Battery draining

Tiny
DEANER
  • MEMBER
  • 2003 CHRYSLER CONCORDE
  • 6 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 100,000 MILES
MY battery is draining when not started or driven for a day. Took to shop they found fault codes p0122, p0129, p0335, p0340. Said 5v required for cam sensor had zero. Disconnected ac pressure transducer got 5v to cam sensor. Still draining battery. Tested fuses for draw. Found 15 drl, 16 fog lamps, 18 horn amp, 19 int lamps, 20 stop lamps, and 7 were getting power. No key in ing door open when testing for draw. Found copper grounding cable from engine to head frayed. Heard starter wires were looose but tightened. Told if I can fix it I can have it for free
Monday, March 14th, 2011 AT 4:55 PM

4 Replies

Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,871 POSTS
The fuses you mentioned should have voltage all the time because they can work without having the ignition switch turned on. You have to check for current draw, and that is real tricky now with all of the computers on the cars. I can describe how to do it but you'll still have to pull fuses to see which one reduces the drain. You'll need a digital multimeter that can read at least to two amps, ten is better. You'll also need a short jumper wire with alligator clips on each end.
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Monday, March 14th, 2011 AT 7:49 PM
Tiny
DEANER
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Ihave had a friend put an ohm meter around the positive cable he said it only read.014 ohms draw. It looks like a clamp that the wire goes through and reads the current. I just found that the car dont shut off after 2-5 seconds of the key turned off. The square around the gear select on dash doesn't always go from r to p when lever is put in park. I'm turning away from it being the fuses but will test them any way thanx hope u give insight to these other probs
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Wednesday, March 16th, 2011 AT 4:44 AM
Tiny
CARADIODOC
  • MECHANIC
  • 33,871 POSTS
Ah, if only it were that easy. :( A clamp-on ammeter is not nearly accurate enough to measure the tiny currents you're going to find draining the battery. They work well for large AC current like for items in a house, and for large DC currents like the starter current in a car, but those things involve many amps so one or two amps of inaccuracy is not important. When you're looking for a battery drain, 35 milliamps or less is acceptable. That's.035 amp, WAY too small for the clamp-on meters to measure. It sounds like you're onto a problem though with the shift indicator. Is there a chance something has been added to the wiring or something was modified that lets the engine stay running after you turn the ignition switch off? Just for fun, try switching the automatic shutdown (ASD) relay with a different one like it to see if the problem changes. That relay has to be turned on for the engine to run. Something is making it stay on after you turn the ignition switch off. Although rare, it's possible the contacts are pitted and welding themselves together or there is corrosion inside holding the contact on.
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Wednesday, March 16th, 2011 AT 5:42 AM
Tiny
DEANER
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  • 5 POSTS
I have tested it I found a draw of 1.6-2.0 and pulled all fuses under hood and in car no change. Will try the trick on ign. Any ideas on gear select probs.
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Friday, March 25th, 2011 AT 5:45 PM

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