Howdy folks! This post is my process for troubleshooting a parasitic draw.
Learn more about what a Parasitic Draw is.
The first thing I do is roll the drivers side window down, open the hood, make sure the engine is off, the key is out of the ignition, and close all the doors. Then I wait about 20 minutes to give things a chance to settle down.
Next, using my multimeter, I check for any voltage on any of the fuses in the Under Hood Junction Box (Fuse panel).
I make a note of any circuit using voltage, and then compare that note to what that circuit is for to determine if it should be using any electricity.
If it is, I move on, if it is NOT, I investigate further.
If I’ve found a circuit using power that should not be using power, I’ll start by checking any switches in the circuit to see if they’re stuck in an ‘on’ or ‘activated’ position.
From there, I’ll check for voltage, again using my multimeter, on various parts of the circuit to see if any power is being used somewhere it should not be.