Big parasitic draw and already tested all circuits

[HotWheelsBurban]

Awesome. Thanks for the lesson. I did not know that lol. I've always just looked for the highest cca

Not a problem! I've sold a bunch of batteries back in the day, and when you have a fleet of cars and trucks like we've had, bought a few too.

 

[SUBURBAN5]

Turns out I bought the 78 lol. Had me worried there for a minute

 

[df2x4]

Obligatory "Odyssey batteries rule" post...

https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-34-78-PC1500DT-Automotive-Battery/dp/B000TCTD3Y

I have these exact models (34/78 PC1500DT) in both of my '97s. Around seven years old and still perform like new. Higher CCA and reserve capacity than anything else I've seen on the market and a four year free replacement warranty. Made in the USA by Enersys.

 

[SUBURBAN5]

Very nice I'll have to try that battery in the future

 

[RawbDidIt]

Obligatory "Odyssey batteries rule" post...

https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-34-78-PC1500DT-Automotive-Battery/dp/B000TCTD3Y

I have these exact models (34/78 PC1500DT) in both of my '97s. Around seven years old and still perform like new. Higher CCA and reserve capacity than anything else I've seen on the market and a four year free replacement warranty. Made in the USA by Enersys.

I will be asking you for this information again when my current AGM battery kicks it.

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[df2x4]

I will be asking you for this information again when my current AGM battery kicks it.

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I'll be happy to provide it again.

The guy at the dealer I buy them from locally told me I should be a salesman for Odyssey. I've converted a few friends and family members. I used to run Optima yellow tops but two of them died on me less than a year after I bought them. That's what prompted me to do some research on alternatives and eventually led me to Odyssey.

 

[AK49BWL]

I once liked Optima as well. Went through four of them in my 99 Blazer in less than 2 years, you'd think I'd learn faster but eh... They all got refunded so screw it lol.

 

[Pinger]

True, but some components have a high draw when first connected to power, particularly those with capacitors. Connecting the jumper initially allows the initial spike in current to pass before asking the meter to eat it. Not applicable to every situation, but enough to merit a mention. If the parasitic draw is enough to blow the fuse by itself it does nothing, as you mentioned, but taking away the opportunity for something else to go wrong does present a higher chance of correctly diagnosing the issue. And if the draw is enough to blow the fuse on a multimeter, I would hope the OP would mention the sparks that he saw when he reconnects the battery.

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And to the above I will add - some multimeters (expensive Fluke ones) if the fuse blows will still give readings. Entirely erroneous readings that will have you chasing your own tail for a fortnight. Just don't ask me how I know!

 

[TechNova]

check your visor vanity lights. the hinge breaks and the light stays on when it is closed.
Alternators are also known to be bad. A few years ago, a shop sent me a pic of a thermal image of a c/k alternator glowing red after sitting in his shop overnight.

 

[stutaeng]

I'll be happy to provide it again.

The guy at the dealer I buy them from locally told me I should be a salesman for Odyssey. I've converted a few friends and family members. I used to run Optima yellow tops but two of them died on me less than a year after I bought them. That's what prompted me to do some research on alternatives and eventually led me to Odyssey.

7 years! Holy Crap! I haven't had a battery last that long since I started driving in '01!

Most have lasted 4, maybe 5 years. A channel in YT ("Project Farm?") did a bunch of test on car batteries and surprisingly, the cheaper one performed very well "for the price." I vaguely remember the AGM class did not perform as high as you'd expect. If I recall, most are rebranded and there are only like 2 main players of batteries: Exide? or Interstate Batteries? and Johnson Controls.

I've bought the Wal-mart batteries before and they seemed to last like exactly 3 years and 2 months, and they are priced very well. Seems like you can set a timer for 36 months and expect to buy a new one when the buzzer sounds.

In the old days, the lead batteries seemed to last forever. With the lead (or most of it gone at least) gone due to the tree-huggers, batteries are more environmentally friendly, but we seemingly go through them a lot more. Makes no sense to me. BTW, these are just my observations. I'm obviously not an expert on the subject, LOL.

If you ask the guys that sell batteries why they don't last as long as they used to, they will tell you that because today's vehicles have more electronics, which makes somewhat sense, right? Well, that's not true because car batteries don't last as long as they used even on older vehicles! You can't believe everything you hear! Especially for us folks driving older vehicles. Can't fool us!