When you hook up the multimeter between the negative battery terminal and the black battery cable, it functions as a bridge allowing power through. This, however, is limited by your multimeters' internal fuse(s). If you turn on too much electrical stuff and draw too much power, its fuse(s) will blow and you'll have to replace them.

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It's a good sign that your multimeter isn't picking up any parasitic draw, but for an accurate reading you should always first charge your car battery fully before checking for parasitic draw.

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No, the fuse itself isn’t the problem. Pulling the fuses is just a way to easily locate on which circuit the parasitic draw is located. If you pull the fuse that protects the radio only, for example, and the parasitic draw disappears, you know the radio or its wiring is causing a parasitic draw. The radio might not be switched off, as shown in our simulation, or there might be a damaged wire, or the radio itself might be faulty. Once you’ve determined by elimination which part(s) is(are) causing a parasitic draw, you know what needs to be repaired or replaced.

When using regular paint, you're right about needing a special adhesion promotor for plastic to prevent peeling. For this method however, we opted for an all-in-one plastic paint and primer, which saves time and effort. It's a quick, effective solution we've had great success with! Thanks for sharing your expertise!

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Unless we really have to, we don’t like to replace parts and always try to repair them. With the method shown in this video, you can easily extend your plastic trims’ life for a long time, and at a much lower cost than buying new parts. So in our eyes it’s definetely worth doing!

We used 320 grid. You can watch the full video that's linked in this short. All the products are in the description!

When you hook up the multimeter between the negative battery terminal and the black battery cable, it functions as a bridge allowing power through. This, however, is limited by your multimeters' internal fuse(s). If you turn on too much electrical stuff and draw too much power, its fuse(s) will blow and you'll have to replace them.

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You're welcome! Glad it helped!

If you have 13.4 volts when your engine is running, your alternator should be fine. I would be looking elsewhere like ignition or fuel supply.

@@classiccarmaintenance thank you so much! Ill have it checked by a mechanic!!! Thanks again!

Thanks so much for your support! Really appreciate it. It keeps us motivated to hear feedback like this. We'll definitely keep the videos coming. Great to have you on board!

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Thanks for your input! In case the parasitic draw increases after plugging the fuse back in, you know that some part of the cars' electronics have woken up, that's absolutely right in case of some modern cars. But the principle of locating the parasitic draw stays exactly the same. Just like initially, you only look at the amp drop when removing the next fuse, yet with the new amperage reading as the benchmark. So if you pull the next fuse and the amp draw drops significantly, you know this circuit has a parasitic draw somewhere, regardless of some electronics that may have woken up by reinstalling the previous fuse.

Glad you found the video helpful! Sounds like you're on the right track. Good luck with the test, hope you get it sorted out quickly!

@@classiccarmaintenance Oh I'm on the right track alright...on the right track to justifying the purchase of a new head unit and a new amp to replace the stock ones of each!! (...I was going to do that anyway, :))

Sounds like a perfect excuse to upgrade! 😄 New gear always makes the project more fun, enjoy the new setup!

Totally get where you’re coming from! The hidden settings can be a bit tricky at first, but once you get the hang of them, it’s a solid tool overall.

Glad you liked our video! To answer your question: It is not possible to do a decent alternator check without a running engine. An alternator generates electricity by using the rotational motion of the engine. Only while the alternator is powered by the engine you can check if it is operating correctly and if it produces enough electricity to charge the car battery. So in order to check your alternator you’ll first have to get your vehicle to start again. If your car doesn’t start, the first thing to check is your battery voltage. If it’s too low, your starter won’t be able to crank the engine and your cars’ electronics won’t be able to function properly. If the voltage is too low, first charge your battery and try starting your car again. Once it starts, you can do an alternator test. If it still doesn’t start, you’ll have to look elsewhere to solve your starting problem.

Thanks! It’s definitely worth it once you get used to the controls and settings. You’ll love it!

In this video, we didn't apply a clear coat on top. We used a paint-and-primer-in-one, which simplifies the process and gives a durable finish without the need for a separate clear coat. It's an effective solution to keep things simple while still achieving great results. Thanks for watching!

You're very welcome! Glad the explanation was clear for you!

Thanks a lot! Glad you found it clear and to the point. Appreciate the support!

If you can’t detect anything even after verifying that your multimeters’ test leads are properly connected and making good contact, the dial is switched to ⎓ DC Amps (with the dotted line under the straight line) and the DC Amps setting is switched to a range that can detect milliamps, then there might be a blown fuse inside your multimeter. You can easily screw open your multimeter and take out the fuses one by one (if there are multiple) to test them for continuity. If you can’t detect any continuity then the fuse is blown and you’ll need to replace it. If the fuses are ok, then your multimeter might be malfunctioning.

