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Old Mar 4, 2005 | 04:13 AM
  #11  
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JimBlake
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Ohms is resistance. If you measure battery voltage while drawing several different loads, you can calculate it's internal resistance, so maybe??

You changed the battery terminals because of corrosion & stuff, but what about the other end of each of those cables? Also the engine-to-body ground cable (both ends). Any corrosion or looseness there is every bit as bad as at the battery posts. I think that could cause your problems. (Sometimes replacing the whole cable is easier?)

Here's how to measure battery drain...
Remove the negative battery cable from the battery.
Set your multimeter to measure current (amps) at the highest setting.

Touch the cable back to the battery post in a way that allows you to do the following:
Hold the red meter lead to the (-) cable clamp.
Hold the black meter lead to the (-) battery post.
After a minute like this, pull the cable away from the post, but keep the meter leads on the clamp & post.
- the reason is there's often stuff that draws higher current for a short time when you've disconnected the battery. Like an alarm re-booting itself. Or maybe an interior light delay timer that has to run itself out. You don't want THIS to blow your meter's fuse.

Now any current being drawn from the battery has to go thru the meter. Switch to a lower range (or use autorange) until you measure something. If it's only a couple milli-amps you're OK. That's like the clock or radio holding it's memory. A 5-watt bulb (glovebox?) would be about 300 or 400 mA (0.3 or 0.4 amps). I haven't done this lately, so maybe someone can say what's normal for a Honda??
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