And we are trying to help you. But you haven’t addressed the issue of why the ABS light is on. That needs to be determined so you have some idea of what to test.
Have you checked that the brake fluid reservoir is full ?
I own one of those HF $7 DVMS & use it all the time. There’s one setting it has that even some expensive DVM’s don’t, upper right on the dial for measuring 1.5 & 9 volt (small) batteries. It load-tests the battery, rather than a simple voltage test. I wouldn’t use it for measuring large currents though. For that I use more rugged amp-only meters. The max current I’d attempt to measure with that one, maybe up to 3 amps, using fused test wire.
That might be the controller for the ABS. It is an electro-mechanical box that has all the brake lines connected to it. It makes that staccato sound when the ABS is activated when you are braking and a wheel locks up. Maybe it is stuck in a mode where it is constantly drawing battery voltage.
If you are somewhat DIY, you could try unplugging its connection to battery voltage. That might stop the battery drain. It won’t keep the brakes from working. You already know your ABS is not working.
I’ve been listening for a repeat of that sound ever since and it only happened that one time when these problems first started and never since then.
I don’t suppose anyone would like to suggest the cheapest possible OBD scanner (dongle, blue tooth, software, etc,) that would read ALL of the types of diagnostic codes this vehicle might be generating? I spent a few hours looking online at the ones at Harbor Freight, Walmart and the auto parts stores and there seems to be a LOT of confusion if you compare what the descriptions claim they scan scan (ABS codes) vs what the reviews say - often contradicting the claims on the description. If I have to go get a better multimeter then I guess I should get a scan tool that will show more than CEL codes.
How much money do you plan to spend before having the BCS/ABS faults checked?
I have parameters I have to operate within. That is why I am asking the questions. I don’t think I should have to spell out the fact that I wish to spend as little as possible to both find out what is draining the battery and also find out what is causing the lights on the dash. The questions I have asked are directly related to answering both of those questions. Doesn’t it make sense to ask BEFORE I go buy the items needed rather than after?
I think what a lot of members on here are trying to explain to you is that what ever is causing the 3 lights could ALSO be the cause of your battery draining and there is a very good chance it is… Didn’t this all happen about the same time???
Example… " An ABS module failure can cause the ABS pump to run continuously. This can eventually drain out your vehicle battery."
Yes, but it seems folks here are thinking you are not best serving your own interests by your approach. For example, do you know what the battery’s phantom drain current measures? If not, suggest to focus on obtaining that first. When you get it, let us know the result. You’ll get better help here using that method.
Note that it shows no weakness at all for a diy’er with a perplexing problem to ask for pro help. A poster here not long ago had difficult to diagnose engine symptoms, had replaced quite a few part, didn’t help. He wasn’t able to make much progress asking questions here, so he took his car to a pro mechanic, asked for a diagnosis. Mechanic said “Your timing belt has skipped”. He bought a timing belt kit, did a diy’er replacement job, problem fixed, engine ran perfectly. Plus the timing belt kit contained a new water pump, so he got that improvement for his car as well.
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Just a thought. maybe you have a defective relay stuck on causing the power drain. sometimes when a relay starts going bad you will get a rapid on and off clicking sound until it gets stuck on or off or just dies.
How to Test a 3, 4 or 5 Pin Relay - With or Without a Diagram - YouTube
Thank you for all the ideas and advice. To be perfectly clear - I am trying to follow the instructions given here. If I need to test the amp draw then I need a digital multimeter that is good enough for that job - so I asked about that. If I need a scanner / code reader to find out what the computer says is causing the lights to come one - then I have asked about where/which one i should get without spending more than I need to. That is where I am.
Tester
Long ago in your posts, you stated that 15 minutes of driving was enough to charge up the battery. I do not believe that to be true. The battery is the easiest thing to check as you triage this problem. Make sure you charge it up fully, and then leave it disconnected to make sure it will hold a charge. (You may want to get a device to measure the specific gravity.) If the battery passes that test, then measure the parasitic draw, or just the specific gravity after a day of being parked.
Relying on a battery for your further diagnostic procedures when it is charged by 15 minutes of driving is not wise.
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I have ordered a new digital multimeter which arrives later today. I’ve spent another month working on these problems and have examined everything as much as possible from top and underneath with flashlights, mirrors and magnifying glasses, inspected all ground connections, harnesses, completely removed the battery and hooked it up to a charger until fully charged 24 hours later, tested the big 80 amp EPS fuse and it has 112v on both sides (this should be hot at all times, right?) - so now I guess I will start pulling fuses. If the car is not driven every day, it is dead and I mean totally dead the next day. The biggest problem I have now it these J-case fuses. First question is how do I test them without pulling them. Second question is how do I pull them without breaking them? They are almost impossible to get out.
Get a fuse puller. Here’s an example:
Do you have anything plugged into a “cigarette lighter”? I just had a dead battery that apparently resulted from a short circuit caused by something plugged loosely into the socket. I disconnected it, got a jump, and the battery is now charging normally at 14+ V when driving.
No. I’ve been searching every square inch of this car for 9 months trying to solve the problem. No lights on, nothing plugged-in. Keeps happening with all new fully-charged, tested batteries. No charging or BATT lights on. Car charges up battery fine when running, so does the charger. BRAKE, ABS, TRAC lights on as well as lane depart, collision alert not working and “service power steering” message. Car works fine on the road. No steering or braking issues. Car is spotless, in brand-new condition has been inside garage for all of the 17k miles it has. I’ve read seen and watched everything there is related to the subject over the past 9 months online and there are no answers – just questions.
No CEL on so auto parts stores say no codes they can read and I don’t have a scanner.
Don’t pull any fuses until you get your multimeter hooked up and see how much parasitic draw you’re observing. You need a baseline for comparison once you start pulling fuses.
just a thought… if you are using Bluetooth and do not turn off the Bluetooth before turning off the vehicle, the Bluetooth will remain on and drain the battery.
there was another owner of your same vehicle, and it was the cause of his battery drain.
A parasitic current draw can easily be detected using a infrared thermal imaging gun
Point it at the fuses and see which one glows.
Tester
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