I don't know where to start. For some reason I have a phantom electrical drain. The battery is only a few months old ( Auto Zone with the 5yr ) Something is sucking the juice out.
It takes about a week to 10 days to go almost completely flat.
1) radio off
2) interior lights all off

Where do I start looking?

 

I would start by hooking up a VOM in DC amps mode in series with the battery ground lead and see if you had a measurable current flow when everything should be "off" -- Interior lights off, doors and hood closed, etc. If there is a measurable current (it would be very small, certainly under 500 ma or so), pull every fuse on the CE panel and see if the current flow stops, then do the same with the relays (or scan them with an IR gun and see if any are hotter than ambient. If the flow continues, you have something non-fused drawing current or a fused component that's always on drawing the current -- an alarm system, radio hot lead, clock, etc.

 

one very common cause of a parasitic, phantom drain is that little red light at the end of the door. Check that to make sure it is actually going out when the door is closed. The switch can malfunction causing it to stay on, and you can't tell because the door is closed. Do a search on this, there has been a lot written over the years.


see, e.g., https://members.rennlist.com/pirtle/...doorlights.txt

 

There are always a few little gremlins that appear with a car that has been taken completely apart and reassembled regardless of who does it. I like the door jam light theory . Also I'm suspect of the hatch switch. The interior lights worked perfectly for a few years now they don't. I need to spend some covid time with them.

 

Other cheeky monkeys include the hood/fan safety switch.

From bitter experience- check the glove box light is not on. I didn't' know I had a glove box light and realised I did after much much stripping of interior lights/ relays/ voltmeter testing and beer.

 

Lots of options for what to look at first. Even though it’s a fairly new and a five year version, I would start with the battery; especially if this issue just started to occur recently. Unless you’ve done other work on the car.

It will probably pass a test at the parts store so start by disconnecting it and take a reading with a multimeter, it should be in the 12.5+ V range. If you can spare the time, let it sit for a day or so and take another reading, the readings should be the same.

 

Van,

I had a problem in that area- I disconnected the hatch switch and also disconnected the feed for the remote release- problem solved- never followed up on which one of the two but I suspected the hatch switch was the culprit.

 

A little more info?
What do the interior lights do, now that they don’t work perfectly.
On all the time if not completely shut off?
The red door safety lights are on whenever the doors or hatch is open.
For that reason, I’ve removed the bulbs from mine. I sometimes leave the hatch open or down but unlatched for extended periods, so with the red lights disconnected, I can shut off the other interior lights and have no battery draw.

 

Stan's standard suggestion on this is to take an IR temp gun and 'shoot' the relays in the CE panel after the car has been shut off for a while.

It's possible one is sticking and drawing power. It will be warmer than the others.

 

Or do a complete submersion in DeOxit

(just teasin' you Stan )

 

DC111 = "Stan Lube"

DeOxit = "Stan Spray"

These should probably be added to the 'definitions' post in the New Visitor sticky.

 

This is a great start where you can benchmark what your current current-draw is, and compare against as you troubleshoot below.
Each time you pull a fuse, check the current-draw and compare to your benchmark value.

Something to keep in mind, your hatch will be opened turning-on lights which will draw current. Also, your passenger door will be opened, turning on lights. Figure out how to isolate and turn-off those lights so you'll get a more accurate picture as you pull the various fuses.

 

for the hatch you can disconnect the ground wire at the hatch motor.

 

BTDT. Have the scar$...

 

Sticking seat control relay was one of my battery drainers but sucks when you have an entire car of suspects.

Stan's suggestion of shooting the relays with a temp gun is a good one, then if no good suspects start pulling fuses.

#IHateElectrical