My car is drawing 3.5k ohms! Is that normal!?!?

Hey guys...

I was recently having problems with my battery going dead if I left my parking lights on for like five minutes or my radio for a couple of minutes. I noticed that my lights were going dim at stop lights and all the other symptoms of bad power. I replaced the alternator and got a new battery and everything seems to be fine. For the heck of it, I put an ohmmeter to the positive side of the terminal (no battery obviously) and it reads 3500ohms?? Is that normal? I pulled ALL of my fuses under the hood and it never changed! Reason why I am asking because I was working on my car with the dome lights off and the only thing that was on was the door panel light and my battery still died. I was only working on it for about an hour. Just wondering... let me know.......

Your electrical terminology doesn't jibe. Ohms are a measure of resistance -- you don't "draw" ohms, they just "are." You say you connected your "ohmmeter" (??) to the positive terminal. What did you connect the other side to? If you were talking about amps, rather than ohms, that would fit the word "draw" but then 3.5k what? Certainly not amps!

My bad...you're right about my electrical terminology... I'll admit that I'm not to familiar with the whole electrical thing. Anyway.. I thought I read somewhere to connect an "ohmmeter" to the positive side of where your battery hooks up to and then the negative and you can see how many ohms you are drawing??? Obviously I am wrong... so you say it's amps?? Basically.... tell me how to check what my car is "drawing" when nothing is on! Or is that even possible? And then if so... let me know what is normal! Thanks man....

If you want to measure the current draw, your meter has to be an ammeter and has to be in series with the circuit. (In other words, disconenct your battery, and connect the ammeter between the battery and the disconnected cable. But be CAREFUL - not knowing exactly what meter you are using I can't easily advise you. But if it is too sensitive (or if it really IS an ohmmeter) that will probably destroy the meter.

But, then, I don't know what is a "normal" current draw when everthing is turned off. With every fuse out, I'd expect it to be zero (but you also have a bunch of fuses inside, by the kick panel. Also, there are some circuits controlled by circuit breakers, not fuses. (Headlights I think -- I don't have my Chilton's handy).

Anyway, it sounds like your electrics are fixed now, so I probably wouldn't worry unless your battery goes dead overnight.