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Two of the most common problems we see include:
“Parasitic Current draw”, where the battery goes dead with the vehicle shut off for extended periods of time.
“Poor Component Operation”, such as headlights flickering or having low intensity, or stop and tail lights malfunctioning.[/FONT]
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Let’s start with a diagnosis of the current drain on a battery:
If a known good battery is fully charged, placed in a vehicle and then discharges in a specific time frame (Let’s assume overnight), the most likely cause is a “current draw” not a short circuit. (If you have ever grounded one end of a wrench while removing or installing a positive battery post with the ground cable hooked up, the resulting sparks, burnt hands, and melted cables are the classic “Short Circuit”.[/FONT]
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To check for a current draw, disconnect the negative or ground battery cable and connect a 12 volt test light between the battery and the battery post. With all accessories and the ignition switch off, the light should not glow. If it glows, there is a current draw. To isolate the source, start by unplugging fuses. If the light goes out when a fuse is removed, you have found the circuit that is draining the battery.[/FONT]
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Be sure the hood light is unplugged (if equipped ), and all the doors are closed. Then follow the service manual or schematic to locate which items are powered by that fuse and begin to isolate them.[/FONT]