Still fighting dead batteries after 2 years....

[CruizerHound]

I have had to replace the battery 3 time in 2 years, not to mention countless jumps. After reading a few threads about current draw I decided to get out the multi-meter and see what my readings are.

Admittedly this UEI mm "ain't the best in the navy". It has tendency to jump around a bit. Still it gives a pretty good average.

This with the car off, all doors shut, leads in series on the + side:

Then I pulled the 20a fuse in the engine bay labeled radio:

Reading after I pulled the fuse:

A bit different huh? Am I safe to say it's the radio killing the battery? What else is on the "radio" fuse that could cause this? Will my wife believe me when I tell her the only way to fix it is to buy a new radio (+speakers, sub,etc...)?

NOTE: I pulled all the other fuses in the engine bay and drivers side floor board. None changed the reading.

 

[Kofoed]

I have a similar issue. I get about a 150 milliamp draw. As the vehicle is a recreational vehicle, I just disconnect the battery, until I can properly trouble shoot. I have had two cars in the past that had the radio system run down the battery

 

[TXLX100]

Yikes, what kind of radio is it? What else runs on the "radio" fuse? Seems like 20 amp is high for just the radio. At least you have it potentially narrowed down to that system.

 

[Kofoed]

A couple cars I had years ago with after market hack-job radios. I tried to order electrical manual from SOR but they were out...

 

[Sandroad]

Hmmm....both the electrical wiring diagram and the owners manual have the radio fuse as being 10 A and what you are pulling out with the pliers is not where the radio fuse is. Are you sure you're pulling the radio fuse? If so, are there any other aftermarket devices installed that could be tapping into that circuit? In the EWD the radio and nav system are in the same section (maybe other things too, I didn't read it carefully). First check to make sure the radio circuit is the draw. Not sure about the history of the dead batteries, but at the draw you have, the battery would be down about 2 Ah overnight. Not too bad, but over a weekend it could be down 18 Ah and that could be (?) hard on a standard starting battery if repeated frequently. I've never checked the current draw in my '04, but now i'm curious.

 

[CruizerHound]

I still have the factory radio (5 disc / cassette).

I ran back out and grabbed the fuse cover. Radio-20A

 

[RND1]

I'm currently working through a parasitic current draw myself. In one of my searches, the JBL amplifiers used in the '98 - '02's were sometimes the cause of current draw. I have an '03 with the JBL system, but my draw is not from the radio fuse. Take a look and report back.

Just as an FYI, I think I have tracked mine to a faulty rear defroster switch.

 

[RND1]

^ There should be less than a 25 mA draw on the LC after all the nannies are shut down. He has a 171 mA draw, which is not normal.

 

[Sandroad]

I guess fuse locations and values changed over the years as new features were added. My '04 EWD won't help with other things on the circuit in yours. Any chance of hidden rodent damage like chewed insulation?

 

[hankinid]

My electric wiring diagram manual shows the "radio" fuse feeds both the radio and the antenna motor. Supply goes from fuse to radio and then antenna...wire is light blue with a yellow stripe.

hth

Steve