2005 Liberty Sport Parasitic Draw Issue

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Jeepogeek

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I hope someone can steer me in the right direction for a parasitic draw that I have had for several years. I finally spent enough time isolating why my battery keeps running down by eliminating the suspects responsible for this. So, two circuits were found to be causing 90 M a of power to run down the battery. #33, SKIM module/data link connector, and #34 body control module/cluster/int. lights/radio, etc.
So the question is where do I go from here? Maybe some of you have had the same issues and could help me out. Otherwise this jeep runs and operates like the day I bought it.
 

heartfulaluv

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Lol I'm loving this! I'm having the same issue, as well as another, and found both posted on this forum, and both recently! I've scoured the net for months looking too! Hope someone has some direction... ;)
 

Jeepogeek

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Lol I'm loving this! I'm having the same issue, as well as another, and found both posted on this forum, and both recently! I've scoured the net for months looking too! Hope someone has some direction... ;)
Well there are some YouTube videos on replacing the modules which don’t seem to be for the faint of heart, “scary”! What I’ve decided to do for now is install a battery disconnect so that after a ride I can disconnect the battery easily without using tools. There’s even a remote one on the net. I only use the truck once a week, to play golf, anyway. Have to see what the guru’s on this forum have to offer.
 

heartfulaluv

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Well there are some YouTube videos on replacing the modules which don’t seem to be for the faint of heart, “scary”! What I’ve decided to do for now is install a battery disconnect so that after a ride I can disconnect the battery easily without using tools. There’s even a remote one on the net. I only use the truck once a week, to play golf, anyway. Have to see what the guru’s on this forum have to offer.
Problem with that is every time you disconnect, the ecu resets, so if there are any other issues that come up, you'll not know. Besides that, I know jeeps and they're temperamental when it comes to inconsistent readings from the ecu due to the resets. Just sayin...
I have a Grand Cherokee that I fought with for a couple years because I did just whT you're considering doing. It seemed the easiest way to eliminate one possible problem, but it brought a whole new set unknowns.

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eldredg

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I hope someone can steer me in the right direction for a parasitic draw that I have had for several years. I finally spent enough time isolating why my battery keeps running down by eliminating the suspects responsible for this. So, two circuits were found to be causing 90 M a of power to run down the battery. #33, SKIM module/data link connector, and #34 body control module/cluster/int. lights/radio, etc.
So the question is where do I go from here? Maybe some of you have had the same issues and could help me out. Otherwise this jeep runs and operates like the day I bought it.
A bit of info. It is normal for a KJ to have a small drain on the battery. This is usually around 110 ma or .11 amp. This current keeps memory alive in various control systems including ECU and radio. I had issue with engine tuning device attached to ODBII port. Found out that the ODBII port in 2003 KJ is always on, direct to battery through a fuse.. Drain was about .25 amp. Disconnected tuner and drain dropped to about .11 amps, which is normal. Added ODBII port switch to turn off tuner when car parked. If this small drain is an issue, I would suggest a trickle charger for keeping battery up over longer periods of non-use. Battery disconnect switch will work of course, but, as pointed out in another reply, There go your radio presets and any trouble codes stored in control systems.
 

Boueux

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Going through this with a late first gen KJ And here are the things that have helped me.

Kind souls asked me questions, like, do I have a sunroof? Is my floor wet? Is your windshield gasket ok? ( all things that pointed to wetness. ) This may not apply to you, but all three of my answers were yes. If this does apply to you, I wrote a HowTo called KJ Sunroof Plumbing.

The other thing I did was to apply the rule used in computers. Get out and get back in. In other words, restart. < this link explains that in a memorable way.

To do this I removed both battery cables and put the ends together overnight. Next day I printed the interior fuse box schematic for our model and year that I found free online and pulled inspected and replaced each fuse in the interior panel ( except the plastic carrier housed ones that go to the BCM etc, I wrote a post about this.)

Because I needed the battery disconnected and all capacitors discharged while accessing and cleaning sunroof drain lines to avoid mucking up the side curtain airbags if the sunroof pan overflows and swamps the left front pillar ( which can swamp fusebox and BCM if overflowing ) I left the battery completely undone and cleaned our front sunroof drains. This also involved dropping the command center ( or whatever you call it ) between the visors and later replacing it.

When this was all done I found after the key was turned in the ignition to facilitate closing the sunroof, when I turned it off again, HUZZAH! everything had apparently reset and no more interior lights remained on all of the time.

Was this the result of a day without the battery connected and the capacitors being discharged? the fuses being pulled and replaced? Everything drying out? Only the Jeep Spirits know, but after bravely leaving the battery connected overnight, I pleasantly awoke to a vehicle that starts as it should, without any interior lights remaining on to drain the battery. Ahhhh.. what a nice feeling for a fun 40 degree F day spent KJ plumbing.

If this process doesn’t work for you.. then you might consider having your BCM rebuilt and reprogrammed. Last I read the part alone tips the register at around 500USD, but, receiving yours back rebuilt and freshly programmed equals “plug and play” instead of the roulette spin you’ll get from a “pull and pay“ salvage yard or eBay.. plus messing with reprogramming it.

A company called The Module Experts is the only place I’ve read about yet that does this, but there may be others if you dig around.

 

Ksat

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Was your 90mA draw reading taken after allowing time for the modules shut down? If so, you may want to take individual current readings on each of the 3 circuits you mentioned to see which is contributing the most to that value and then go from there. You can also take a voltage reading on the fuses for those circuits and compare against a chart you can find online to determine amp draw.
 

Shankster

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I hope someone can steer me in the right direction for a parasitic draw that I have had for several years. I finally spent enough time isolating why my battery keeps running down by eliminating the suspects responsible for this. So, two circuits were found to be causing 90 M a of power to run down the battery. #33, SKIM module/data link connector, and #34 body control module/cluster/int. lights/radio, etc.
So the question is where do I go from here? Maybe some of you have had the same issues and could help me out. Otherwise this jeep runs and operates like the day I bought it.
Make sure you pull your ignition key out when it's exactly at the "off" position. The ignition switches on these can wear out, allowing you to pull the key out in positions other than "off" and it will leave those circuits on. If that does turn out to be the problem you'll just need a new ignition switch.
 
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