My 2005 roadster will drain the battery in 5 days if not driven. The multiimeter does nor show excessive draw. The only other symptom is that the spoiler will half rise. Any one had this problem or know of a solution ?

 

Have the battery tested. Common issue with bad battery.

 

My car sits for three weeks at a time with no issue. The manual specifies no more than .06 amp (60 mA) but you measure this by the exact procedure:

1) Disconnect battery ground cable
2) Insert an ammeter/DVM inline
3) With doors and trunk closed and key off and removed from the ignition, wait at least 3 minutes. (This allows the security system and other 'stuff' to get to it's "resting" state, looking at the meter too quickly will make you think you have a problem you do not really have)
4) Observe the meter - ANYTHING over 60mA is a PROBLEM.


My "gut" feeling is that your battery is on it's way out. The spoiler acting up is a good sign of either a bad battery, weak/flaky alternator or battery/ground cable in poor shape.

 

I have had the problem in the past with the Spoiler just going half way up, and as stated in other posts, either bad battery, bad connection to battery OR bad ground. How long is it since you changed your battery. Generally a battery should be changed every 4-5 years. You can get one from Walmart for approx. $100, which MAY sound a lot, BUT if your car lets you down, in the middle of nowhere OR worse still, in the middle of traffic, you will wish you replaced it. A bad battery in the Crossfire can cause all sorts of problems, and the problems will get worse as time passes. I would get your battery checked, clean and check all battery connections, including other end of ground cable, and replace battery if not really good.

 

Awesome tutorial! People seem to be in a hurry a lot and never wait for the car to settle down (all the electronics).


I always wondered if the hood switch ever set a higher current draw when testing for this condition. In other words, is there some circuit that keeps a higher draw when the hood isn't latched and the BCM/SKREEM/alarm is monitoring that condition? Just wondering (a curse sometimes but then again I am always questioning things).


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The hood latch switch carries no current, it is either an open or a ground signal to the CLPM

 

Agreed.

I had a battery die in my Durango (company owned). It cost us $90 for the two, $90 for diagnostics (the engine would turn over, but not actually start - like it had no spark/gas). And $89 for the battery - this was back in about 1997.

I TRIED to get the boss to just change the battery weeks before, but he would listen. That cost him no less than $180.

 

No, NOW it's an awesome tutorial - I left something out. I added it in red.

 

I have tried tenders, but they don't always do the job. I have finally just decided to drive them as much as I can. I just replaced the coupes with a racing battery for next week. Going to try and revive the big battery that was in it. Keep the cables clean and tight if you don't drive them much. A loose cable won't let it charge as well as it should. My big ole' zero turn mower kept running the battery down. I checked the cables and the positive had come loose. Tightened it up, no more issues. It doesn't take much. Same thing for ground. Pizza knows more than me about electrical, but that has been my latest experience.

 

Thanks George, always here to help us members!




Thanks PG, one of the most basic tools, is to know the tool your using. Good advice, to make sure the meter is set to highest scale (basics)...


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Yea, but not only that, in THIS case, you really want the leads on the 10 amp input because the 1/4 amp (or thereabouts) fuse in the low current input will often blow when you first connect.

 

Yeah, again, it could be 'assumed' that highest scale is on the low current pin on DMM's, which if the DMM is scaled AND has higher value probe inputs then the input probe has to be 'moved' to the highest input pin. Since digital meters now also have multiple pin taps, you have to adjust your process (of the basic highest range first) to using the highest input pin as well. This ole dog still learns a few tips (which seems basic enough BUT sometimes I get lost in translations and new/different equipment). So use the highest input pin plus the highest range to start out with. Thanks PG, for keeping me on my toes!


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FWIW, I like the AGM "gel" batteries because they do not leak nor freeze. A little pricey, but easier than cleaning corrosion off of the fender wall.