Woman’s Car Battery Drained by Unexpected Culprit

2025/10/12 20:07:27

Good mechanics appreciate challenges. For a Toyota technician, the mystery began with a truck that repeatedly drained its batteries and a client’s note: “The client believes that the tyre pressure sensor causes the battery to drain.”

The reality he uncovered offered an ironic commentary on modern technology.

A TikTok video posted by the Toyota technician, Austin (@thataotaguy1), details how he solved the case of a Tacoma Toyota owner who had replaced her battery three times in a single year. The woman brought her truck to Austin, convinced she knew the source of the problem.

“The lady saeid that the wheel pressure sensor was causing a parasitic drain,” he explains in the video, which has garnered over 265,000 views.

The Mechanic as Car Detective

Following a blinking light, austin discovered the true culprit: a small Bluetooth device plugged into the truck’s OBD (On-Board Diagnostics) port. These adapters are commonly used to read engine codes or connect with insurance tracking apps. However, this device remained powered on even when the engine was off, constantly drawing current from the battery, 24/7.

“Almost instantly, when I measured the current, I noticed it was dropping below 50 milliamps,” Austin explains. “So, we can definitively say this device left in the port is the cause of the parasitic drain, not the wheel pressure sensors.”

@thatyotaguy1 What’s the craziest ticket yall have ever gotten? Parasitic draw diag on a 19 Tacoma!