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Electrical Problems

529 views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  JFM626 
#1 ·
Okay, so here is the deal, I am away at school and I have to leave my Jeep at home so it sits in the driveway with a cover over it. It sat for a week before I got home from spring break and I get home and the first thing I am looking to do is to start it up and drive it around. Unfortunately, it doesn't start. I get a little lights and maybe a few turns of the engine, but not enough to get it started. I can jump it just fine, run it for a while and it will start everyday, expect after it has sat for over a week. So I have come to the conclusion that it is something draining the battery when it is just sitting. But what could it be? And how would I find the problem? I hate electronic, so any suggestion please.

2.5L I4, 5-speed manual, cruise and that it.

Thanks in advance!
 
#2 ·
WhiteYJ94 said:
Okay, so here is the deal, I am away at school and I have to leave my Jeep at home so it sits in the driveway with a cover over it. It sat for a week before I got home from spring break and I get home and the first thing I am looking to do is to start it up and drive it around. Unfortunately, it doesn't start. I get a little lights and maybe a few turns of the engine, but not enough to get it started. I can jump it just fine, run it for a while and it will start everyday, expect after it has sat for over a week. So I have come to the conclusion that it is something draining the battery when it is just sitting. But what could it be? And how would I find the problem? I hate electronic, so any suggestion please.

2.5L I4, 5-speed manual, cruise and that it.

Thanks in advance!
get a meter that will read DC amps and put it in series with the neg batt cable and see what the current draw is with the engine off. it should be under 50 mA or so. anything more than that is a parasitic draw from something. if you see more than that, start pulling the fuses 1 at a time until you find the one that cuts the draw. that will tell you which circuit is drawing excess power. it's possible the short is before the fux boxes or not connected to them, but start there and see what you find. HTH
 
#3 ·
There are a few things that might draw power all the time and need to be diconnected, before doing the above testing, if you have a radio with a clock and memory preset stations, disconect it, make sure your doors are shut if you have interior lights that come on with the door open. Also, your alternator has an isolation diode in it that when it blows, allows the battery to drain through it. Disconnect the alternator when you are doing the above checks. If your checks show no draw and your battery is nice and clean between the posts(there can be a current draw betwwen the positive and negative post if there is a connective path, so keep the top clean) I would get the alternator checked. Untill such time though, charge up the battery and just diconnect it when you are away at school.
 
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