Battery drain
03-28-2010, 07:10 PM
#46
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It is the 26 pin connector that the gray/red stripe is running to, I tried the wipers and they parked as they are supposed to do and then checked the drain and it is still 1.0. If you meant for me to try something different, please let me know.
03-28-2010, 09:16 PM
#47
I'm back. let me check the service manual. Also, the cluster is a modual itself controlling some functions and relaying other functions to other moduals in the truck like the tipm that will power a load device. Example; you turn on the headlights. The power feeding the switch starts at the tipm, then it feeds the cluster, that then feeds the headlight switch. The headlight switch makes the connection to the cluster. The cluster tells the tipm, thru the can bus , to turn on the headlights and marker lights. The tipm then closes the circuit to the lights and checks the circuit for high amps or open circuit. If all is well the lights turn on.
03-28-2010, 09:35 PM
#48
Gunnie, their are 2, 26 pin connectors. locate the power draw leaving the cluster. The gray/red wire should be the A114 circuit. It is the gray 26 pin connector and the wire is in the #26 pin hole. You don't need to check this wire. This feeds power to circuits leaving the cluster. You need to find another wire that has the same power draw as the #26 feed wire gray/red. Disconnect the radio first so it can't confuse you. When you find it note the color of the wire, color of the plug (yes the power can be going out another plug on the cluster) and the pin number of the wire. Check the pin out list in above post as to where the power is going to.
03-28-2010, 09:47 PM
#49
I don't want to condemn the cluster. It is pricey and you must buy a replacement from Dodge. Once it has learned the truck it is installed in, the cluster can NOT be swapped to another truck without damaging the memory in the cluster.
03-28-2010, 09:50 PM
#50
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ok I'll ask my friend if I can keep the amp clamp another day, I didn't think to check to see if power was leaving that 26 pin connector as I assumed it was the mileage meter and door ajar light in the cluster pulling 1.0.
I appreciate you helping with this, I'm determined to correct this without taking it to the dealership.
I appreciate you helping with this, I'm determined to correct this without taking it to the dealership.
03-28-2010, 10:03 PM
#51
As I said above, the power can pass thru the cluster and go out another plug. Check all the wires leaving the cluster except the gray/red that you know is feeding the power into the cluster. I have work in the morning, good night.
03-29-2010, 10:19 AM
#52
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unplug your windsheild wiper motor. your not going to find it using the iod circuit.
ok guys now I'm confused, so you're thinking maybe something else is waking the computer but I'm seeing the draw through the grey/red stripe wire feeding the cluster? It is the center connector, I can go count the pins if you want me to because I left the instr cluster and radio unplugged. One thing I did notice today, when I had the interior lights turned off and the doors open, when the drain went to zero on the amp clamp around the grey/red stripe wire the speedo mileage and door ajar light would go out, for about 8-10 seconds but when the draw went back to 1.0 amps they were back on.
Where do I go next with this? Start unhooking everything associated with this center connector? I also want to add I pulled every fuse when this started and the only one that changed anything was the IOD fuse.
Where do I go next with this? Start unhooking everything associated with this center connector? I also want to add I pulled every fuse when this started and the only one that changed anything was the IOD fuse.
03-29-2010, 04:32 PM
#54
Lets try the wiper motor. Unplug it and see what happens.
REMOVAL
1. Lift the wiper arm to its over-center position to hold the wiper blade off of the glass and relieve the spring tension on the wiper arm to wiper pivot shaft connection.
2. Pull the latch (2) on the pivot end (1) of the wiper arm outward.
3. Using a slight rocking action, disengage and remove the wiper arm pivot end from the wiper pivot shaft.
1. Remove the wiper arms (Refer to above).
2. Disconnect the cowl plenum washer hose from the washer supply hose at the molded plastic in-line fitting.
3. Remove the cowl weather seal from the front of the dash panel and the cowl grille (2).
4. Remove the six push pin fasteners (1) that secure the front of the cowl grille to the dash panel.
5. Remove the two screws (3) that secure the rear corners of the cowl grille to the dash panel and remove the grille.
6. If necessary, remove the washer nozzles and the cowl plenum washer hose from the cowl grille.
7. unplug the wiper motor and check for the power draw on the gray/red wire.
I know the wiper motor is powered from the tipm, but you never know what kind of feed back may be possible that may mess up the communications to the cluster causing it to cycle in and out of sleep mode.
REMOVAL
1. Lift the wiper arm to its over-center position to hold the wiper blade off of the glass and relieve the spring tension on the wiper arm to wiper pivot shaft connection.
2. Pull the latch (2) on the pivot end (1) of the wiper arm outward.
3. Using a slight rocking action, disengage and remove the wiper arm pivot end from the wiper pivot shaft.
1. Remove the wiper arms (Refer to above).
2. Disconnect the cowl plenum washer hose from the washer supply hose at the molded plastic in-line fitting.
3. Remove the cowl weather seal from the front of the dash panel and the cowl grille (2).
4. Remove the six push pin fasteners (1) that secure the front of the cowl grille to the dash panel.
5. Remove the two screws (3) that secure the rear corners of the cowl grille to the dash panel and remove the grille.
6. If necessary, remove the washer nozzles and the cowl plenum washer hose from the cowl grille.
7. unplug the wiper motor and check for the power draw on the gray/red wire.
I know the wiper motor is powered from the tipm, but you never know what kind of feed back may be possible that may mess up the communications to the cluster causing it to cycle in and out of sleep mode.
03-29-2010, 08:31 PM
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finally got back to work on this little project (extreme sarcasm) the wire that is black/blue stripe in the 26 pin connector has about .6 amp running through it, I hadn't checked this post before I started back on it so haven't tried the wiper motor. It'll be tomorrow evening at the earliest before I can get back on it. My job actually expects me to show up.
03-30-2010, 07:56 PM
#58
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it is the gray 26 pin, both wires are on the very end terminal and on top of each other, from what I could sort from your pin post earlier it looks like the black/ light blue is a ground wire. I didn't do the wiper motor yet, I still have the radio and instr cluster out and pieces from the dash everywhere, I'd like to put some of it back together first.
03-30-2010, 08:13 PM
#59
That is a ground. The cluster has 3 ground wires and they all tie together and are screwed to a support bracket that is to the left of the stearing column under the dash. If that wire is damaged or corroded it could be a problem. The loss of a solid ground may have the cluster finding a ground thru another circuit in the cluster. The ground wire is a single wire at the screw
03-30-2010, 08:43 PM
#60
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What really gets me about this is I completely stripped the wiring harness out of a '63 chevy that I rebuilt. the harness i used was made from scratch without using any factory wiring and I can't find a battery drain issue on this thing. Frustrating to say the least
