Just reading a few posts about how to do it ???

Question. As the vehicle sits while I'm figuring out what to do - if I disconnect the ground wire , will or can the battery still draw down.

I am going to put a switch on the Ground Terminal so that I can shut off power in between the testing.

Does it matter which I disconnect positive or ground ?

Or do I need to disconnect both cables to ensure no draw?



thanks Jay

 

No, short and only answer

 

Just remove the negative cable from the battery, safer.

 

what are you using to test the battery? Carbon pile load tester, conductivity load tester?

 

I currently have no voltmeter.

if I attempt to find the battery drain,

what reasonably priced multimeter should I purchase.

2004 Tahoe

Jay Jones

 

a $20 one would suffice

 

Yes. A $20 digital multimeter is plenty for determining if charging system is working, voltage across the battery while trying to start, and finding parasitic draw that could be discharging your battery. Look up parasitic draw on Google, stuff like the clock, the ECU, and the sound system memory are constant parasitic draws but take MONTHS to discharge a battery.

Multimeters are also handy for fixing household stuff including electric water heaters, recently used mine to help repair my refigerator by checking freezer defrost switch and defroster circuit, pinpointed active defrost control as the culprit ($15 part on Amazon).