The DITEX Current Monitor Pro was designed specifically to monitor parasitic battery drain. This tester evaluates and analyzes the level of parasitic current drain from the battery during the vehicle's shutdown phase and sleep periods.
Almost all modern cars drain their batteries over time. Even with everything turned off, the continuous drain can reach 40 mA/h, up to 80 mA/h. That being said, a battery should never drain to the point of not starting after a few days. If your vehicle is drawing power from the battery despite the lights and other electrical components being turned off, you might have parasitic battery drain.
Using the Current Monitor Pro is much more reliable and straightforward than any other methods of identifying the cause of parasitic drain. The tester provides a direct way to connect a multimeter or oscilloscope (4 mm banana sockets) to the vehicle's electrical system for the diagnosis. There is a second pair of banana sockets on the other side, to which a set of current measuring probes and large crocodile clips are connected.
There are three ways you can use this device:
- As a standalone device
- With almost all digital multimeters
- With any oscilloscope as a custom input probe
If the leakage current exceeds a preset value, an installed sound alarm feature will activate, you can choose the current threshold level from five possible ones: 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 mA. This alarm functionality is especially useful when there is no parasitic drain during the measurement, but appears later once all of the vehicle's electronic control modules are asleep. The built-in sound alarm can be turned on or off at any time.
With this tool, you can measure the voltage drop on the embedded current shunt. If you add a custom input probe for an oscilloscope with a conversion ratio of 1 V/1 A, you will see the current of whichever system you are checking at that time.
The Current Monitor Pro parasitic drain tester is the most convenient and affordable tool for identifying parasitic current leakages!
- When the preset current level is exceeded a sound and light alarm activates
- Much more accurate when measuring low currents than a typical multimeter or an amp clamp
- No "drift," which may occur if an amp clamp is used during prolonged tests
- Unlike most current clamps, it can be connected to hard-to-reach places
- No automatic sleep mode for longer measurements
- You can connect it to an oscilloscope if necessary
- It uses widespread test leads with 4 mm banana connectors
- Measures DC current to ± 2 A
- 20 A fused input (20 amps overload for 5 minutes max)
- Outstanding battery life
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Power supply
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2 x AA alkaline batteries
300 h continuous operation (buzzer off)
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Fuse protection for the current inputs
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15 A 5 x 20 mm (very fast acting fuse)
20 A for 5 minutes max
30 A for 1 minute max
40 A for 50 mS
100 A for 10 mS max
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Current probe connectors
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2 x black, 4 mm banana sockets
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Multimeter probe connectors
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1 x black, 4 mm banana socket
1 x red, 4 mm banana socket
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Measurement output
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2 V (1 V/1 A)
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Rated continuous DC current
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± 20 A continuous
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Rated continuous dynamic current (high frequency current)
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± 20 A
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Current threshold presets
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100 mA, 200 mA, 300 mA, 400 mA, 500 mA
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Current measurement accuracy
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3 mA + (multimeter error)
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Sound alarm
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Buzzer (88 dBA / 10 cm min. sound output)
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Low voltage alert
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Battery voltage is below 2 V
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Auto power off
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Battery voltage is below 1.7 V
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Weight
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0.5 kg
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Key factors to consider when performing a parasitic drain test
The continuous drain in modern cars, even with everything shut off, is about 40 - 50 milliamps. Typically, a normal amount of parasitic draw is between 50 and 85 milliamps in newer cars and less than 50 milliamps in older cars. If your reading exceeds that level, it indicates a draw - and something is drawing too much power.
After removing the ignition key to turn off the engine and all electronics in your car, the time it takes for the control modules to enter sleep mode varies between separate vehicles. Wait for around 15 to 40 minutes to allow the vehicle's control modules to enter sleep mode.
There are several different methods to test for a draw, but the most reliable one is to hook an amperemeter in line with the negative battery cable. While this method yields the most accurate results, it can take more time to set up (having to remove the cable physically and then wait for the modules to go to sleep after connecting the meter). Another method is using amp probes. However, the current clamp method usually does not provide the best accuracy and is not a reliable form of testing.
How to make the bypass connection? Sketch
The manufacturers' tests have shown that if the vehicle is petrol-powered, there is no need to bypass the Current Monitor Pro. If it's diesel-powered however, it is mandatory. The best practice in both cases is to ensure a parallel electrical connection first.
IMPORTANT: While the car ignition is ON, you must bypass the Current Monitor Pro device! In other words, you must create a parallel electrical connection from the battery's negative terminal to the negative cable, which you will disconnect when you remove the ignition key.
CAREFUL: If you don’t make the bypass connection first and still turn on the ignition (without turning the starter) while the Current Monitor Pro is connected, the current consumption can reach up to 60 - 70 amperes and will likely cause the internal fuse to blow! The best method is to bypass the connection between the negative battery terminal and the car chassis.
- Make a parallel electrical connection
- Disconnect the negative cable from the battery and attach the Current Monitor Pro device
- When everything is connected, remove the shunting wire. This way, the connection of the battery negative terminal to the chassis is never interrupted, so there is no need to turn on the ignition key for a while.
Please note the following:
- Disconnecting the negative battery terminal without turning on the ignition for several seconds can prevent the occurrence of parasitic consumption! For this reason, you may make the wrong conclusion that the car is ok.
- The best way to look for parasitic current drain is by measuring the voltage drop across fuses instead of pulling them out. This way, you won't wake up the cars' systems when you remove a fuse and have to wait for them to go back to sleep.
- To work with an open door, the vehicle needs to "think" the door is closed. This may require manually latching the door latch or leaving the door only slightly ajar. Some cars may also need all doors to be locked for the ECUs to go back to sleep.
- 1 x Current Monitor Pro unit
- 2 x 50 cm current probe connector cables (black, 4 mm, male, banana connectors on both sides)
- 1 x 1 m multimeter probe (black, 4 mm, male, banana connectors on both sides)
- 1 x 1 m multimeter probe (red, 4 mm, male, banana connectors on both sides)
- 2 x black crocodile clips 84 mm with 29.6 mm jaw opening for hooking to the car battery
- 4 x replacement fuses
- 2-year warranty by the manufacturer
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