Parasitic draw question

[ScotM]

So I finally got my new multimeter to measure parasitic draw. It came in at 0.088 Amps. - the Jeep had been sleeping for about 4 hours before testing, and the keys are all in faraday boxes. I disconnected all my accessories, no change. I disconnected the cabin lighter ,because I have LasFit aux switches and my GMRS radio on that fuse, no change,. I have an aftermarket usb port in place of the port in the cargo area, so I disconnected that and no change. It bounced around from 70 to 90 milliamperes, but was mostly stable on 88. I know older cars the rule was usually less than 50. I’ve got an amp hound on order just to see if I can find the draw, but at this point, I’m wondering if this is normal for the Jeep? I saw a thread where another forum member had 70 mA. Draw. Anyone have any guesses on what to do next if anything?

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[ScotM]

@THAW , @roaniecowpony, @Terrymo , @Rogersocal any advice

 

[Rogersocal]

So, 80ma isn't bad slightly high from the average but in my opinion nothing to worry about. At 80 ma a 40 amp battery would last 20 days. This is not your issue

 

[ScotM]

Thanks for your input., I really appreciate it. I think the battery died due to my dash cam recording me ever time I walked in front of the jeep in the garage while I was working in the side yard and front yard. I checked the dash cam and it had recorded for three hours . I have the battery fully charge now, and will test the voltage every 12 hours over the next 5 days and see what happens. The dash cam is currently disconnected.

 

[Terrymo]

Sounds like you got it figured out. My only suggestion is less yard work and more time out wheeling or relaxing with your favorite adult beverage,

 

[ScotM]

Sounds like you got it figured out. My only suggestion is less yard work and more time out wheeling or relaxing with your favorite adult beverage,

Thanks Terry. I do love to learn about all this stuff, so frustrating but fun, and I always appreciate you guys helping me out along the way

 

[Terrymo]

Thanks Terry. I do love to learn about all this stuff, so frustrating but fun, and I always appreciate you guys helping me out along the way

I‘m learning by making mistakes, and trial and error as well. And asking @THAW lots of questions.

 

[Left Field]

I checked my JLUR when new (before I started adding things) and it was 0.090 Amps after sitting a couple hours.
Adding RSE power step sliders bumped it up by another 0.070 Amps which made the total draw higher than I'd like - now its on a battery maintainer when parked.

LF

So I finally got my new multimeter to measure parasitic draw. It came in at 0.088 Amps. - the Jeep had been sleeping for about 4 hours before testing, and the keys are all in faraday boxes. I disconnected all my accessories, no change. I disconnected the cabin lighter ,because I have LasFit aux switches and my GMRS radio on that fuse, no change,. I have an aftermarket usb port in place of the port in the cargo area, so I disconnected that and no change. It bounced around from 70 to 90 milliamperes, but was mostly stable on 88. I know older cars the rule was usually less than 50. I’ve got an amp hound on order just to see if I can find the draw, but at this point, I’m wondering if this is normal for the Jeep? I saw a thread where another forum member had 70 mA. Draw. Anyone have any guesses on what to do next if anything?

 

[aeonixx1001]

Thanks for your input., I really appreciate it. I think the battery died due to my dash cam recording me ever time I walked in front of the jeep in the garage while I was working in the side yard and front yard. I checked the dash cam and it had recorded for three hours . I have the battery fully charge now, and will test the voltage every 12 hours over the next 5 days and see what happens. The dash cam is currently disconnected.

I leave my dash cam plugged in for days/weeks at a time and haven't had any issues for years. You can look up the model of your dash cam and it will tell you what the idle load is. I leave my in park mode and it pulls about 50ma, so pretty close to yours at 88ma. That is really insignificant.

 

[Atomic-Mouse]

I have a dash cam in my Tacoma that runs 24/7 and it can sit for weeks at a time and I have never had an issue with a low battery. Just my experience, results can vary.



This guy does a good job showing how to look for draw. I have used this technique a few times.

