Happy New Year! I am stuck, I own a 2001 Dodge Dakota short cab with the small V-6. with about 38k miles… Last year August 2009, my air conditioning went out… I took it to my long term auto folks.
They advised me that it was the computer/Brain. So I had it replaced and reprogramed by the Dealership.
This last October 2009, it started draining the battery charge. I did replace the battery in 2009 with a new battery.
I again took the pickup to a Chrysler dearlership…Who did not notice I had a new battery and replaced the battery again. The dealership advised me after charging the battery they could not find anything wrong with the vehicle. The dealership could not reproduce the issue.
The vehicle was being loaned to my niece during this time.
The vehicle was stable for about three weeks and started loosing or draining the battery again and now I have to unhook the battery to keep it from draining. could this be a ground or ignition issue? Thanks for any answers.
When your A/C quit working, the first dealership replaced the Engine Control Module???
How did that work out for you?
I strongly suggest that you NOT return to these clueless (and possibly larcenous) Chrysler dealerships. Seek an independent mechanic in your area. He will at least as competent as the mechanics at those dealerships (Hell, my dog is at least as competent as they are!), and he will charge far less than the dealerships.
Hi Thanks yes it was the Engine contril Module. for a while it worked fine. Then I had the drainage issue. I do have a indipendent mechanic lined up. But I am curious? Any thoughts on the cause of the drainage issue?
Hi Thanks yes it was the Engine contril Module. for a while it worked fine. Then I had the drainage issue. I do have a indipendent mechanic lined up. But I am curious? Any thoughts on the cause of the drainage issue?
Hi Thanks yes it was the Engine contril Module. for a while it worked fine. Then I had the drainage issue. I do have a indipendent mechanic lined up. But I am curious? Any thoughts on the cause of the drainage issue?
Have a mechanic run a parasitic load test and the drain will be quickly found. Remote starters, alarm systems, remote door locks are all likely suspects…
Unfortunately, many mechanics (dealerships particularly) are parts changers, not highly skilled diagnosticians.
Chryslers are notorious for electrical problems. Fortunately, this problem has a way of taking care of itself.
The first encounter I had with random dead batteries in a Chrysler was with an '85 5th Avenue. In that vehicle, it took forever to figure out that the brake light would come on by itself randomly.
I suggest a $50-$60 tool for helping you solve this problem. It’s a DC clamp on ammeter from Sears. It will read up to 400 amps DC and it is sensitive down to around 20mA.
During this condition, clamp the meter around your battery and see how many amps are being discharged. The size of the load is a pretty good giveaway. If you are unable to determine what is it by size alone, pull fuses one at a time until you find the one that eliminates the current draw.
Under many circumstances, breaking the battery connection to use a test light will reset the device causing the parasitic drain, thus concealing the condition. The clamp on meter is ideal.