[booter89]

So I just got my car back from the shop yesterday afternoon for the third time. This most recent trip to the shop lasted just under a month. They still cannot tell me what's wrong with my car. From what I can tell the battery is being drained from the windows frequently rolling down and up about half an inch for some unknown reason. The first time it went in they told me it was the passenger door module (i am not a mechanic, so this is all a foreign language to me) after that was changed they said it was fixed. The next day, to my surprise I find the battery is dead yet again. So I return it to the shop. They proceed to tell me it's the driver side door module so they change it and give it back to me. Surprise, surprise. The battery is dead yet again the next morning. So i happily return it to be maintained again. This time it in there for 3 and a half weeks, while they "chase wires". This time it's a wiring harness that's causing the problems. This brings me up to yesterday when I happily pick my car back up after missing it for such a long time. Today after I come home from work I try and fire it up.. Guess what? Doesn't start. So my question is. Has anyone else had this problem. And what can I say to dodge about it? I've had a whole month of payments and insurance and no car.




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[Indy392]

If your battery gets discharged overnight you have a pretty large parasitic draw and it should be easy to find.
I will list the diag steps to locate a draw.

1. Open both doors, hood and trunk lid, but lock all the latches.
2. You need a digital volt ohm meter (DVOM) to take an amp reading.

3. Set the DVOM to measure "Direct Current".

4. Have your meter leads as follows - Positive lead in the "A" 10amp fused slot, and the negative lead in the "COM" slot.


5. Make sure the ignition is off and disconnect the negative battery cable from the battery.
6. Connect the positive lead of the meter to the negative post of the battery, and the negative lead of the meter to the negative battery cable. (your meter is now wired into the system in series).
7. Lock the vehicle with the remote and observe the readings on the meter. The readings show how much current the vehicle is consuming from the battery. Wait up to 30 minutes for the vehicle to enter "Sleep Mode". Once the vehicle goes to "Sleep" the reading on the meter should be around 40 - 80 milli amps.
8. Since you have a parasitic draw your readings will be much higher. I assume well over 2 amps since it drains your battery overnight.
9. Once you confirm an excessive draw start pulling fuses out of their place one at a time until the draw goes away. Reinstall the fuse if there is not change before you pull another one.
10. After you identify a fuse that reduces the amp reading you have found the circuit that is your problem. You will need to see what is powered by that fuse and unplug these components one at a time to find the culprit.


Good luck!

 

[Go Goody]

Nice diagnostic. Good luck

 

[docholiday]

I'd probably pick another mechanic. Perhaps you have a bad battery that won't hold a charge? Have they run a load test on the battery?

 

[booter89]

Thanks for the input guys. It's going back to the shop tomorrow morning.I would gladly go to another shop. Problem is there is only one dodge dealership in the town I'm working in. I called dodge customer service yesterday and they said they are sending it to the resolution team, and will get back to me sometime this week.


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[s_kelley]

Climb through the back seat andale sure your trunk light is shutting off when the trunk is closed. My 2009 kept having a dead battery and the trunk close switch wasn't shutting the light off.

 

[GaryT]

Are your windows still raising and lowering constantly or did that problem get resolved?

 

[booter89]

I'll check the trunk. From what I can tell the window problem has been fixed. But I could be wrong.


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[Indy392]

Any update? Did you get the problem fixed?

 

[sick'r bee]

Climb through the back seat andale sure your trunk light is shutting off when the trunk is closed. My 2009 kept having a dead battery and the trunk close switch wasn't shutting the light off.

Could also just let down the seat and check in dark garage, but it does seem to kill more batteries then anything else as there is NO "time out" on this light I have installed a toggle switch on this not only this car but my first '09. I also keep my gauge light adjuster to full off when not driving as it turns off the domes, but at least they DO have a "time out", and will also save this thread for the GREAT diagnostic above.

 

[ashbtimms]

Resolution?

Was there ever any resolution on this issue? My '09 Challenger R/T has been at the dealer's 5 times since the beginning of Oct. for the same issue. I'm on the 2nd brand new battery (the continuous pattern of dying every night killed the first one). The trunk light does not stay on so that's not the issue. Dodge has escalated the issue 3 times so now the foreman and an engineer are looking into it. I may end up looking for the drain myself since I'm almost positive they'll give it back to me soon without solving the underlying issue. The crazy thing is that it won't die overnight on them now. It did a few times which is what caused them to replace a grounded wire, the radio, ignition switch, etc. But, it only dies intermittently for them (every week or two it may die but it consistently dies every night if I have it at my house).

 

[Justaguytrintodixshit]

My wife 2010 3.5 challenger has this same issue where you can turn the car off if you don't let everyone out of the car before you turn it off it won't start again battery has been load tested . I'm going to check the truck and the 10 steps listed above with the ohm meter ... Heres hoping .
And glad to be a new registered member

 

[Cjjohnson]

So I just got my car back from the shop yesterday afternoon for the third time. This most recent trip to the shop lasted just under a month. They still cannot tell me what's wrong with my car. From what I can tell the battery is being drained from the windows frequently rolling down and up about half an inch for some unknown reason. The first time it went in they told me it was the passenger door module (i am not a mechanic, so this is all a foreign language to me) after that was changed they said it was fixed. The next day, to my surprise I find the battery is dead yet again. So I return it to the shop. They proceed to tell me it's the driver side door module so they change it and give it back to me. Surprise, surprise. The battery is dead yet again the next morning. So i happily return it to be maintained again. This time it in there for 3 and a half weeks, while they "chase wires". This time it's a wiring harness that's causing the problems. This brings me up to yesterday when I happily pick my car back up after missing it for such a long time. Today after I come home from work I try and fire it up.. Guess what? Doesn't start. So my question is. Has anyone else had this problem. And what can I say to dodge about it? I've had a whole month of payments and insurance and no car.




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I am having this exact problem now. I also have a 2012. I had it for about 3 months woth no problem,then my battery actually needed to be replaced and after i did i have been having the same issue. I have had a couple places look at it but they say they can not find any problems. I lnow i need to takeniy to the dealer but that is very expensive. My driver side power window doesnt work at all. Maybe my problem is the control module