Current drain while parked
I measure current after the car is off and switch circuits off one by one until I find the one that does not "go to sleep".
An electrical fault? I find the cause by measuring, not guessing
Car electrics are hundreds of connections that can fail overnight or only when it turns cold or wet. I come with a multimeter and a scanner, read fault codes from the control units and measure circuit by circuit until I find where voltage disappears or current escapes. I do not replace parts blindly.
Measuring instead of guessing
Constant and intermittent faults
Call-out within 50 km
Call-out
150 zł
Plus work: 150 zł per started hour. With hard faults I tell you in advance how long it may take.
Call me — I will explain how I will do it
Why it matters
Replacing parts blindly costs more than measuring
The most expensive thing is not the fault but hunting for it by trial and error.
Replacing parts "to see" is the most expensive way to look for a fault: you pay for a part that was often fine, and the symptom comes back. In car electrics almost every symptom has a specific circuit that can be measured.
A scanner shows which module holds the fault, but not whether the sensor, wire, connector or earth is to blame. That is where measuring starts: voltage, resistance, current drain, signal shape.
Intermittent faults are the hardest: they are absent exactly when you look for them. I recreate the conditions (shock, moisture, temperature) and trace the circuit instead of waiting for the fault to appear.
- The battery drains overnight or after a few days standing
- Warning lights come on and go off for no reason
- A window, central locking, a fan or a heated screen does not work
- A fuse blows again and again — a short or an overload
- The car behaves strangely after washing or in the rain
Scope
How I find the cause
Methods that get to the point without stripping half the car.
Fault codes and module data
Reading fault codes and live data from the modules. They point the way, but do not replace measuring.
Voltage and earth measurements
I check whether voltage reaches the consumer and whether the earth is good. A bad contact can imitate a faulty module.
Fuses and relays
I look for why a fuse keeps blowing instead of fitting a stronger one. I fix the cause, not the result.
Wires and connectors
Inspection and measurement of harnesses, connectors and places exposed to rubbing or moisture: doors, boot lid, floor, engine bay.
Intermittent faults
I recreate the conditions in which the fault appears and trace the circuit. Sometimes it takes more than an hour.
Honestly: intermittent faults take time
Not every fault can be found in an hour. Intermittent ones sometimes need several attempts. That is why I charge the work at 150 zł per started hour, and tell you what to expect before I begin.
If, after measuring, I see that the repair needs a workshop and a ramp, I will say so plainly — before the repair, not after.
Prices
What it costs
The price is simple: call-out plus work. I quote the total by phone before I set off.
| Item | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Call-out | 150 zł | Within 50 km of Grodzisk Mazowiecki |
| Fault finding and repair | 150 zł per started hour | When a service has no fixed price |
| Computer diagnostics | from 80 zł | Reading fault codes and control-unit data |
| Weekend work | +20% | Saturday and Sunday |
| Urgent night call-out | price by phone | Agreed before I set off |
Parts are not included in the labour price. I quote before I set off — never after the fact.
How it goes
What it looks like
From a description of the symptoms to an identified cause.
Phone call
You describe the symptoms and when they appear: after rain, in the morning, after a few days standing. That is half of the diagnosis.
Call-out and readout
I come to the agreed place and read the fault codes and data from the control units.
Circuit measurements
I measure voltage, earth and current drain until I find where voltage disappears or current escapes.
Repair and test
I remove the cause, then check the symptom does not come back. If it needs a workshop, I say so plainly.
Questions
Common questions
Question not here? Call me — I will answer straight away.
The call-out is 150 zł within 50 km of Grodzisk Mazowiecki, and work is 150 zł per started hour, plus any parts. I give the price and an estimated time by phone before I set off.
I try. I recreate the conditions in which it appears and trace the circuit. Sometimes several attempts are needed — I tell you in advance and do not promise to find everything in an hour.
I measure both: the battery condition and the current drain after the car is off. Only the result shows whether the battery or a circuit drawing current is to blame.
Yes, as long as it can be done without a teardown that needs a workshop: soldering, replacing connectors, repairing a harness, moisture protection.
Yes. Please tell me what has already been replaced — it saves time and money because I do not look for the same thing twice.
Yes, I come to wherever the car is. If the fault needs a workshop, I will say so on the spot, before any repair begins.
See also
Related services
Electrics rarely have a single symptom.
Strange electrical symptoms? Call me
Describe when the fault appears — that is half of the diagnosis.
Real repairs, not a brochure
I film what I actually do — including the jobs that did not go my way.