The temperature and time lights stay on in the cluster panel at all time. When the car is running, the lights from those two are brighter than the rest on the panel.

I have been disconnecting the fuse (#35) to prevent battery drain whenever I parked overnight.

I'm wondering if the problem has something to do with the black Turn Signal Relay A002 542 21 19 in the fuse box; the yellow relay next to it is supposed to be for the washer pump A002 542 14 19.

Can somebody please confirm my suspicion in regard?

Btw, my remote control stop working at about the same time.

P.S. I have just removed both relays in the fuse box but the lights are still lit. It's not the relays.

 

Mina are visible if you open the door with the ignition off. I don't know if it is after awhile with the door closed.

 

I believe it's normal for the temp & time to appear when you open the door. Mine come on too but the digits would eventually go away after a minute or less but the background light would stay on without any reading.

I still suspect it has to be a relay but it's just not the two in the fuse box.

 

It's not a relay*. The logic for that backlight is in the "superchip" in the instrument cluster. The inputs are Pins C1 4a and 7a from the ICM (headlight switch) and the data on the CAN bus from the Central Locking Pump/Security System Module (CLP/SSM).

Fuse 35 is simply the feed for power to the lighting and it's also feeding power to the SKREEM, so your FOB will not work with that fuse out; do not let this confuse you into thinking something ELSE is wrong.g

Your issue comes up once in a while - using a DRBIII, you can ask the CLP/SSM if it thinks a door is open or the Instrument Cluster is seeing something that makes it think it's time to light up. I don't know what else you can do to track this down. Look at the Instrument Cluster section of the wiring chapter of the service manual and you will see what I am saying.


*The car uses logic circuits in place of relays in a lot of places, this lowers current required to operate various items, and in general, sold state logic is more reliable than a mechanical relay.
The relays in the car are:

Five on the RCM (Horn, fuel pump, traction control power switching, secondary air switching, ECU power switching)
Two on the Pulse Module (starter and coolant pump - [used in SRT only but its there in all cars!])
Two in the Fuse box (brake lamp, turn signal power feed for the SKREEM to flash the turn signals)
Two in the Roadster power top pump assembly (left rotation, right rotation, plus I THINK one more but I dont' recall what it's for)
Several in the CLP/SSM
I think there are four in the BCM for the power windows, but I can't say that for sure

 

Thanks for the info.

I inadvertently bought a relay for the power seat; it's suppose to be somewhere under the dash/steering wheel. I would keep it just in case.

I have owned this car since 2005 and am still in love with it - 12,000 miles and always kept in the garage. However, problems are starting to pop up out of nowhere (RCM and now this) and most mechanics don't seem to want to touch it.

 

Always carry a spare RCM ($140-160) and spare crank sensor ($40). They are both easy to change but not easy to source locally. Do not buy crank sensors from anyone but FCP/German Auto/Autohaus/ or maybe PartsGeek.