Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) still have battery drain?

[Christen]

after doing the diogonostics, i narrowed it down to the fuse #12 called the I. 0. D. ignition off draw. i have a . 5amp to a . 6amp draw. when i pull the fuse it drops to . 014ma, i think that the way to put it . that circut deals with lights, inst. cluster, radio, power seats , seat belt circut, etc. needing more advice, cant find anything wrong??

 

[illflem]

Have you read this thread? https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=63305

 

[Christen]

hi bill and tnx for pointing this out for me. this is the exact problem that i am having. did everything that was posted except isolating just 1 battery. i am doing the half hour ck. now. it seems the problem is still not solved . we did that test with ign. and cig. lighter and it passed. . i did not do a draw test on batt. what to do next??? denny!

 

[Ncostello]

Christen, just keep reading that thread illflem highlighted for you. Its in the 2nd Gen No Powertrain Forum. I've posted all I know about the issue there. Basically, your draw is from the solenoids in the seatbelt retractors of the Quad Cab front seats. Those solenoids will pull amps anytime you can pull the belts out from the seat. If you do the 30 minute test, leave your windows down enough so you can reach in to pull on them. If you open the doors to check to see if they are locked (which they should be after 30 min) you will instantly unlock them... thats what the door jamb switches are for besides the dome light.



I'd say you have a faulty Seatbelt control timer module... little black box under the front seat in the middle. But until Dodge gets my second new one in here real soon, I cant be totally sure. My new one is faulty also I believe. They looked at me like I was crazy when I told them that... as if that was completely impossible. Well, I've bought quite a few new electronic gadgets that were bad out of the box. After I started explaining to them all the wire checks and test modes I did according to the shop manual (I have them memorized by now) they shut up and ordered me another.



Bottom line... after 30 minutes the solenoid power should die... and that is controlled by the box and nothing else. I'll let you know what I find with the other new box.

 

[Christen]

ncostello! it sure sounds like we have the same problem. i also heard the buzzing from the seat. hasnt anybody figured out how to disconnect that circut and still be able to use the belts? i did the 30min. test and when i check it i could not pull the belt out. the syst. seems to be working xcept for the draw. keep in touch, let me know how the new parts turned out . denny!

 

[Ncostello]

If your belts lock up after 30 min of the ignition being off, I'd say your SCTM is ok and something else is drawing power. If pulling the IOD cures your problem, it has to be one of the accessories it powers. I'd say however your seatbelt retractor solenoids are not the culprit as mine are. Now you would have to pull the plugs to all the IOD items to see which one it is. Its alot of work I know but you'll have to find the source.

 

[kaffine krazed]

Do you have an underhood light?

 

[Ncostello]

Any luck Christen? I havent had any. I dont have any glove box lights and I removed the underhood light myself. I didn't have any luck with the new box. Basically I've decided the only thing that would really work would be to put a run-acc hot wire to both power inputs to the box. As it is, one wire is supposed to be constantly hot (IOD fuse) and the other is key on power only ("seatbelt" fuse).



Under this situation, the box will get power to both terminals when the key is turned off and no power when the key is off. The belts will still retract back into the seat with the power off, they just wont pull back out. So I wont be able to put my belts on until I turn the key on and/or start the truck. Which is OK I guess since I usually dont buckle up unless I'm actually going to drive it. I just have to check to see if this will in any way affect the function of the SCTM... which right now I dont see how it could. Basically the default is locked when no power is present at all... . so if I lose power in a wreck the box becomes totally dead anyway and locks them up. At least I can quit having to pull the IOD fuse. My fingers are getting sore!

 

[illflem]

Neil, just wondering if one of Dodge's cutbacks was leaving out the fuse puller



My '95s came with one stashed in the fuse box.

 

[Christen]

hey neil, i found my problem. after hearing what u did with seat belts, my syst. ck. out ok!. i had it completely disconscted and still had the draw. long story short, one relay for snowplow hookup which i had hooked up to ign, didnt work one morning, so hooked it direct and that was drawing when truck was not running. i found a ign. off circuit and so far so good i think? havent driven truck for 3 days ,today i will find out for sure. tnx for all the help. and tnx to the rest of u fellas out there with ur suggestions and comments. aint this a great site!!!!! denny