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Hello! Thanks to information found on this forum, I was able to use a multimeter to find the source of the parasitic battery drain that has been the bane of my existence since I purchased my 96 XJ6VDP. I am quite pleased with myself but I know there is more that needs to be done...
The fuse showing drain was F12 in the right heel board. That fuse is for: AC, Seat ECMs, Mirror heaters relay and power steering.
The car runs ok with the fuse pulled but as you can imagine, being without the AC & Heater is less than optimal (especially in Atlanta, HOT in summer and freezing in the winter.)
Anyone have any idea how I go about sourcing the actual problem, as in WHY this circuit was pulling power continuously? I have noticed that the power steering reservoir leaks where the hose connects on the top. I assumed that I just needed a hose clamp, however, the man at auto zone told me that the type of leaking I described indicated some problem with the power steering pump itself. If the power steering pump or reservoir is damaged, could that possibly be the cause of the drain?
I may have reached the limit of my mechanical ability here, but I'm willing to learn more!
Last edited by Karenkellybella; 10-01-2017 at 03:47 PM.
The leak at the reservoir can be resolved by cutting an inch of the 2 hoses so there is better material to conform to the ports as you clap down . Common and mine was a mess on her right side .
Fuse 12 in the right heel board
They just fixed windows 10 ,,,,,,,,with a update , will have to recover from it to open up the wiring schematic . Do you have the file ?
Could be as the car is held up and not allowed to go to sleep the ignition positive relay will not open and you have a grounding path through one of the sub - systems . Oil on the steering servo connector may be the grounding path but is a secondary issue as the primary one is to get that relay to go open after its period of time controlled by the security ECU . I fixed my Lady Ps parasitic drain
Taking a break and will analyze the prints
Last edited by Lady Penelope; 10-01-2017 at 07:21 PM.
Later we'll look at the controlling side of that relay as that is were I found my fault . That relay is the one attached to the right heel board fuse box .
I would first check the ignition switch. Part of the switch senses Key In and it is fairly common for it to stick (car thinks key is in and powers up seats/mirrors and other things).
More often than not it can be fixed by lubricating with graphite dust sprayed in to the key switch and vigorous exercise with key in-out repetitions.
If you break the second print in half at the inertia switch and read with a meter on the White / Orange wire that you lose the ground through the ignition switch as you remove the key you would prove the suggestion that b1mcp gave is your issue . There is a plastic ignition switch on the outside end of the metal key barrel easy to replace if it is the issue . The other direction in the print gets busy as the relay control coil could be getting a ground in that direction . The diode in the wiring schematic print is backwards in order to get it to work on paper as it is drawn because the relay should be a normal open . I'm going out to the car now to see if this is a valid test procedure . Later
Last edited by Lady Penelope; 10-03-2017 at 09:41 AM.
I do get a change of readings but not as good of a ground as expected . I probably have a dirty ground below the ignition switch shown in the print . Gotta run a errand .
Other then chasing wires on a print , on the control side of that relay , does your steering column both retract and tilt up as you remove the key ? The switch on the column has to be in auto mode to exercise this " go to sleep " command otherwise you can turn it off . There is a sensor in the column that must see it stowed . This is where Lady P had a fault in this subsystem and is a free and easy fix to 100 % full functionality if it were to be the case with yours .
Last edited by Lady Penelope; 10-03-2017 at 12:31 PM.
Thanks b1mcp , I could not find a command ( or trigger ) wire from pin 4 of the key in , key out circuit to the Body Processor Module but one on pin 1
What I am trying to accomplish in the end is a trouble shooting tree or algorithm so that one can break the many circuits involved into sections with test points to lead into the direction this way or that way toward a battery parasitic / drain solution .
What I have learned so far , and I could be wrong , is there are 2 sections of the cars power shut down being the removal of the ground opening up the king relays of the fuse boxes and the second being the trigger for the BPM and Security Control Module to do their thing and go to sleep key in , key out pin 4 of the ignition switch being the command / trigger wire .
I know there are written post on the mater and really have not read but I wish to do this from the prints approach for a final systematic troubleshooting tree with a limited number of prints as the main direction determining step maybe later more as you get into that determined section .
This original poster's issue is an exercise in which to do so .
Other then that you have the always hot items
Last edited by Lady Penelope; 10-04-2017 at 01:32 PM.
Now the trick is to find the followup commands ( other then the initiation command from the ignition switch pin 4 ) that they have been satisfied and allow the car to go to sleep
KAREN : This direction that this circuit is on is not tied into the ignition switch pin 3 controlling the king relays . With the original posters question the fuse 12 is the clue that it is the other direction with the king relays staying open ( maybe refer to it as the other half of the shut down system ) .
This project will save some car's and people's some headaches and dollars
Brendan : Is there a difference in the Security Control Modules as mine has a single connector the same as the RS3 and LS3 connector and not the same as in the WD connector pin map as well as location ( mine is under the parsel shelf ) . I had to map out the RS3 connector as it was damaged causing other issues . I understand the different FOB frequencies for different parts of the world
Last edited by Lady Penelope; 10-04-2017 at 08:47 PM.
Yes , that is the style of RS3 connector and the free length is about right to reach the device mounted under the parsel shelf . I'll get an inspection mirror to verify that it is a throughput connector and not a device as I had assumed . I did notice months earlier the location of the module in the WD being left trunk but never found it in that area .
Yes , you are correct it is a connector mount only . Going to leave Security Module hunt alone for now . Other prints to pull up . BT4 is not relivent to the Security and Shutduwn system .
Thanks for all the information! My steering column does go up when I turn off the key but I have had to replace the ignition coil twice in just a few months.
Im not very knowledgeable on wiring repairs but you guys break it down and make it seem less overwhelming. Thank you for that!
At some point, the previous owner installed a car
phone and though it’s been removed they did leave some wires installed so that they were under a couple of fuses, then wired to extra fuses but the wires leading out of those extra fuses were cut and wrapped in electrical tape. I removed the wires under the fuses and the extra fuses. I’ve no idea if that helped or hurt. ill try to take photos and post them tomorrow. I’m heading to work shortly so I don’t have time.
i keep hoping some financial windfall will find its way to me so I can just take Big Poppa in to the dealer and tell them to make it perfect! Haha. That is unlikely, so I’m sure you’ll see plants of me in the coming weeks as I dig in and try to fix the issue.
btw, though the L12 fuse was drawing power while the car was powered down, removing it did not fix the drain. The battery drains more slowly but that fuse was obviously not the only issue. I’ll go through the suggestions here on my day off and see if I can find another drain. The rest of the fuses seemed fine, even the BPU fuse wasn’t making a draw.
Realistically the king relays at the 5 fuse boxes are of concern as they should open up and not allow power to go through any of the linked fuses . This would be pin 3 of the ignition switch if it was a faulty switch , or the relay could be mechanically stuck closed not needing the control coil ground through that pin . Relay cost 12 - 15 dollors .
Did the column retract as well as tilt up ? both needed . The column reacting to key removal proves that the key in , key out portion the the ignition (pin 4 ) is working commanding the car to go through the shut down sequence before it goes to sleep . