Battery Flat Every Morning? Parasitic Draw Test At Your Door

A battery that goes flat overnight and tests perfectly in the morning is not a battery problem. Something is drawing current while the car sleeps.

Finding it means isolating the circuits one at a time while the car is properly asleep, which takes patience rather than parts.

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  • 6 monthsor 6,000 km workmanship warranty
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  • 9 regions1,700+ suburbs, we come to you
R1,380 to R1,633
Labour only, no parts. The price depends on your car.

This one is priced on its own because it takes longer than a standard diagnostic inspection.

The second battery is how people find out

This fault is usually met with a new battery, and then a new alternator when that does not work. Neither is the problem. These are our prices for the two parts most commonly bought before anyone measures the draw:

Battery replacementR952 to R3,868
Alternator replacementR1,242 to R11,751
Finding out which one it actually isR1,380 to R1,633

Does this sound like your car?

A parasitic draw has a recognisable pattern, and it is not the pattern of a dying battery.

Flat after standing two or three days, fine with daily use

The signature of a draw. Daily driving replaces what is being taken; a weekend standing still does not.

It jump starts easily and then runs perfectly

The charging system is fine and the battery is holding charge. Something is simply emptying it while the car is parked.

It started after an alarm, radio, tracker or accessory was fitted

Aftermarket wiring is one of the most common causes, especially where a permanent live has been taken from the wrong place. More on this.

A new battery was fitted and it happened again

Then it was never the battery. The draw is still there and it will flatten the new one the same way.

Not sure which one yours is?

Tell us what the car is doing, in your own words. A mechanic reads it and calls you back within the hour. You do not need to know what is wrong, that is what we are for.

Describe my problem

What people say after we have been out

Real jobs, real faults, at homes and offices.

How we find it

✓

The car is put properly to sleep firstModules stay awake for a long time after the doors are locked. Measuring too early gives a high reading that means nothing, which is why this takes time.
✓

Actual draw measured against specificationEvery car draws a little. What matters is how much, compared with what this car should be drawing once asleep.
✓

Circuits isolated one at a timeFuses pulled in sequence with the meter connected, until the draw drops. That names the circuit rather than the part.
✓

The component on that circuit confirmedOnce the circuit is known, the item responsible is identified properly rather than the whole circuit being condemned.

The kit that comes with the mechanic

A mobile mechanic is only as good as what is in the van.

Multimeter in series on the battery

The actual draw measured in milliamps against what this car should be drawing once asleep, rather than estimated.

Fuse by fuse isolation

Circuits pulled in sequence with the meter connected, until the draw drops and names the circuit responsible.

Autel and Launch scan tools

Module sleep states read, which catches a control unit that is refusing to shut down rather than a component that is switched on.

Battery load tester

Confirms the battery itself is healthy first, so the draw is proven to be the fault rather than assumed.

This one takes time, and that is the point

A parasitic draw cannot be found in ten minutes, because the car has to be genuinely asleep before the reading means anything. Anyone promising a quick answer is guessing.

What you get for the money

A named fault, in writing, and a price to fix it

What has failed, why, and what the repair involves. If the repair is ours you get the quote before anything is touched, and the inspection is not charged twice.

Other inspections we do

Every one of these is a mechanic coming to you. See all 22.

Where we come out to

Nine regions and more than 1,700 suburbs. Check your suburb.

Questions we get asked

My battery is new and it still goes flat. How?

Because the battery was never the fault. Something is drawing current while the car is parked, and it will flatten a new battery exactly as it flattened the old one. Measuring the draw is the only way to find it.

What usually causes it?

Aftermarket alarms, trackers, radios and dashcams are the most common, especially where a permanent live was taken from a convenient rather than a correct place. Beyond that, a module that will not go to sleep, or a failing relay.

Why does this cost more than other inspections?

Because it takes considerably longer. The car has to be fully asleep before the reading means anything, and then circuits are isolated one at a time. It is the time, not the equipment, that makes the difference.

Can you do it at my house?

It is the best place to do it. The car is parked where it normally sleeps, which is exactly the condition the fault appears in.

Battery Flat Every Morning? Parasitic Draw Test At Your Door

Tell us what it is doing and where you are. Price and a slot, no phone call.

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