94HeavyChevy

So i know that i have current draw because i took my car to autozone for a free battery test and they hooked a machine to the battery while the car was off and it was jumpin all over the place. when i got home i pulled a few fuses to see if the battery charge was stronger but really could not tell. as i was putting the fuses back a few days later one of them sparked when i was putting it in. any ideas on why i would get spark while plugging a fuse in?

Blue Bowtie

You observed an arc because there was a load. In what circuit was the fuse installed?

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94HeavyChevy

it was the radio fuse that i pulled out of the fuse box from the drivers side dash. it was a 10 amp fuse from slot #30 and it was the radio fuse. does this mean my radio is causing my battery to die when the car is off?

Blue Bowtie

The radio should have only a 20-30 mA draw to retain its presets and run the clock. That should not drain the battery in a short time.

The best method to find parasitic draw would be with an ammeter. Remove each fuse and test the circuit draw with the ammeter in place of the fuse.

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94HeavyChevy

so the fact that i got spark is nothing to worry about?

j cAT

some componets/devices have capacitors,,,when power is applied the fuse when installing may arc...

normally your radio is always on ,, not full on ,, but still on...just like your TV in your house.....it's in a standby condition...

usually aftermarket devices improperly installed or a bad alternator regulator diode will cause battery drain...

load testing of the battery is required to insure battery is not internally draining,,,,then alternator current out put as well as monitoring current drain with an ammeter, with the engine off...drain usually is below 250ma..,,

94HeavyChevy

If i was to disconnect one terminal after each ride would this ensure that the battery is not being drained at all? if so which one should i disconnect?

caffeineaholic

If you mean one of the battery terminals, then you are correct there would be no drain on the battery since it is not hooked up. I was told it is best to always disconnect the ground, but I always disconnect the positive terminal. I cannot remember why I was told it is best to disconnect ground but I don't think it matters.

94HeavyChevy

well then ill just keep doing that for now because i dont really have the money to get it looked at now. Thank you for the info.

j cAT

always disconnect the ground first..this is the safe way for you and the onboard electroic devices..

caffeineaholic

If you want it to be a little more convenient to remove a terminal you may want to consider getting a simple quick-disconnect device. Autozone has something like this, it's part # 07767 and it's less than 6$. I have something sort-of similar for my caprice because I also have this issue and it saves some time plus it saves the battery's lead thread from stripping from so much disconnecting/reconnecting.