Current Drain Tester – Battery Diagnostics
aide automotive MOT & Car Garage Workshop Equipment
The Current Drain Tester has been specifically designed to assist a technician with a Battery Parasitic Current Drain test. The purpose of the test is to assess and analyse the level of parasitic current drain from a vehicles’ battery during its shutdown and sleep periods. The Vehicle Battery Current Drain Tester is manufactured in the UK using quality IEC61010 components and offers durable performance for the vehicle workshop environment.
A test box that has mounted banana plugs and sockets enabling you to make quick, reliable and repeatable connections to a multimeter, oscilloscope and test leads. The box also contains a fast acting 15A 600V ‘meter saver’ fuse for continual protection of your test instrument and a switchable 15A automotive link fuse enabling a quick check on first connection and the ability to disconnect your instrument without disturbing the vehicles’ electrical system.
Included
A set of 1m black and red banana plug leads (longer lengths available).
A set of black and a red 36A 1000V large jaw crocodile clips.
So why & How….
Analysing the status of a vehicles’ battery is a common procedure to assess the engine start-up function and also determine the working health of the charging system. Battery diagnostics enables accurate fault finding and helps identify a potential component failure (e.g starter motor or alternator). If the engine start-up and charging system are tested and both deemed fully functional, yet the engine start-up issues continue then investigation into battery Parasitic Current Drain is the next step.
Parasitic Current Drain can be defined as any electrical device that draws electric current when the ignition key is turned off. As technology installed in new vehicles continues to develop, the demand on power required from the vehicles battery also increases. The understanding and diagnosis of Parasitic Current Drain is a basic task that can be made overly difficult with the use of insufficient or poor test equipment. Vehicle technology is likely to continue to advance and the Current Drain Tester Kit will ensure technicians are able to perform Parasitic Current Drain tests across all vehicles with improved speed and accuracy.
Voltage drop values are commonly measured with an Automotive Digital Multimeter and Parasitic Current Drain is commonly monitored on an Oscilloscope. A Low Amp Current Clamp can monitor the various stages of the vehicle shutdown period, where all on-board computers carry out functions that ensure working-operation of the vehicle when the driver returns.
Parasitic Current Drain testing relies on capturing current readings whilst accurately simulating the designated working environment of the vehicle.
Benefits Of The Current Drain Tester Kit
Link fuse offers testing versatility – Quickly and safely take a reading with added protection from a large current. Offers the capability to remove the test instrument by switching IN the 15A fuse and perform other multimeter tasks without the risk of disturbing the vehicles’ battery connection or inadvertently waking up the vehicles’ system as it performs the system shutdown.
Provides a reliable method of testing – Better alternative to the ineffective traditional troubleshooting method of circuit fuse removal testing. This type of intrusive testing could increase parasitic drain as disconnecting a memory supply (fuse) and reconnecting will wake the on-board computer, distorting any readings you may have captured.
Inline fast acting fuse to protect the Multimeter or Oscilloscope being used for test.
Uses IEC-610101 certified components and housed in a non-conductive sealed box for technician safety.
Contact aide automotive to purchase – 0115 8456471
12 Volt Car Current Drain Tester – Battery Diagnostics
