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Multimeter/battery drain confirmation

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1979 GS850 Hey everyone I'm trying to see if I have a pull on my battery. I'm using my multimeter and just need someone to confirm I'm doing things the correct way. Switch my meter to 10A, move the red lead to the 10A port. Disconnect the positive wires on the battery then connect the black multimeter lead to the positive terminal on the battery and the red lead to the positive wire. If I see a reading on the multimeter that indicates a current being drawn from the battery at rest...right?? I'm not sure if I need to be connected to both the positive wires (one goes to the starter relay and the other goes to it's own individual fuse box, separate from the main fuse box) or just one of them. Will appreciate the help.
 
When its dark go into your garage and disconnect one of the wires from your battery- when the key is off of course. If you see a spark you have a draw! No high-falutin meters needed.
 
LarryC said:
When its dark go into your garage and disconnect one of the wires from your battery- when the key is off of course. If you see a spark you have a draw! No high-falutin meters needed.
Click to expand...

So if I start to remove one fuse at a time and use this spark method if I have no spark with a certain fuse remove the short must be in that circuit?
 
How quick is your suspected drain?

How long does it take to make the battery low enough to give you problems?

If it's a slow "drain" that takes a couple of weeks, it won't be strong enough to make a spark.
A meter is a "must" in this case, and the 10A setting might not be sensitive enough.

.
 
Either my multimeter is busted or I don't have a drain. It reads -1. I replaced the fuse in the multimeter thinking that was it but no change. I actually disconnected the battery though and hooked a power converter up to it then put the multimeter in series and couldn't get it to read the draw....either I'm doing something simple very wrong or the multimeter is busted.
 
azr said:
So if I start to remove one fuse at a time and use this spark method if I have no spark with a certain fuse remove the short must be in that circuit?
Click to expand...


huh? no comprendo senor

You must have a complete circuit. You can only make one break in it at any one time. If it is really dark, any drain will make a visible spark.
 
azr said:
1979 GS850 Hey everyone I'm trying to see if I have a pull on my battery. I'm using my multimeter and just need someone to confirm I'm doing things the correct way. Switch my meter to 10A, move the red lead to the 10A port. Disconnect the positive wires on the battery then connect the black multimeter lead to the positive terminal on the battery and the red lead to the positive wire. If I see a reading on the multimeter that indicates a current being drawn from the battery at rest...right?? ........
Click to expand...

Yes,... except: Put meter red to bat+ and meter black to +cable to get a positive amp reading on meter. Maybe the meter will not read negitive current.

Also keep in mind that most meters will have an internal fuse for the 10amp jack. So one way to test it would be to disconnect wiring to some other yhing like to a tail light or somehting, put the meter inline there and see if you read 1.5 amps or something, then know the fuse is good. Will blow the fuse immeadaily if had left leave the meter on the 10amp setting and put leads acrost something else that is esentailly the battery voltage. Will blow it so fast >twink< that you will not even recognise that anything happened.

If you do detect some current flow, even a fraction of an amps that will drain the battery a few days.
Then to troubleshoot you can pull the fuses one at a time (save the main till last), and then disconnect the R/R. On second thought, discoonect the R/R as your first suspect.

.
 
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