2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission 0.5amp load on battery

[BK]

From what I read else where, there is a roll over switch in it, consist of a ball bearing.
Maybe from hard off roading, it gets stuck ??? hence the beatings, or physical manipulation of any type that fixes the problem??
I didn't beat mine, but it wasn't fun getting to it and unplugging it, my hands and arms aren't small enough to fit under the 3rd seat nicely.

 

[drag racer]

Interesting thread! I have had a what seems like an abnormally large parasitic drain in my truck seemingly almost since it was new. My truck goes long periods between uses at times, and I used to charge the truck every 3 weeks, and the batteries would be very low by then. After killing a set of batteries prematurely due to the many deep discharge and charge cycles, I have kept it on 24/7/365 maintenance charge for a while now, and just haven't had the motivation to figure out what the problem is

The SCTM you mention - can you elaborate a little more on where and what it is? I have searched the 1999 Factory Service Manual and find no mention of it. The only electrical "thing" I see is a seatbelt "switch", which sounds like it is the the way the light on the dash lights up if the buckle is not fastened. The manual says it is in the driver's side buckle.

 

[drag racer]

I found it. It is called the Central Timer Module BTW.

 

[BK]

The Central Timer Module is something totally different, it's by the steering column.


The "SCTM" is under the front center "seat".
There is a harness from each front seat back that runs to the center seat, to the SCTM.
The module will disengage the lock from the seat belt reel, so it can be pulled out/reeled out , and than back in after your done buckling up.

The module fails in such a way that it keeps the solenoids powered, so you can reel out the belts.

When the solenoids are not powered, the reel for the belts stay locked.
From my measurements, the solenoid in each seat draws about .21amps.


If you look under the front center seat, there is a small black box on a bracket, on the underside of the bottom seat.
If you pull the connector from it, you than wont be able to pull the belts out of the seat back.
If you pull the fuse 12 , (on my 99) it kills the drain as well.

The other way others test it, is leave the windows open on the drivers and passenger side, close the doors of the truck, leave the truck sit for over 30 minutes.
Do not open a door, just reach in, and see of you can pull the belt out of the seat back (ether driver or passenger).
You should not be able to... the reel for each belt should be locked. If you can still pull them out, than the solenoids are still powered (unlocking the reels) and draining the battery.


PS:
The links inserted onto this post are not something I did, and mean nothing, not sure why the forum but such links on the word solenoid.

EDIT: seems the links are gone now, strange stuff,,,,

 

[HHhuntitall]

My 98 currently has about 76k miles on it... it sits a lot. Such sitting has caused the seatbelt module to rust, I believe, and get stuck, staying powered. The ball pien loosened the ball/switch/sensor, and it's been working correctly ever since. About two years and 15k miles.

 

[BK]

These modules are known to have a high failure rate, such so that soon after the 99 model year ( IIRC ), they designed them out.
I guess they discovered projections predicting the failures.

I apparently didn't need a ball peen hammer to loosen mine, just all the jostling.
You have a point about the rust, my truck has spent a lot of weekends camping on the beach.

 

[rotohead]

My .230 draw was caused by one of the three stereo amps I have for my sound system. For now I've just disconnected it until I can find a proper replacement.

 

[BK]

Or if that's the way it is, and it's a good amp, put a relay in series with the + lead, that's turned on off of the ACC power....

 

[drag racer]

The Central Timer Module is something totally different, it's by the steering column.


The "SCTM" is under the front center "seat".
There is a harness from each front seat back that runs to the center seat, to the SCTM.
The module will disengage the lock from the seat belt reel, so it can be pulled out/reeled out , and than back in after your done buckling up.

The module fails in such a way that it keeps the solenoids powered, so you can reel out the belts.

When the solenoids are not powered, the reel for the belts stay locked.
From my measurements, the solenoid in each seat draws about .21amps.


If you look under the front center seat, there is a small black box on a bracket, on the underside of the bottom seat.
If you pull the connector from it, you than wont be able to pull the belts out of the seat back.
If you pull the fuse 12 , (on my 99) it kills the drain as well.

The other way others test it, is leave the windows open on the drivers and passenger side, close the doors of the truck, leave the truck sit for over 30 minutes.
Do not open a door, just reach in, and see of you can pull the belt out of the seat back (ether driver or passenger).
You should not be able to... the reel for each belt should be locked. If you can still pull them out, than the solenoids are still powered (unlocking the reels) and draining the battery.


PS:
The links inserted onto this post are not something I did, and mean nothing, not sure why the forum but such links on the word solenoid.

EDIT: seems the links are gone now, strange stuff,,,,

BK - thanks again for the schooling on this obscure little part! I'll be darned if I did find its P/N in the '99 factory parts manual, but no picture, and no mention of it and its troubleshooting or replacement that I could find in the service manual. I never even thought one time about the little "click" when I open the doors, or that there was a device to lock the belt - I'll be darned if my belt was locked tight when I was doing an APPS reset the other day with the batteries disconnected! I haven't tried the 30 minute test yet to see if this might be the cause of my excessive battery drain, but will soon.

 

[BK]

BK - thanks again for the schooling on this obscure little part! I'll be darned if I did find its P/N in the '99 factory parts manual, but no picture, and no mention of it and its troubleshooting or replacement that I could find in the service manual. I never even thought one time about the little "click" when I open the doors, or that there was a device to lock the belt - I'll be darned if my belt was locked tight when I was doing an APPS reset the other day with the batteries disconnected! I haven't tried the 30 minute test yet to see if this might be the cause of my excessive battery drain, but will soon.

your welcome.
I didn't want to put any links in the post.
but if you google for pictures for it, pix are on other forums showing the same pix as in the FSM, showing it under the seat.

Good luck, glad to be of some help.

Happy New Year to everyone.

 

[HHhuntitall]

These modules are known to have a high failure rate, such so that soon after the 99 model year ( IIRC ), they designed them out.
I guess they discovered projections predicting the failures.

I apparently didn't need a ball peen hammer to loosen mine, just all the jostling.
You have a point about the rust, my truck has spent a lot of weekends camping on the beach.

I haven't disassembled one to see the internal design, but going off my results, it appears to have worked..... I really didn't need a ball pien, I'm sure, but it made ME feel better after an hour of probing and interior exploration..... My truck sits a lot, and starting in cold weather, plus where it sits in my barn, it will sweat in the interior from time to time when the temperature goes through extremes. So far, it's still working. It started this morning with no problems.