PriceProtect™
DriveShield™
GarageGuard™
Services
Insurance
Car Insurance
Compare Car Insurance with Jerry
Jerry’s Expert Advice
Car Insurance Estimates
Home & Renters Insurance
Renters Insurance
Repairs
Car Repair Estimates
Repair Estimates for Popular Services
Advice
Read Car Content
Browse Jerry Car Advice
Check Out Expert Car QnA
Learn About How We Create Content
Jerry Data & Research
How do you test for a parasitic drain on your car battery?
What’s the best way to test for a parasitic drain on my car battery? My battery gave out a few days ago, but it’s only a few months old. My friend gave me a jumpstart and I drove around for a bit to help it recharge—but I need to make sure it’s not being constantly drained.
Joshua Levy · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Parasitic drains can be frustrating, especially when you’re dealing with a new battery! Luckily, you can follow these steps to test for a parasitic battery drain:
- Step 1: Turn off your car before you start messing with the battery. Make sure to set your multimeter to DC.
- Step 2: Remove the negative battery cable from your car and put it in contact with one of your multimeter leads.
- Step 3: Connect the other lead on your multimeter to the negative battery terminal. Use zip ties to keep them in place.
- Step 4: Check your multimeter to make sure your car is using about 50 milliamps, which is standard for a normal car.
- Step 5:Open your hoodfuse panel and pull one fuse at a time while keeping your eyes on the multimeter. Make sure you put the fuses back where you found them. If you see any significant dips in amps when you pull a fuse, then you’ve found your problem!
- Step 6: Replace the faulty fuse to stop the parasitic drain!
Congratulations, you just found and fixed a parasitic drain on your car battery. Since this process can be challenging and potentially damaging to your car, consider having a
mechanic
run the test.To offset the price of mechanical help, start saving on car insurance with
Jerry
. A licensed broker, the Jerry app can help you find and compare quotes from over 50 top providers for free. When you find a better plan, Jerry can help you buy your new coverage and even help cancel your old policy.View full answer
- Gregory R.
WHY YOU CAN TRUST JERRY
Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
Join 4M+ members in lowering their car insurance
You Might Also Be Interested
Read Advice From Car Experts At Jerry
What Others Are Asking
Browse More Content
Insurance in Your State
Easiest way to compare and buy car insurance
No long forms
No spam or unwanted phone calls
Quotes from top insurance companies