@@classiccarmaintenance thanks, I will look into that. But I'm also thinking this meter can do DC current through the clamp only. Sounds odd, but even the manual says to use the clamp for DC current.

Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it! We’re definitely planning to cover restoring aluminum parts like the alternator in an upcoming video, so stay tuned. Love your support!

No, the fuse itself isn’t the problem. Pulling the fuses is just a way to easily locate on which circuit the parasitic draw is located. If you pull the fuse that protects the radio only, for example, and the parasitic draw disappears, you know the radio or its wiring is causing a parasitic draw. The radio might not be switched off, as shown in our simulation, or there might be a damaged wire, or the radio itself might be faulty. Once you’ve determined by elimination which part(s) is(are) causing a parasitic draw, you know what needs to be repaired or replaced.

@@classiccarmaintenance oh, in other words there’s something wrong with car that’s going to cost a lot of money to fix. Got it. Currently having the issue with my battery dying after only sitting for a week with driving.

Not necessarily, no. It might be as simple as a loose wire, the interior, trunk or glovebox light that stays on without you noticing. If you can pinpoint where the parasitic draw is located, you can either try to fix it yourself or tell a professional where it is located, saving him time and saving you money. About your battery dying after a week, you said it was while daily driving it? If that’s the case then you might have a bad alternator. Your car uses electricity from your battery to run and operate all the electronics, and your alternator is powered by the running engine to charge the battery while driving. If your alternator doesn’t work properly the battery won’t charge and will drain even when you drive your car. We have a video on how to test your alternator with a multimeter as well so you may want to check it out, it’s a really simple test.

@@classiccarmaintenance mistake on my end, it’s not a daily driver. I have a company truck. My personal is driven 1-3 times a week sometimes less.

Our advice is to first test if the battery is still good with a battery tester, then check if the alternator still works. If both battery and alternator are OK, you want to look for a parasitic draw. We have a video on each of these subjects, so make sure to check them out, it’s easier than you might think.

Awesome to hear the right videos are finding their way to you! We're glad you ended up here and hope you enjoy our content. Thanks for tuning in!

Although soap or grease is commonly used to prevent overspray, it is very difficult to get soap or grease as far between the edges as tape without accicentally getting some on the edge itself, which would ruin the result. So, better safe than sorry. Tape is also easier, faster and less messy to remove afterwards.

We agree, if you’re used to the interface it really is an amazing soldering station. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

You have a good eye! You can simply remove the center cap with 3 screws, which we did, but it isn’t shown in this short because it’s too “short” to show the whole process in detail 😉. You can check the full video linked under this short, which includes the removal of the center cap!

This could work, however, the buzzer will only sound when it gets enough power. Depending on how small the parasitic draw is, the buzzer won’t sound at all or too faint to hear it. So, in our opinion, that’s too many unknowns.

Correct! Although it’s best practice to use a separate primer and paint, we used a can of special paint-and-primer-in-one for plastic to speed up and simplify the process, so there’s no need to use a primer first. We’ve had great results with this process. You can check the full video linked under this short.

Thanks for the suggestion! Dismounting the tire can be quicker if you have the right tools, but our masking method is designed to be easy, effective, and risk-free, especially for those without tire removal equipment. Plus, it’s a lower-cost option. Different approaches work for different situations!

It's a KO2! They're great!

Appreciate the input! While using a deck of cards is a popular trick, it can actually prevent you from getting an even coat, especially on the edges of the wheel. Cards stand upright, which can block paint from reaching certain areas-this is particularly problematic with thicker paints like Raptor spray. Masking off with tape, however, ensures that the entire wheel, including the edges, gets thorough and even coverage, leading to a flawless finish.

​@@classiccarmaintenance shit man you just came and ruined this man's whole career lol

Removing the tires is definitely an option if you have the time and tools, but it comes with a risk of potential damage. Our masking method is quick, effective, and risk-free. No need to worry about damaging something!

It’s only worth removing the tire for a powder coat otherwise just leave it on unless your rims are already tireless

When you hook up the multimeter between the negative battery terminal and the black battery cable, it functions as a bridge allowing power through. This, however, is limited by your multimeters' internal fuse(s). If you turn on too much electrical stuff and draw too much power, its fuse(s) will blow and you'll have to replace them.