 

[VKSheridan]

Scot, one of the parasitic draws often overlooked is your PCM that’s sitting there “listening” for a lock/unlock or remote start command from a FOB. That lil flashing red light on your dash when your Jeep is locked ain’t pulling a ton but it’s still pulling juice.

 

[THAW]

Supposedly Wrangler repair manuals suggest quiescent current should be 50 mA or less, and owner measurements are commonly under 25 mA.

But it's important to understand quiescent current can bounce around some (as you noticed), and allegedly spikes when the Jeep wakes up every 12 hours. So, it wouldn't hurt to take multiple current draw measurements at different times during the parked period, and/or reference IBS Lifetime Charge Received/Released.

Also, factory and aftermarket electronics that don't consume a lot of power once asleep, can cause a significant battery draw down while still awake immediately after shutting off the ignition. I generally observe about 1.5 Ahs consumed in a 12 hour period, probably 1 Ah of it during the first hour (possibly minutes). And, my average current draw seems to drop some after the first 12 hours.

That stated, it appears you discovered the main culprit is the dashcam, and as others have mentioned 88 mA isn't necessarily a significant issue. It is over 2 Ahs per day and about 15 Ahs per week, which is about 2.5% and 17.5% of main battery capacity, respectively. So it's not, nothing.

@ScotM, just curious, what's your current draw measurement setup?

 

[ScotM]

Supposedly Wrangler repair manuals suggest quiescent current should be 50 mA or less, and owner measurements are commonly under 25 mA.

But it's important to understand quiescent current can bounce around some (as you noticed), and allegedly spikes when the Jeep wakes up every 12 hours. So, it wouldn't hurt to take multiple current draw measurements at different times during the parked period, and/or reference IBS Lifetime Charge Received/Released.

Also, factory and aftermarket electronics that don't consume a lot of power once asleep, can cause a significant battery draw down while still awake immediately after shutting off the ignition. I generally observe about 1.5 Ahs consumed in a 12 hour period, probably 1 Ah of it during the first hour (possibly minutes). And, my average current draw seems to drop some after the first 12 hours.

That stated, it appears you discovered the main culprit is the dashcam, and as others have mentioned 88 mA isn't necessarily a significant issue. It is over 2 Ahs per day and about 15 Ahs per week, which is about 2.5% and 15% of main battery capacity, respectively. So it's not, nothing.

@ScotM, just curious, what's your current draw measurement setup?

I’m using a fluke multimeter set on the amperes with the red plugged into the 10amp fused input. I have fashioned a jumper cable see picture that connects the black to the negative battery terminal and the red goes to the negative cable/ibs/ all my accessory grounds. That way when I disconnect one of the jumper leads - red one- the multimeter is put into the load without blowing any fuse. I had the dash cam unplugged during my test

 

[aeonixx1001]

Supposedly Wrangler repair manuals suggest quiescent current should be 50 mA or less, and owner measurements are commonly under 25 mA.

But it's important to understand quiescent current can bounce around some (as you noticed), and allegedly spikes when the Jeep wakes up every 12 hours. So, it wouldn't hurt to take multiple current draw measurements at different times during the parked period, and/or reference IBS Lifetime Charge Received/Released.

Also, factory and aftermarket electronics that don't consume a lot of power once asleep, can cause a significant battery draw down while still awake immediately after shutting off the ignition. I generally observe about 1.5 Ahs consumed in a 12 hour period, probably 1 Ah of it during the first hour (possibly minutes). And, my average current draw seems to drop some after the first 12 hours.

That stated, it appears you discovered the main culprit is the dashcam, and as others have mentioned 88 mA isn't necessarily a significant issue. It is over 2 Ahs per day and about 15 Ahs per week, which is about 2.5% and 15% of main battery capacity, respectively. So it's not, nothing.

@ScotM, just curious, what's your current draw measurement setup?

Perfect answer! This is why I dont leave my cameras with power on if its in the garage for a couple days.

 

[Terrymo]

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