1997 Saturn SC-1 Coupe Battery Being Drained

Maintenance/Repairs
#1

My daughter’s Saturn has a malfunctioning door lock/unlock problem.

She can manually lock her car but if she uses the fob to electronically lock the car there is a short somewhere that, over the course of the day or overnight, will discharge her battery.

Two years ago she paid someone to tell her which fuse needed to be removed to eliminate the problem and she would still be able to manually lock and unlock the two doors.

Because the problem seemed to go away she never followed through (DUH!!!). Can someone tell me which fuse and where I might find it to get rid of her problem?

Or even better yet, where might the short be?

#2

The fuse in the I/P fuse panel marked Chime Fuse ties to the keyless entry module but to other things also like the radio. It sounds like the problem is with the module or possibly the security system.

#3

Shouldn’t there be a fuse just for the keyless entry module?

#4

Any suggestions?

#5

In the instrument panel fuse panel there is a unlock relay and a lock relay, remove the relays and see if the problem stops.

There is also a fuse for the door locks, it’s in the same fuse panel. It’s fuse #12 and it’s a 20 amp fuse.

If you are wondering where the fuse panel is check the owners manual for the location.

#6

You will need to look at an owners’ manual for the car, or just start pulling fuses. It might seem logical to you to have a dedicated fuse for the keyless entry system, but remember (a) the keyless entry system is tied to a bunch of other things like the lights and horn so it might not be so simple, and (b) this is a GM car, and if they could save 20 cents per car by putting several major systems on one fuse they probably did.

Actually finding and fixing the short is a tough problem even for a good shop, and there’s not much we can do through an online forum.

This is not exactly on topic and not necessarily any of my business, but if this was my adult daughter I would be concerned about her “paying” someone to tell her which fuse to pull. First, no decent shop would charge for that, and second, she should be able to figure it out by trial and error or by reading the manual. It makes me wonder what else she doesn’t know (oil change interval? which idiot lights mean “stop immediately or you’ll ruin the engine.”) You could probably do her a big favor and teach her how to change her own oil, change a tire, and read an owners’ manual.

#7

When I sold my daughter my Saturn I included the owner’s manual and a repair manual specific to a 1998 Saturn but now she doesn’t know where they might be.

Can someone post a photo of the fuses and modules?

Thanks

#8

The chime fuse is a 10 amp fuse and ties to the radio also. When you pull the correct one the radio and chime should not work along with the keyless entry system. Auto fuses are almost always tied to more than one device. If there was a separate fuse for every accessory in the car the fuse panel would be huge.

#9

What about the unlock module and lock module. Do they just unplug and new ones plugged in?

If I remove them will this make the electronic door lock and unlock stop??

#10

The relays turn a weak signal from the fob into a strong signal that moves the motors that lock and unlock the doors. Whether removing them will stop the short, or whether replacing them will fix the problem, depends on where the short is. There’s no way to make a good guess without testing it.