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Parasitic battery drain - 2011 Ram 1500
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CottageTim
New User
Aug 19, 2019, 12:37 PM
Post #1 of 7
(1858 views)
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Parasitic battery drain - 2011 Ram 1500
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Hi All,
Hoping to get some direction on diagnosing a battery drain issue I'm having.
I have a 2011 Dodge Ram 1500 with a Hemi 5.7. About 190,000.
For reference, the reading directly between the positive and negative lead is 12.27
I've disconnected the negative lead and hooked a multimeter up between the negative lead and the negative post. I've disconnected the hood light.
Reading starts and stays as 12.18 amps.
I've pulled all the fuses from the fuse panel in the engine compartment (as far as I can see, there is no fuse panel in the passenger compartment.) No changes in the reading.
I did notice that if I open then close the door hard, the reading drops to around 11.68 then slowly climbs back up to 12.18. If I close the door lightly, there is no drop.
Given this, I'm thinking there is a short somewhere (shaking of the truck by closing the door momentarily breaks the short).
Given all this, any suggestions on how I continue to investigate the cause of the drain?
Thanks in advance!
(This post was edited by CottageTim on Aug 19, 2019, 12:39 PM)
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Aug 19, 2019, 1:21 PM
Post #2 of 7
(1836 views)
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Re: Parasitic battery drain - 2011 Ram 1500
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That's not how you measure for a drain.
You need to be measuring amps, not volts and the meter needs to be in series.
There is a procedure for finding a battery draw like that.
You will need a digital ammeter and a jumper wire with clips on the ends to do this.
First rig any door switches so you can have a door open without triggering the interior lights and unplug the hood light. Remove one battery cable and attach the meter in series between the battery cable and battery post. Take the jumper wire and also attach it the same way. Leave the jumper wire on for at least 30 to 40 minutes to expire all the automatic timers. Now remove the jumper wire and read the meter. Anything over 50ma is too much draw. The way you locate this is to start removing fuses one at a time until the meter drops to normal level. This will be the circuit with something staying on. Determine what components are part of that circuit and check them individually until the problem is isolated.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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CottageTim
New User
Aug 20, 2019, 8:30 AM
Post #3 of 7
(1810 views)
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Re: Parasitic battery drain - 2011 Ram 1500
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Thanks for the reply Hammer Time. (and sorry about missing the sticky at the top of the thread!  )
Tried adding a link to a youtube video at the end of the post. Not sure if I did it right, so I'll also try to describe:
1. Removed the hood light (didn't do the doors as there is no fuse panel in the passenger compartment)
2. Set multimeter to 20m on the Amp side.
3. Plugged the red lead into the 10A side of the multimeter.
4. Removed the neg bat lead.
5. Jumped from neg bat lead to neg post.
6. Clipped black lead from multimeter to neg post.
7. Clipped red lead from multimeter to neg lead.
8. Waited 50 minutes, came back and the reading was 0.00, disconnected the jumper, reading still 0.00
9. Said Hmmm to myself.
10. Disconnected both the multimeter and jumper, waited 10 minutes
11. Reconnected the multimeter and jumper.
12. Watched the reading, it showed 0.50 for about half a minute, dropped to 0.28 for another half minute then dropped to 0.00
Did I do something wrong?
https://youtu.be/F3c7-H_PHGE
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Aug 20, 2019, 1:16 PM
Post #4 of 7
(1777 views)
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Re: Parasitic battery drain - 2011 Ram 1500
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I think you have the meter set to too high of a scale and it's no reading Ma. We generally use self ranging meters so this issue doesn't come into play.
PS Youtube or any other links are not allowed here unless it is your own video.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Aug 20, 2019, 1:18 PM)
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Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Aug 20, 2019, 2:01 PM
Post #6 of 7
(1755 views)
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Re: Parasitic battery drain - 2011 Ram 1500
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Yes, we have been dealing with that error for a while now. Even though it seems to freeze up, it has posted your reply. I will delete the duplicate.
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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Aug 20, 2019, 10:34 PM
Post #7 of 7
(1737 views)
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Re: Parasitic battery drain - 2011 Ram 1500
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1st: Ignore those 'error' things it's most or all of us here. Just go back see it did in fact post despite that? IDK what's wrong - site snag??
Off the wall thoughts nothing new for me!
You are looking for what you somehow feel is a parasitic draw/drain? Between the lines suggests you are finding a low or dead battery if it sits for some time please say if that's NOT the case then why are you suspecting anything wrong?
Just that and apparently moving/closing "door" does something, presumably the driver's door?
Just that. Almost all of anything that door gets used most and has some or a lot of assorted electrical things in there - are looking for ones that would be empowered when truck is plain OFF. That would be interior lights, any remote that unlocks it and powered items that do that.
That power is thru wires in with the hinges of that door - look for a rubber snorkel - there are wires in there end up at latch and door handle both outside and the inside.
190k on this thing it's seen some time at least of use, door open and closed those wires bend in the door jam. The only other way is spring loaded buttons isn't for swinging doors on two hinges never was. Those were lubed when it was made new and 99.999999999999% of all mankind will never touch those again with any lube should be like 4 times a year or more now this thing is about 9 years old!
Hmmm: That's a problem spot for many of anything hidden by the rubber plus inside the door routed wires to latch and handle. Seeing that is a pest with panel off to just plain follow wires to inside kick panel should unplug there, plastic "one time" clips hold the world together don't like being removed NOR do doors like being "slammed" shut.
Will you nail it to thee with any tests? That could be hard.
Said off the wall (no argument) but that's a problem and inside doors also part open window or driving it get wet inside is slow to dry out.
Will you see the flaw? Hard to say doors inside are hard to plain look around but bet you can unplug whole door and drain will quit.
Domino effect: It drains and battery HATES being low is always trying to quick recharge back up if not totally too low takes a hit, so does alternator trying too hard in all that time it's stressing a bunch of things out.
Find the source and I think that's most likely. The rest already took a hit just stuff that uses electric motors (actuators) with low or voltage spiked don't like that.
That's my hunch of where "source" of problem is. The fix is "overlay" a wire or just a section or one as they route inside with zip holders that don't work twice.
Source needs to be found, fixed usually units now or later the other items that took a hit like battery and alternator that worked too hard unknown perhaps will come along next.
It's not funny - now just sarcastic is why there are so many clinics for HAIR loss over this crap!
So > find source first then prevent it again with lube and or new latch both plastic and electrical a pest also to fix and attach rods with plastic clip holders don't like being touched twice either.
It was lots older but just a few years old at the time same games in that door had to toss latch to fix it no taking it apart would have worked too much going on with just it,
Tom
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