QuestionQUESTION: Battery dies over nite, but will charge back up to 13+ VDC. Ign sw. has seemed a little "goofy" for the past year or so. Some times hard to "shut off" everything before extracting key. Have to wiggle key back and forth sometimes to get every thing to 'close down'. '99 Cirrus Lxi V6
ANSWER: Hi Roger,
The best way to find the cause of the problem is to measure the current that is flowing through the battery when the ignition is thought to be off, and as well that all the light bulbs have been checked to be off or otherwise removed from their sockets if not visible (e.g. the trunk light, for example). This is called a measurement of the ignition off current draw of IOD. There are a couple of pages I can copy from a Chrysler manual that describes how this is done and attach them to an email I would send to you directly. You need to tell me your email address via a follow-up question but don't use the @ symbole, rather use 'at', otherwise the address will be erased automatically by the Allexperts program and so I won't see it.
To do the IOD test you need a volt-ohm-amp meter which has a capability to measure up to 5 amps or there about. I can tell you which fuses are connected to the battery even when the ignition switch is supposed to be off, and you can then remove those fuses and see how much current drop is associated with each fuse's removal.
Once we pinpoint which fuse is drawing an unusually large amount you can then ascertain why that is the case.
Please 'rate' my answer (see below).
Thanks,
Roland
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: To my knowledge, I have not received any email from you with the Chrysler manual pages in it. If you sent them, would you send them again, please? Send to .......... rogerwaite "at" comcast.net ...., thank you. Roland, this is much appreciated by me, thank you. Roger
AnswerHi Roger,
I didn't have your email address, now I do, so I can send to you the pages about IOD.
I suspect you have already ID'd the problem: the ignition switch, which probably is hanging up in the 'on' position of one or more of the circuits that flow through it.
So try using an amp meter to see what is the flow is when you simply turn off the switch with no big efforts. Disconnect the - post of the battery and then put your meter, set to read amps, between the disconnected battery clamp and the battery post and read the flow of amps. It should normally be less than 0.05 amps, e.g. 50 milliamps. Then try giggling the key to see if you can get to go any lower and if so then that is your problem. Let me know what you find.
Please 'rate' my answer (see below).
Thanks,
Roland
