Can't say I've ever tried a ***** in that fashion. A meter with reasonably pointy tips on the leads work well to check fuses without pulling them.

Disconnecting and reconnecting the battery tends to wake up the computers and radios in newer cars. My KL takes about 10 minutes for all the computers to go back to deep sleep. Aftermarket radios also tend to cycle the CD eject mechanism when they first get power which can confuse you. Keeping the meter connected to the battery and cable while disconnecting works, but you need three hands for that. I love my UT210e clamp-on dc ammeter for this kind of troubleshooting. It measure down to milliamps and you don't have to disconnect anything. I can also measure alternator current to/from battery while running.

 

So for shi.s and giggles I went to see what my parasitic draw was. I have the stock cassette radio and the remote lock/unlock and alarm. I did not remember to see if the radio was off during the test but the key was not in...no lights on and I do not have the under hood light. . When I opened the door, the overhead light and the cargo light comes on...they are both led. 0.006 is six milliamps(ma) for everything off and 0.147 or 147 milliamps(ma) with the door open. I know my jeep can go well over a week untouched and not even blink during start up. If you truly have under 10 ma draw and your battery is dead in a couple of days then you have a bad battery or you are measuring wrong. Also when it dies , has it been sitting for several days or it dies overnight when you are using it?

 

My '88 can go about 9-10 days before I need a jump. Sometimes, I just need to move it for street sweeping so it doesn't run long enough to recover what it spent cranking over. It will still crank but too slow to start.

Bear in mind a Renix needs a longer crank time to get a proper CPS signal in order to fire up.

Just another data point.

 

AWG: Applied the test light as directed, Sure enough, THERE WAS LIGHT ! : - (


Bluejeep:

Thanks for the extra effort and interest.

In the interim, I removed and disconnected the radio which sent the amp draw (is that the correct phraseology?) down from .17 (170 milliamps?) to .002 ( 2 milliamps?) So now what? Isolate switches ( ignition or ???) / looking for a path for the juice to flow from power to ground via the radio? Just replace the radio assuming(?) it's something internal to the radio? The radio is a SONY made in 2014 per the sticker on the back . I still don't understand how it (solid state) will function and yet draw amps, but that may be an insight for my next life (shame on me for not paying closer attention in shop class) . Are these like microwave ovens where you just throw them away when they quit / malfunction?

Again, is all this electrical uncertainty / challenge de jour / shades of things to come so just resign yourself or ??? I'm planning / hoping to go elk hunting up in Wyoming after Thanksgiving, but don't want to get stuck up there somewhere out in the middle of nowhere. Prior to all this, Nellie ran just fine, started every time, got 25 MPG, etc.

Thanks again
goodyoleboy

 

Its hard to believe a radio could kill your battery in a couple of days , but 170 ma is like keeping your doors open for several days. Was it new or purchased used on ebay or something.

 

I had my aftermarket radio draining the battery. There was a burnt pin in the radio connector that was providing a partial short between ground and the interior lighting. It was letting about 50ma into the interior lights, which was making the LED bulbs just barely glow.

If he's seeing the current drop unplugging the connector on the radio, that could be the problem. Also note the radio may initially draw more current when first plugged in. Mine would wake up and cycle the CD eject mechanism when the battery is first connected, drawing around 250 ma for about a minute.

 

Bluejeep: Nope, BRAND NEW Deca(?sp?) + - $180 (if memory serves) starts fine / no other problems / symptoms.

lawsoncl: All of this is sooo far beyond my severely limited skill set, I'm just stumbling along and hoping for the best. A little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing. I see no alternative than to defer to the electronic gurus before I inadvertently do more damage. I'll touch back with whatever they find. A man's gotta know his limitations.

Thanks to all for your efforts.

goodoleboy

 

thats a lot of money for a broken radio...any way to get your money back or a replacement

 

The $180 was referring to the new battery.

Radio was $120.

Electronic gurus $125 to say hello, plus parts(?) & subsequent labor TBD. Results to follow.

goodoleboy

 

Well, . . . I installed the new radio and the parasitic draw went down to .005 so I'm tentatively declaring victory, crossing my fingers, and moving on / back to the ABS light AGAIN.

I still don't get how a solid state circuit board fails while the radio still functions, but still cheaper than $60K for a new Wagoneer.

Thank you all for your help.

goodoleboy