Rv Battery Drain Test

This device clamps around one of the battery cables and reads directly in amps or milliamps depending on the size of the current drain.

Rv battery drain test.

Remember that there are many phantom loads these days. If the measured voltage after charge is less than these values the battery has one of two problems. Connect the cables to your battery and then test your lights to check the new deep cycle. Luckily you can usually find the cause of a parasitic draw yourself.

You thought you had everything shut off but you come back to find the batteries are dead. And remember as soon as the battery state of charge drops below 12 5 volts sulfation starts and if the battery stays in that condition for an extended period of time the battery will die. My top 10 battery tips to extend the life of your rv batteries. Begin by making sure the shoreline cord is unplugged and that all 12 volt components are turned off.

With newer cars with more control modules usually you need to wait 30 minutes or so for the modules to turn off. It has a bad cell. Check the voltage after that period and it should be 6 37 v for a 6 v battery or 12 73 v for a 12 v battery. What is draining your rv battery in storage.

The first test the amperage battery drain test is best suited for older vehicle models 1990s and older that come equipped with one or two computer modules. If your vehicle is drawing power from the battery and all of the lights and other electrical components are off you might have a parasitic battery drain or draw. In your rv it s possible for these parasitic loads to drain the battery when you don t use or charge the battery for long periods of time. Phantom loads are things that consume power even though they are off or not being used.

So you parked your rv for a while or put it in storage. Take the battery in for replacement or further testing. Before you do this know what voltage the battery is after all a 6 volt battery that reads 6 volts is fully charged whereas a 12 volt battery that reads at 6 volts is dangerously low. Routine maintenance and recharging a discharged battery as soon as possible will extend the life of the battery.

The easiest way to check for a battery drain is to use a clamp on dc ammeter. The leading cause of dead lead acid batteries is sulfation. If you have a sealed battery and don t trust the battery indicator light on the panel you need to use a digital voltmeter to check the rv battery. It was left in a state of discharge too long or.