Operation CHARM: Car repair manuals for everyone.

Parasitic Draw



- Take the reading in milli-amps.
- Note the battery reserve capacity. Refer to Battery Usage.

1. Divide this number by 4.
2. Compare this to the multimeter reading. The current drain should not exceed this number.

Example: If a battery has a reserve capacity of 100 minutes, the current drain should not exceed 25 milli-amps. If the vehicle has 2 batteries, add the reserve capacities together and divide this total by 4. Electrical Drain/Parasitic Load Test