I've had this problem for quite some time now. I'll drive it all day long, no problem, runs great and the next day the batt is dead.

I did some research and came across parasitic amp draw. So i bought a decent Multimeter and started checking the amperage drains. On the 10 amp setting, it reads 0.22 amps. So i didnt know if that was a lot, a little or just right. What i read was its kind of high. So i began my investigation and finally found a fuse that is causing the problem but has now led me to more confusion.

(IMG:http://www.2carpros.com/forum/automo...oname_2163.jpg)

The picture is a little hard to see but the fuse that is causing the problem is number 14, which reads "dome light, clock, radio, luggage compartment light, combination meter, door lock control unit (1993), engine control module, and what looks like transaxle control module"

I have an amplifier and 2 subs but i unhooked those, i unhooked the radio and still the same.
I installed an aftermarket voltmeter gauge connected directly to the battery through a fused wire. I unhooked that and dropped it to 0.16 amps.
I thought it could also be the after market neon lights i linked to the door jam switch, i unhooked those and still 0.16

As i was in the middle of writing this inquiry, i wanted to double check the radio because i wasn't confident in my findings beforehand. (the car has been sitting for 30 mins with the battery unhooked) I unplugged the radio, the defroster connector and hazard light connector. I checked again the amps, and it went down to 0.13. I unhooked the voltmeter and then it went down to .06 which is were it is currently staying. I re-connected the radio, the amps stayed the same, i re-connected the hazards connector, stayed the same, i reconnected the defroster and it stayed the same at .06 amps.

I am still not confident that this .06 amps will remain the case because i really did not change anything or unhook anything except for the neon lights. I took the ground off the amplifier, but the hot wire wasn't connected in the first place so i do not think the amplifier made any difference. I do not think the neon lights made a difference because they were hooked to the door jam switch and turned off when the door was closed.
Is .06 amps high? I also wonder, since this fuse is linked to the ECM, is the ECM drawing amps as well and is .06 normal for an ECM.

Could a capacitor in the radio have been causing the .22 reading, and after sitting for 30 minutes dissipated(for lack of a better word)?


By the way, the car is a 95 Plymouth Colt with a 1.8

Some additional information: I have an after market tachometer hooked up, when i remove the fuse in question, it doesnt work. I do not know where the power wire is because a friend of mine hooked it up. It does have different color back lights, but those only turn on with the ignition.
I also have a trio of gauges hooked up (voltmeter, water temp(not electric) and oil pressure (not electric)) These all have back lights and i spliced them into the tail light power wires so when i turn the headlight switch on, they come on with it.

I don't think this has anything to do with it, but tomorrow i will make sure.

Any ideas, tips, suggestions? Thank you in advance.

Please any help would be greatly appreciated!!

 

good effort man, and comprehensive post.

pull fuses, one by one. (if you havent already?)
i've heard of problems with the door control units.

i'd say you're due for a new battery though, you battery's voltage will be dropping when it sits, lower voltage= higher current=lower voltage=higher current and so on until it's flat.

 

you can of course check this by measuring the voltage with the engine running (~14.4) then remove it from the vehicle and measure it in the morning. anything less than 12.4 is weak, anything less than 12.2 is shyte and anything less than 12 is replace straight away.