Caution: Batteries produce explosive gases, contain corrosive acid, and supply levels
of electrical current high enough to cause burns. Therefore, to reduce the risk of
personal injury when working near a battery:
• Always shield your eyes and avoid leaning over the battery whenever possible. • Do not expose the battery to open flames or sparks. • Do not allow the battery electrolyte to contact the eyes or the skin.
Flush immediately and thoroughly any contacted areas with water and get medical help. • Follow each step of the jump starting procedure in order. • Treat both the booster and the discharged batteries carefully when using
the jumper cables.
Small current drains, called parasitic drains, constantly draw current from the battery even with the ignition switch in the OFF position. These parasitic drains can discharge a battery in 4-6 weeks depending on the battery's state of charge and when the vehicle went into storage.
For normal parasitic current drain, refer to individual component parasitic loads. When testing for parasitic current draw, inspect what types of equipment the customer may have had installed on the vehicle. A cellular phone, anti-theft system, navigation system, or any device added that requires constant voltage to retain a memory, will draw current at all times. Take these added accessories into account when testing for parasitic current drain.
The parasitic load test device (SA9130Z) is used with a DMM. The test device is used to measure parasitic current drain from the battery with the ignition and all accessories OFF. The load tester, constructed with 1 ohm resistance and built-in circuit protection device, opens when the current exceeds approximately 1 amp. When the circuit is opened, the user is alerted by a red light-emitting diode (LED) indicator. The parasitic load test device is put into the circuit between the negative battery terminal and the negative battery cable so it effectively becomes a load in series with all other vehicle loads.
Important: The ignition key must be removed from the cylinder before parasitic load testing. The key-minder circuit is activated by the key cylinder switch when the key is in the ignition cylinder, which adds 20 mA of current draw.
⇒ | If the LED indicator does not stay off, verify that all vehicle accessories are OFF. Try holding the battery cable against the negative terminal again. If the LED indicator remains ON, something is drawing greater than 1 amp of current. |
⇒ | To find the source of excessive load, start removing fuses and modules in a systematic way. When voltage drops across the tester, the circuit or circuits protected by that fuse is the source of current drain. Also remove the fusible link from the generator to check for a voltage drop. If the voltage drop is greater than 2 volts, replace the generator. Repair the circuit and perform the parasitic load test again to verify the repair. |
Typical parasitic load for this vehicle is 10-15 mA. If the vehicle does not have one of the following components, then subtract the parasitic load of the component for typical parasitic load of the vehicle (10-15 mA) to determine the parasitic load range for the vehicle being tested.
BCM | 3.0 mA |
CD Changer | 3.0 mA |
EBCM | 1.0 mA |
ECM/TCM | 0-1.0 mA |
Generator | 0-1.0 mA |
HVAC Delayed Blower Control | 1.0 mA |
I/P Cluster w/Security Flashing "Security" Telltale | 1.2 mA |
On-Star | 0-1.0 mA |
Radio | 2.8-4.3 mA |
Important: During CD changer initialization, parasitic current draw will fluctuate between 3 mA to 1 A. The initialization period lasts up to a maximum of 90 seconds. After initialization, the CD changer parasitic current draw will stabilize at approximately 3 mA.
If the CD changer door is open and the light is illuminated, the parasitic current draw will be approximately 65 mA. The light will remain ON for 2 minutes. After the light goes out, the CD changer parasitic current draw will stabilize at approximately 3 mA.
• | Cigar lighter ON |
• | Headlamps ON |
• | Parking lamps ON |
• | Reading lamps ON |
• | Radio ON |