If the vehicle exhibits a low or dead battery after an overnight period, or discharges over a period of 2 or 3 days, the electrical system should be checked for an excessive electrical drain. This is referred to as Parasitic Current Drain.

If a battery needs recharging and no cause is evident, check the vehicle for excessive parasitic current drain.

One or more on-board solid state control modules, such as the PCM, may at some time, exhibit a failure mode that causes a high parasitic drain on the vehicle's battery. When the battery is disconnected to install an ammeter, etc., the excessive current drain may not occur once the circuit continuity is restored. Even though cycling the ignition key to the RUN and then to the OFF position may cause such a drain to recur, there may be drains that will not recur unless the vehicle systems are reactivated in a road test. Since the ignition switch must not be rotated to the ACCESSORY, RUN or START position with an ammeter installed between the battery terminal and the battery cable, a current drain test tool must be used as described in the following procedures.

Before starting this procedure, ensure that the ignition switch is in the LOCK position, all electrical accessories are turned OFF and the doors are closed.

Tools Required

Notice: Do not turn the parasitic draw test switch to the OFF position with the engine running. Damage will occur to the vehicle's electrical system.

Notice: The test switch must be in the ON position when removing the fuses in order to maintain continuity in the electrical system. This avoids damaging the digital multimeter due to accidental overloading, such as a door being opened to change a fuse.

1. Disconnect the negative battery cable. Refer to

   Caution: Unless directed otherwise, the ignition and start switch must be in the OFF or LOCK position, and all electrical loads must be OFF before servicing any electrical component. Disconnect the negative battery cable to prevent an electrical spark should a tool or equipment come in contact with an exposed electrical terminal. Failure to follow these precautions may result in personal injury and/or damage to the vehicle or its components.

   in General Information.



2. Install the male end of the J 38758 to the negative battery terminal.
3. Turn OFF the test switch.
4. Install the negative battery cable to the female end of the test switch.
5. Turn ON the test switch.
6. Road test the vehicle while activating all accessories, including the radio and the air conditioning.
7. Turn OFF the ignition switch. Remove the key.

Important: From this point on, electrical continuity must be maintained in the ground circuit of the battery through the J 38758 in the ON position or through the J 39200 .

8. Components such as PCMs and VCMs have timers that draw several amps of current while they cycle down. This can give a false parasitic drain reading. Wait 15 minutes for these components to power down before continuing this test.

Important: If an ammeter other than the J 39200 is used, ensure that the vehicle does not have a high current drain that would damage the ammeter when connected to the circuit.

9. Connect a jumper wire with a 10 A fuse J 36169-A to the terminals of the Test switch.
10. Turn the test switch to the OFF position.
11. Wait ten seconds.

If the fuse does not blow, the current is less than 10 A.

The ammeter can be used safely.

12. Before the fused jumper wire is removed, turn the test switch to the ON position.
13. You can detect a high current drain using the following procedure:

Set the J 39200 to the 10 A scale.

14. Connect the ammeter to the test switch terminals.
15. Turn OFF the test switch. This allows the current to flow through the ammeter.
16. Wait one minute, then check the current reading.

•	When there is a current reading of 2 A or less, turn ON the test switch, this maintains continuity in the electrical system.

•	Then, switch the meter down to the 2 A scale, for a more accurate reading, when the test switch is reopened.

17. Take the reading in milliamps.
18. Note the reserve capacity of the battery. If the vehicle has a diesel engine with two batteries, add the reserve capacities together. If the vehicle is equipped with an auxiliary battery, use only the reserve capacity of the main battery. Refer to Battery Usage .

•	Divide this number by 4.

•	Compare this to the ammeter 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 milliamps.

Notice: Always turn the test switch knob to the ON position before removing each fuse to maintain continuity in the electrical system and to avoid damaging the meter due to accidental overloading, such as opening a door to change a fuse.

19. When the current draw is too high, remove the electrical system fuses one at a time until the draw returns to a value less than or equal to specifications.

•	Start with the fuses that are hot all the time.

•	To remove the fuse, you must first open the door, which may cause a high enough current flow to damage the ammeter.

•	Protect the ammeter, without disturbing the electrical continuity, by turning ON the test tool before opening the door.

•	Remove the courtesy lamp fuse.

•	Note the ammeter reading.

•	If the parasitic load is still excessive start removing the remaining fuses one at a time.

•	Keep the courtesy lamp fuse out during diagnosis, so the door can remain open.

•	Perform Steps 11 through 13 each time a fuse is removed.

20. Removing the PCM or VCM fuse should cause a drop of less than 10 milliamps.

A drop greater than 10 milliamps indicates a possible short to ground.

21. Check the orange wires along with the components connected to the orange wires.

No drop in the milliampere reading indicates the PCM or VCM is not drawing current.

22. Repeat the parasitic current drain test procedure after any repair has been completed.
23. When the cause of the excessive current draw has been located and repaired, remove the ammeter and the parasitic draw test switch.

Notice: Use the correct fastener in the correct location. Replacement fasteners must be the correct part number for that application. Fasteners requiring replacement or fasteners requiring the use of thread locking compound or sealant are identified in the service procedure. Do not use paints, lubricants, or corrosion inhibitors on fasteners or fastener joint surfaces unless specified. These coatings affect fastener torque and joint clamping force and may damage the fastener. Use the correct tightening sequence and specifications when installing fasteners in order to avoid damage to parts and systems.

24. Connect the negative cable to the negative battery terminal.

Tighten
Tighten the battery cable attaching bolt to 15 N·m (11 lb ft).