Hi All! As you know, i have been trying to find out why the battery in my truck keeps dying. Most here advised a parasitic drain. My son came over and went through everything with the meter I have and couldn't find anything which would cause the problem. I feel like a dummy but recently I found out that my clamp-on meter doesn't measure in the low or milliamps DC current. My neighbor said that most meters used in automotive repair to test for milliamps have a small clamp, and of course my meter has the large clamps. I should mention that I would prefer to use a 'clamp-on meter' so as not to create a problem this truck has with the alarm system that occurs when either battery terminal is disconnected So, thought I would ask everyone here if they know of a decent, hopefully inexpensive meter, that can be used to detect the drain? Again, my wife and I are seniors on a fixed income so we can't spend too much, but I am determined to get to the bottom of this! Besides, here in California we can't go anywhere because of the virus, and now there are curfews preventing us from going anywhere. Crazy times.

Again,, let me say in advance thank you for all the advice and assistance offered!

 

I have to ask, is there any possibility the drain is caused by the alarm you have? have you tried having your son watch the amps while you pull one fuse at a time?

 

Just an update. You guys are/were right. After my son and I tried using my meter, we couldn't find a parasitic drain so we thought the problem must be something else. So we were off chasing our tails & wasting time looking for something else when I found out my meter leads were crap. Today, a guy from Church came over to borrow something and I mentioned the problems I am having with my truck and the battery draining.. Anyway, the guy had a clamp meter in his truck toolbox and he put it on the battery cables. He said I have a 2.5 amp draw, which is said is pretty significant. Then he put his hand on the alternator to see if it was warm. I didn't understand why he did that but I was so happy for the help i just listened. The guy said to charge the battery up, put the meter back on it, and then start pulling fuses. The guy asked me if I had any trouble with the windows or door locks and i told him I do (with a couple of the door locks). Anyway, after he left I thought I should have asked him how to disengage/remove the PATS alarm completely, if there is even a way to do that. I will keep you guys posted.

 

Hi all. I want to thank everyone for their help and advice. My son finally offered to have the truck towed to an auto shop that works on automotive electrical. They found two items. They said the alternator was bad (something about diodes) and that moisture or water had gotten into the GEM unit connector. They cleaned off the GEM unit connector(s) and replaced the alternator. After the repair they couldn't get the truck to start after disconnecting/reconnecting the battery. So my son had to go down there when they and played the game with the PATS system (or whatever causes the truck to not start). Guy who worked on the truck said he hadn't seen anything like it but wondered if the issue is in one modules instead of the PATS system. My son finally got the darn thing to start and drove it home. Anyway, the truck has started every morning since.

I am sorry for frustrating those here who offered help and advice - it was never my intent to cause any trouble. But please know that I do appreciate all the help. At least I learned A LOT about parasitic drains!