Battery Drain Tests

No, (unfortunately) that's not correct. Your measurement is showing 1.14 A (1140 mA) which is much too high for a long-term situation -- but make sure this isn't something short-term like a piece of added electronics doing a self-test after a power cycle (since you broke and remade the power connection when you placed the Ammeter is series -- i.e., keep measuring for say ~5 minutes and see if it decreases to a lower long-term value). If your long-term value stays at 1.14 A, that's definitely something that needs to be investigated and corrected -- good hunting!

 

As Steve has said your meter is reading 1.14Amps, which is way too high. But even 114ma is too high unless you have 3 alarm systems, a GPS and two stereos. Draw on a stock 348 should be around 20-30ma.

 

Even if it was 114 mA it is still too much of a draw. A brand new car battery with that use while the car is off would only last a month. Most cars probably use only 20 to 30 mA at most.

aehaas

 

You're on the right path to finding your problem. Keep your meter in place and simply start pulling out relays from your passenger footpanel. Note the drop after you pull every 3 or 4 relays.

You'll quickly narrow down your problem circuit. If the problem persists with all of the footwell relays out, then start on your fuses under your front hood.

 

Try removing any aftermarket devices, radio, amp, alarms etc. Like everyone says , the current draw is MUCH too high.

 

Nice find mate too bad on the fault though, you might find they probably got slack and wired the remote on direct off the constant V12+ supply

 

Most external car amplifiers require a voltage from the radio to indicate whether the radio is on or off. Sounds like this signal is missing and the amplifier is on full time. Purpose of this is to prevent exactly the problem you are having...it is to reduce idle current to nada when the amplifier isn't in use. Perhaps your installers needed to save a bit of time or just didn't know better.

 

FYI
I bought an optima battery for my race car the battery in it was old and I knew the car had some wiring issues.
After installing the Optima everytime I went to start the car the battery was dead. A freind came over and we spent the weekend re-wiring the entire car. I still had problem with the baterry dying. I took the battery back to the store where I bought it and they hooked it up to a number of meters and assured me it was fine.

Something didn't seem right to me because the first meter they hooked it to only showed 10 volts. So well I was at the store I picked up a $50 battery and when I got home I put the new battery in the car and have not had a problem since.

Since Optimas are so expensive I wonder how long it was sitting on the store shelf before I bought it???

 

By coincidence I was listening to "The Car Show" on the radio this weekend. The guys on the show said we used to by batteries and the store would install the acid and the initial charge. Nowadays batteries are shipped with the acid installed and it is 3-4 months before they leave the factory, 3-4 months in the distributors wharehouse, 3-4 months on the retailer shelf, so they are 1-1.5 years old by the time we get them.