QuestionQUESTION: Hi, I have a 96 camry le 4cyl with a battery drain. Took to dealer and they said alternator if fine.Also said it MAY be antenna mast motor. I don't know why they came to this conclusion. I hate to start replacing parts before proper diagnosis. Can you help?
ANSWER: What is the amperage draw on the electrical system, did they tell you how much current is being drawn and can you let me know this? I doubt if it's the antenna motor, they could have just disconnected it to see if the draw went away so I don't understand why they are not sure that it is the problem. Do you have a DVOM?
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QUESTION: I do have a dvom. They gave me no other information.
AnswerCheck for a current draw, make sure all electrical accessories are turned of, all lights, radio, and ignition, remove the negative battery cable and connect the DVOM set on 10AMP to start between the negative battery post and the cable, with the meter set on the 10A setting you won't blow the meter fuse if the draw is too high,if the meter reading is something like 0.3 it's ok(this is 300 milliamps) which is normal,less is better, if you get a reading of 0.5A then there is cause for concern because this is 1/2 amp draw, 500 mA may be acceptable but no more. If there is a draw of more than 500 mA it may draw the battery down over a period of time but it normally takes a lot more to cause the battery to go dead overnight, I would say at least a 5-10 amp draw.
