Ignition off current draw?

[NoVa Chris]

Any thoughts on a possible current draw? In the process of installing a plug for heated gear last week, I disconnected the battery (negative lead first, positive last.) Then, when reconnecting the battery, after first connecting the positive lead, as I touched the negative lead to the battery terminal, I saw a very light spark. Got my multitester and I measured a draw over (I think) 250 ma between the negative battery post and the negative cable lead, but before I could reset the tester and figure out the dial readings, the draw stopped. No spark, no reading. Key was out of switch all this time so ignition was off. I am confident the problem was not with the heated gear plug, in part because the issue seemed to clear up on its own.

I hate to bring this up but this might be related to my long-running occasional "8 flash MIL" issue. I continue to experience the occasional 8 flash MIL when first starting, and maybe once every few thousand miles, on the road with a bit of a running hiccup. New battery last year and a new regulator/rectifier last month has made no difference. I have gotten used to basically ignoring the MIL, or shutting down and restarting to turn the MIL off.

Now I wonder if I have an occasional current draw gremlin that is causing the voltage to drop, triggering the MIL.

I have never had a flat battery. There also does not appear to be any correlation between the MIL and hitting bumps that might affect a shorted wire or a loose connection.

The Honda book only mentions the regulator/rectifier and the ignition switch as possible culprits for a "current leak." But I think a number of electrical/electronic components get power when the key is off.

My current plan is to continue to live with this issue and try to figure out some correlation with various conditions to narrow my search.

 

[DirtFlier]

I don't know what "normal" is for the NT with key OFF but 250 milliamps is pretty small.

 

[Rmcapozzi]

I don't know what the draw is with the ignition off either. Having a little spark when reconnecting the battery isn't unusual and wouldn't indicate any issue for me. Since you have measured the draw at such a low level, I wouldn't worry about that. The battery/electrical isn't likely your MIL 8 issue.

For the MIL, the only 2 items left that might cause it (short of poor electrical connections) is the ECM or the TPS. The ECM is quite a bit less expensive than the TPS but it is the TPS that is most likely to solve your issue.

Any thoughts on a possible current draw? In the process of installing a plug for heated gear last week, I disconnected the battery (negative lead first, positive last.) Then, when reconnecting the battery, after first connecting the positive lead, as I touched the negative lead to the battery terminal, I saw a very light spark. Got my multitester and I measured a draw over (I think) 250 ma between the negative battery post and the negative cable lead, but before I could reset the tester and figure out the dial readings, the draw stopped. No spark, no reading. Key was out of switch all this time so ignition was off. I am confident the problem was not with the heated gear plug, in part because the issue seemed to clear up on its own.

I hate to bring this up but this might be related to my long-running occasional "8 flash MIL" issue. I continue to experience the occasional 8 flash MIL when first starting, and maybe once every few thousand miles, on the road with a bit of a running hiccup. New battery last year and a new regulator/rectifier last month has made no difference. I have gotten used to basically ignoring the MIL, or shutting down and restarting to turn the MIL off.

Now I wonder if I have an occasional current draw gremlin that is causing the voltage to drop, triggering the MIL.

I have never had a flat battery. There also does not appear to be any correlation between the MIL and hitting bumps that might affect a shorted wire or a loose connection.

The Honda book only mentions the regulator/rectifier and the ignition switch as possible culprits for a "current leak." But I think a number of electrical/electronic components get power when the key is off.

My current plan is to continue to live with this issue and try to figure out some correlation with various conditions to narrow my search.

 

[dnktng]

I don't know what the draw is with the ignition off either. Having a little spark when reconnecting the battery isn't unusual and wouldn't indicate any issue for me. Since you have measured the draw at such a low level, I wouldn't worry about that. The battery/electrical isn't likely your MIL 8 issue.
For the MIL, the only 2 items left that might cause it (short of poor electrical connections) is the ECM or the TPS. The ECM is quite a bit less expensive than the TPS but it is the TPS that is most likely to solve your issue.

Agreed. The connectors can be checked for free during a valve check, or tear the NT down just to check connectors without doing other maintenance.

New battery last year and a new regulator/rectifier last month has made no difference.

Sorry that you spent some time & money with the regulator. If you have the used regulator, consider offering it to others that think their regulator is causing a MIL code 8.

My current plan is to continue to live with this issue and try to figure out some correlation with various conditions to narrow my search.

Be safe. I had the MIL code that would cut back on the throttle (fail safe mode when MIL comes on) above ~5K rpm and thought it was something I could put off to fixing until it happened when trying to accelerate and merge when it occurred. That was enough for me. Hate for it to cut back if aggressively accelerating in a curve.

 

[ARKNT]

I would agree with Tattoo Paul. I have put a meter on it and saw a draw that went to almost nothing in a second or 2. I don't know what the numbers were.
I would think what you saw was normal.

Brad

 

[JohnC]

I don't know what "normal" is for the NT with key OFF but 250 milliamps is pretty small.

If it is a momentarily surge, I wouldn't worry about it. Long term, 250 ma. is a lot with the ignition switch off.

 

[NoVa Chris]

Thanks all for the suggestions and comments. My grasp of vehicle electrical systems has been deteriorating ever since they stopped using breaker points and condensors. I once spent some time scratching my head over a pulsing electrical draw in a Volkswagen Type III, until I realized the the pulses correlated with the ticking of the dashboard clock.

 

[ARKNT]

The current draw from items like a clock are very very small. Compare to a plastic digital watch that can run and keep the LCD display on for 2 years or so on a teeny tiny watch battery.
All those electronic convenience items in your house also draw power when turned off. That is how it looks for the signal from the remote control while kicked back in the recliner.

Brad

 

[JohnC]

The clock probably doesn't pull more than a couple of milliamps (.002 amp) by itself.

I mean, how long does that tiny mercury cell in a digital watch last?

Edit:
Sorry, Brad. I didn't see your post before I replied.