Spent 4 hours chasing a parasitic draw that was right in front of me

Had a 2014 Ford Explorer come in last Tuesday with a dead battery every morning. Pulled out my multimeter, started pulling fuses one by one. After 3 hours of testing nothing was pulling over 50 milliamps. Turned out the glove box light was staying on because the little plunger switch got bent and wasn't making contact. Took me another hour to figure that out after I saw it glowing through the crack. Has anyone else wasted a whole day on something this stupid simple?

3 comments

3 Comments

ericb6625d ago

Did you at least find a few fries under the seat while you were in there?

wright.kevin25d ago

Man that glove box light is a classic one. I've seen a few technicians trash a whole afternoon on those things because they're so easy to overlook when you're focused on the big stuff. Your mileage may vary but a bright flashlight and a quick glance at all the interior lights before you start pulling fuses might save you that kind of headache next time.

terryallen25d ago

Spent two hours chasing a phantom battery drain once, only to find my own flashlight had been left on in the back seat.