Parasitic draw

[JRAIV]

Hi all,
Looking for some help here. I installed a 7-pin trailer hookup on my 2004 Liberty. Since then, my battery went dead over five days without driving. I got the "click click click" for my solenoid. I expect to be able to go more than five days on a good battery.
I am getting close to 12.6 V across the terminals, and 13.9 when running, so I figure I can rule out the battery and charging.
With everything powered off I checked the current straight out of the negative terminal and got 95 mA. This was identical after I disconnected the brake controller and tried again. I also checked the two cables I hooked up to the positive terminal for the brake controller power and 12 V power to the trailer. Both of these showed no current.

I checked all the fuses in the power distribution centre. I found one of the JB Power fuses showing 12 mA, and the rest all showing 0 mA, and a couple showing 1.5 mA.
I then checked through all the fuses in the dash. None of them showed anything too concerning. Most were 0 mA, and a couple had 0.5 to 1.5 mA.

Does anyone know what the correct resting draw should be on a '04 Liberty? I've heard anything from 100 mA to 50 mA.
Also, does anyone have a diagram of what the JB Power fuses are hooked up to? I'm going off the Haynes manual right now. I don't know if there is something better out there.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Rowlette]

It sound like a bad cell.

 

[LibertyTC]

A fully charged battery should read 12.6v -The Alternator output on my KJ reads 14.7 volts, your alt output seems low.
What is your current battery rated at in CCA? How old is it?
How did you wire in the trailer wiring? What kit did you buy?
Once or twice a year I get my battery load tested.
I always try to find an 800CCA battery or better.
This one is rated at 850CCA and read 750 CCA from Midtronics Load tester.
This the best way to ensure your battery is good. It can also check your charging system.
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Try a free load test somewhere- Wall mart Auto.. may have a good tester in Kamloops?

 

[renegade 04]

your running voltage should be around 14.5. Mine is around 14.4 because I have a external voltage regulator.

 

[JRAIV]

Thanks for the input, guys. I will check my running voltage and rated CCA tonight and update the thread.

I don't know how old the battery is. I have only had the jeep for about a year and I did not ask the previous owner about the battery.

I did not use a kit for wiring the 7-pin. I just bought the individual parts when they were on sale and installed myself. I spliced into the white/tan wire on the brake switch, and used the wires from the existing 4-pin. I ran the power for the brakes and the auxiliary 12 V power along the chassis. I followed this diagram:

http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/foru...reaks-charge-battery-trailer-brake-wiring.jpg

 

[uss2defiant]

could always just get a loaner battery and charge up your battery so it can be tested.

 

[retrota79]

i would check the draw with the multimeter in between the positive terminal and positive battery cable ( i use vise grips to hold your leads in place but not over tight ). turn in on to amps and make sure everything is off in your car, let it sit untouched for a good 30 min to a hour to make sure all modules are asleep and see what the reading is, i though .05 Amps was the max but not sure for the liberty. If you still get a high reading than i would start by pulling fuses until you find the circuit that is drawing. and make sure all other accessories that you have running off the positive terminal are also unplugged to make sure.

 

[CalcityRenegade]

Don't take my word for it as I am not completely sure but I have heard of issues with splicing a 7 pin in so hopefully maybe someone who knows more can give some more insight!

 

[TwoBobsKJ]

I'm not wanting to come across as a butt-head but with the KJ the only wiring harnesses and wiring add-ons that I trust are pre-wired kits or factory harnesses. The KJ's electrical system is finicky as it is - wiring that is a shortcut or home brew just seems to add to its "finicky-ness."

The factory 7-pin harness is actually priced right and is a breeze to install. You may be chasing a gremlin for a while.

Keep us posted :waytogo:

Bob

 

[jeeptorino68]

double check your grounds and connections...simple and worthwhile

 

[renegade 04]

Also it could be the ignition switch had to change mine twice due to a draw down problem.

 

[twowings]

If the battery's pedigree is unknown, I'd include it high on my list of suspects when t/s electrical issues...doesn't mean there isn't a draw, but a weak battery is a dead pigeon for ANY draw....just my 2 centavos...

 

[JRAIV]

CCA is 750. I took a more careful look with the multimeter and found 12.1 V across the terminals with the key off and 14.4 V with the key on, so the "dead cell" theory sounds tempting. Sorry for the bad intel earlier. My memory is good, but it sure is short!

I checked the draw again with the key off. I found 225 mA for five seconds, then it went down to 103 mA. I used a bit more patience this time and waited and after about 20 seconds the draw went down to 23 mA.
So, my apologies for jumping to conclusions earlier and going on about a parasitic draw.

I'll be grabbing a new battery and checking connections at the hitch to be sure. And in retrospect, Twobobs is right - get a harness and be done with it.

Thanks everyone for the input.

 

[RenKJ]

Thanks for the input, guys. I will check my running voltage and rated CCA tonight and update the thread.

I don't know how old the battery is. I have only had the jeep for about a year and I did not ask the previous owner about the battery.

I did not use a kit for wiring the 7-pin. I just bought the individual parts when they were on sale and installed myself. I spliced into the white/tan wire on the brake switch, and used the wires from the existing 4-pin. I ran the power for the brakes and the auxiliary 12 V power along the chassis. I followed this diagram:

http://www.fjcruiserforums.com/foru...reaks-charge-battery-trailer-brake-wiring.jpg

Are you sure the white wire isnt the running day time line? My understanding was the red wire is what activates when you press the brake, white wire is live all the time for hazards and black is ground

 

[LibertyTC]

If your battery is not sealed and has removable caps where you can add distilled water..
Often times the water level is down if it has not been checked.
For $5 you can buy a battery hydrometer, which is handy to own and allows you to check each cell individually.
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This will give you the specific gravity, state of charge reading, and if one cell is down you will know right quickly.
Of course a new 800 CCA battery is a good headache solver, for hopefully years ahead. :gr_grin:

Re the trailer wiring...I would want to double check that, and consider buying the factory wiring harness and start over!

 

[kuench]

Turn the headlights on. If they're bright, then it's probably the battery connections. Dirty terminals can happen at any time, even on new batteries.

 

[libertybob]

Your draw could also be through the multifunction switch (turn signal, light switch, fog light). This is common on PT Cruisers 2001-2005 and can drain your battery. Seems the fog light contacts come in touch due to wear and drain the battery. My fog lights started acting weird last week and drained the battery even when off. Liberty's use the same design switch. Google the problem on PT Cruisers. May or may not be your problem. The solution is to replace the multifunction switch. Keep us informed as to the root cause of the problem.

 

[JRAIV]

I haven't looked at this for a while, so sorry about the delayed response.
I picked up a hydrometer and checked my battery. It read all the cells in the red, so I will be replacing the battery.
Interesting observation: the cells got progressively worse closer to the negative terminal.