Something Draining My Battery

[lswiggins]

Hello everyone. This is a great site. I have been using it and the wealth of information here for some time. I have finally ran into a problem that I can't fix based on previous posts.

I have an '93 J30. About two weeks ago I had a problem with my ABS relay. The ABS light was on and you could still hear it running after you shut the car off. I came home in the dark, so I just left it that way until morning. Needless to say, the battery was dead in the morning. I got a jump and the ABS light and sound started again. I took the ABS relay out for awhile (minutes) and put it back in. The sound stopped and the light went away.

About four days later I went out one morning to find the battery dead again. I have had this dying battery problem with this car alot so I got a jump and kept it moving! Well it's now five days later and the battery is giving me problems again. It started this morning, but I turned the car off after driving for about 5 minutes to go into my daughters school. I come back out, and the battery is dead again.

I got another jump, it started easily but seemed to be losing power. Its had to explain it, but it was like pulsating b/t power and no power and the ABS light was blinkingas it pulsated. I drove a few feet and it cut off when I stopped at the stop sign. I got another jump, and it did the pulsing again, but once I got up some speed it was okay. I made it home and now I am trying to figure out what to do.

I was planning to buy an ABS relay, but is that going to solve my problem? Any other suggestions?

Thanks ahead for your help!!

[95-J30tt]

it looks like the alternator is not charging correctly, it had happened to me a year ago, i was 200km away from home so i had to fix it right away, but it showed me the same simptoms you are mentioning, ABS light flickering (i think that the ABS relay requires a certain range of voltage to work properly with, if the correct voltage range is not there, ABS warning will just light up), car doesnt pick up speed as usual, and once it turns off, it will need a jump...... i changed the alternator and battery, the ABS light turned off, and it worked fine ever since, but again that was my case. i would get the alternator charging status and battery checked out before i go ahead with any repairs.....i hope this helps, good luck......

By the way, if this is an alternator and battery job, make sure you tell the mechanic that the alternator plugs have to be pushed hard into the sockets to make full connection......, i know this sounds wierd but loose connection would cause a constant flicking of the voltage, it happened to me, i had to open it again and check the wiring, and they were loose, maybe just a bad mechanic......

[purplesignal]

This is a common problem in J30's regarding the ABS relay. Change out the relay...

[liquidJ30]

also... i had this exact problem and if it is running after you turn ur car off and making that noise. instead of taking it out and putting it back in, i just knock on it hard with my knuckle and it stops lol. but ya i just went to the junk yard and grabbed the lil sensor chip dilly from another J30 and havent had the problem since, hope this helps!

[lswiggins]

Just a quick update. I pulled out the ABS relays and drove around a couple of days without them while my new ones were in the mail. I just put the new ones in yesterday. So we'll see how it goes. I am still not sure if that was related to the battery draining. I had the battery and alternator tested and they were both good.