Expert: Roland Finston - 12/17/2011

Question
I'm sorry but, I think I worded my question I sent you yesterday wrong. On the 99 Sebring Convertible, V6, won't start after sitting about 3 days.  The alternator and battery checked out good.  I pulled + side of battery, put test light between battery and cable, pulled all fuses one at a time on side of dash and under the hood, light stays on all the time.  The car will start if you jump it or you charge the battery.  There is something draining the battery.  The only thing different now is that you can put it in gear without turning the key on.  Do you think this could be a computer problem?

Answer
Hi Richard,
A test light is not the same thing as an ammeter which is what you need to make sense of the battery current draw when the ignition switch is "off". There are electronic modules that draw on the battery for several minutes after you turn off the engine but then they either drop out or drop down in their current draw. Many of the control modules and devices have a memory which require current to be maintained.
My thought would be that you invest in a volt-ohm-milliamp meter to see how much current is being drawn just as you did with the light, and also then  see how much is being drawn by each of the fuses, by removing them one at a time and observing the resultant decrease in current. The ignition off current draw should be in the range of 25-50 milliamps within 15 minutes after the engine has been run and then shut off. Once you identify a fuse that is handling abnormally high current draw you can then look into each of the items that draw upon it.
It may also be caused by a light being inadvertantly left on, such as the trunk light or the underhood light, or the glove box light, etc. I can tell you which fuses are the ones that normally are powered when the ignition switch is off so you can focus on finding the one of those that is overdrawing. There are 3 pages in the '99 manual I can xerox and postal mail to you about this diagnostic procedure.
Also, it would be much smarter to do these current tests at the negative battery remote post on the strut tower by removing that wire and jumping it to the post. When you are dealing with the + wire and + post you are running the risk of shorting them to any metal surface of the body and causing a major short that can burn you or damage the electrical system. Using the - post avoids this sort of an accident.
Roland
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