Draining battery dealer can't figure out...

[btallis]

Hello All-

We have an 01 Dodge Caravan that has been experiencing some wierd electrical issues. The dealer had it in the shop for almost 2 weeks trying to figure out the problem. They finally replaced a 'power module unit' and it seemed to solve the problem, but then 2 weeks later, it's now back.

Here's what's happening... The battery dies almost every night. So, I replaced the battery with a new one. Charged it, next day, dead... Checked to make sure headlights, domelights were not on.

Then I jumped the battery, took a volt meter test, then drove it around a bit and took another volt meter test, and the voltage had gone up, so I assumed the alternator is fine.

We are able to jump the battery, drive around for the day, restart it no problems. But if the van sits overnight or 2 nights, the battery is down to like 4 volts.

My 3 year old has put some change (money) into the cd player which promptly died, so the clock and the radio does not work. Here's what's weird. When we jump the battery, the clock on the cd player comes on for a few seconds, then disappears. Could the cd player be draining the battery even though it is not on?

Any ideas on what I can do, because I have a feeling it will sit at the dealer another 2 weeks without much happening from them.

Thank you-

Brad

[sgillett]

I would try pulling the radio fuse and see if it dies.
My $.02

[vabear]

Buy a cheap 12 Volt tester and hook one end to ground and then start pulling fuses (one at a time) and probe the fuse cavity with the other end of the tester, when the tester lights up you have your drain.

[Rick99]

X2 on pulling the radio fuse. You could even remove the CD player and radio (it's very easy with a phillips screwdriver). When I removed my radio, it sounded like a piggy bank. The cassette radio can survive this because it doesn't have a circuit board on the bottom, but the CD player does and the coins will make random connections on that circuit board. The coins could easily be shorting something out so that it is a constant drain on the system without being enough to blow the fuse. I would add that there is fire danger from this too.

I don't know if I should be amazed that the dealer can't figure this out or if I should just expect them not to be able to. 2 weeks is outrageous! Then of course they decide they have to replace an expensive module.

Anyway it is most likely your radio/cd player-- start there. If that doesn't fix the problem, then you can attach an ammeter to the battery and cable and start pulling fuses until the current draw goes down-- that tells you what circuit and then you work through that circuit to find the problem. (Maybe you should take this post to the dealer to school them.)

[tfw48079]

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