Electrical

[epage]

Electrical drain. When car sets for 4-5 days, battery runs back down. Tach, radio, CD stops working even with battery recharged. Been to shop 5 times. Battery has been replaced 4 times.

[swimshark]

have you checked the main cable from the alternator and do you have a sound system?

[epage]

Yes, main cable from alternatorhas been checked already. I still have the original factory-installed Bose sound system. It worked fine before the electrical problems started and it has worked at times since then, but it won't work at all now.

[driverdriver]

Do you by any chance have aftermarket foglights installed?

[epage]

No, but I appreciate you trying to help me!

[driverdriver]

Do you have a remote start systems on the car? I have seen them drain the battery before.

When you shut down the car, do you ensure things like the climate control, radio, wipers, etc are turned off, before turning the vehicle off?

[yodawill2000]

A stuck ABS relay will also drain a battery.
You should hear a buzzing sound after shut down on the passenger side rear of the engine if that's the
culprit.

[driverdriver]

A stuck ABS relay will also drain a battery.
You should hear a buzzing sound after shut down on the passenger side rear of the engine if that's the
culprit.

That's a good one. I totally forgot about that.

[fourdrinie]

Try this site for basic troubleshooting information:

http://www.aa1car.com/library/battery_runs_down.htm

[epage]

Thank you! Looks like lots of good info. I'll let you know the outcome.

[driverdriver]

I just solved a "parastic" drain problem for a relative. Seems the 4 year old daughter was switching on and leaving on a overhead light day and night so she could read her story books. Hopefully, this isn't your case.

[epage]

No, the overhead light goes off automatically after a short time period. I appreciate your trying to help though. I will keep on watching for new posts and checking out any leads. Thanks!

[GerryO]

Electrical drain. When car sets for 4-5 days, battery runs back down. Tach, radio, CD stops working even with battery recharged. Been to shop 5 times. Battery has been replaced 4 times.

A few things to check:
Any other electrical items not working and how often? Are any wires or relays warm to the touch, when everything should be cold? Can you disconnect or pull the fuses to the radio and the tach? Are the top hold-down strap, plastic battery tray and the battery cables in good condition?

[epage]

Thank you! I'll check the items you mentioned.

[GerryO]

Interesting reading:

j30-ecm-engine-light-error-code-51-t66003.html

[epage]

I appreciate this link very much. I will try some of the possible solutions suggested by the J30 owner at this post. I believe the electrical problem with mine started right after the original battery was repalced.

[epage]

Problem solved by a creative mechanic in less than 4 hours, after at least two years of puzzling aggravation for me! TRUNK LIGHT WAS NEVER GOING OFF so battery was constantly being drained. The light had been pushed out of its proper position at some time by luggage, I guess. Mike put a camera in the trunk to see what was going on. Bingo! I appreciate all of your help and suggestions. I've gathered a great deal of very useful and interesting information in this quest.

[GerryO]

Thank you so much for reporting the solution to your problem and another reminder to "think simple"!