke) meter that has it and I constantly am using that feature now that I'm used to how the readings change. Nothing beats a 4amp test light but it's still incredibly useful.
This is good advice to reduce/eliminate confusions caused by ghost voltage. That being said, you don't need a special meter. Just make yourself up a special set of test leads with a resistor bridging the 2 leads. A resistance value anywhere between 10K ohms and 100K ohms would be suitable for working on low voltage circuitry such as cars.
thanks for bringing us along for the time consuming process, it must be hard to setup the cameras and meters, ur the best! and i wont tell Mrs O😛
As an electronics technician, I can tell you that your troubleshooting technique is correct. Although somewhat long and cumbersome. I understand that you are taking us through in real time and that is just the way it is. But some editing here could make for a more watchable video.
Some of us that are not "electronics techs" like the long explanations. For others, they can always skip forward.
Thanks for the two part
In advance !
Great video! Love watching you work through your thought processes!
Had an 02 impala with the 3.1 and the battery rundown prevention circuit is what was causing my drain. Pulled the relay and didn't have any more problems.
Some fancy troubleshooting
Have watched literally each and every video (most mor than a few times, too) Mr. O has put out and this is by far the most interesting! Why? I own the same car (with the 3.6V6 and white instead of blue). Terrific video Eric! Thank you!
Bless you for working on this, I’d pull my hair out and you make it look easy. 👍👍
Excellent video! Part of the problem is the fuses in the right kick panel seem to be on the other right side!LOL!
Yep. Just stand outside in front of the car looking at the drivers seat and there it is, on the right side of the car.
@@bruceb4349 even on a right hand drive vehicle? 😂
@@bruceb4349 See GM logic works for some!lol!
INTERMITTENT Key Off Current Draw. When I got one of those, with the key in the ignition, I'd turn the key this way. "On Off, On Off, On Off, On" within about 5 seconds and watch the drain. Most drains including intermittents would show themselves and then it was follow the procedure to zero in.
Like you, measuring across the fuse was a good way, but with auxiliary equipment installed, many times that was the problem.
On to part 2.
Well looks like you have got yourself a nice little problem chased on your hand there Eric 👍👍
Right off the hop I figured it was something radio related and I suspect you did as well, but I love that you went through the whole process to show people how to find ANY parasitic draw and not just say “it’s probably the radio” jump to that, find the draw and call it a day.
Funny at first I was thinking wow his meter has really low ghost voltage like I was jealous and turns out it costs you the good confirmation of contact.
Thanks for posting really enjoyed the video very educational hope every is well.
The paint sure looks good on that Honda behind you.
I think it would be really handy if the meter could just read the numbers aloud so you don't have to keep looking over at it. Voice commands could be handy to. "Hey meter. Enhance...enhance...enhance".
Some Chevy have a USB in the counsel for aux. input and are stand by when selected at the radio. IDK if Impala has this but Equinox has it. My money is on the Sirius radio module. I have found with all paid for services, when you stop paying for the service, there inlays problems so that you will be forced to start paying again. We will see on part two what the problem really is.
My golf does just this if I leave a disc in the single slot player,however if I remove the disc then no problem with a drain .
My ‘68 GS only has ONE fuse box with 9 fuses in it …. Fun fun fun…
Before you mentioned Sirius I was wondering if the next step would be to ask customer if they’d be OK just leaving the fuse out.
Thanks Erik!
Hi efic your auto diagnostic is good I very soon gonna buy myself a scan tool probably an autel or something of that nature
Try hitting eject the CD player disk. In case something is stuck in there. It makes funny noises if it is.
Hahahahahahahahaha, being 63, I can relate to "old people, and let me go find my glasses. Nice job Mr O. Looking forward to part 2
Old people aren't funny! They're grumpy....and always have a reason that they don't want the spouse to know. You'll eventually will find this out when you get to my age! Lol😂😊 Greetings from the Old Jarhead in WNC. Love your videos Eric. You are educational & entertaining. A great combination.
Probably a right hand drive country that wrote the instructions. That would make it the passengers side then. Reasons why saying right or left as you sit in the vehicle is very important.
North or south ?
My truck battery was completely dead yesterday and it was brand new. I thought, oh boy, im going to have to go Mr. O on this, totally expecting hours of testing fuses and eventually leading to a green crusty somewhere. Nope. I left my bed lights switch on. I was certain they timed out with all other lights but I guess not. I may have to a timer relay on it at some point
love the vantage!
The fuse being 60A instead of 30A could be from a recall where the amperage was changed to the airbags or something similar to ensure it would activate correctly.
Ivan did a diagnostic on a vehicle
Thinking it may be a gm, don't remember, wasn't an Impala
And the Sirius XM was causing the current draw, thight his was in the overhead by the rear view, maybe
Disconnected and done
Heh! "A lot of smart people watch my channel"......Eric, most of the smart people are smarter because they watch your channel. I do not have a Pico, cannot justify the cost as I am yet to have a current draw issue but do have a sensitive multimeter and a power probe. I would look at radio/aux stuff first as these seem to be a constant from a number of other findings. Here in Aus, Mitchell will not allow me to pay for a subscription to their data as I am retired and not a business owner. Getting good wiring diagrams is a real headache for me.
Sadly, I am a pull all fuses, then replace one at a time to find the one with system draw. Slow I know, but still points me in the right direction in the end. I would then pull the plug on each unit to see when the load decreased. Love the diag thus far.
Great diagnostic process. Eric! I had the gut feeling that you had the gut feeling it's the radio / CD player, but you still went through the whole painstaking process, which is the right thing to do, as these videos are mostly educational, and cutting corners and jumping to conclusions, is never a good practice. Very curious about Part 2 🙂
It’s probably the CD player. Had a guy last year with an ‘07 GT500 with 800 total miles on the car. CD player was never used, but it was killing the battery overnight. Found it the same way. Pulled the fuses until the amp draw went away.
Remember the good old days when the current draw was a trunk light stuck on?
Twice for me was bad switch on the brake pedal, doesn’t get any simpler
@@kellismith4329 "You just gotta understand what's normal parasitic draw these days"
@@stephano6793 ya it’s insane, for me none is normal
Easy to follow, and I ain't ever been accused of being too smart. LOL!! But this is one of your better parasitic draw videos. Thanks for keeping it "for dummies"
Looking forward to pt2.
When I need more sensitivity with my A.C. clamp on probe, I loop the wire under test 5 times through the clamp. That gives me 5 times the sensitivity. I don't know if that works with D.C. clamp on meters. If it did, then you could unhook the negative battery terminal and make a loop out of 14 or 12 gauge wire (not drawing much with everything off) and place it between the battery and the removed negative cable. I would probably make the loops a few inches in diameter. I don't know how many loops you could get through your probe. I wish I could make my channel as interesting as yours!
Love your videos, minor critique… You spoke of using a better meter but kept pushing forward using the one that make checking fuses harder. You had to go back and do it with the other one anyway. Why use the one that makes you keep second guessing yourself. Work smart not harder my friend!
My (almost 20 year old) F150 base AM-FM radio took out my battery. Got a CD changer from the junk yard for cheap. Good enough for this old dinosaur.
Great tutorial Eric!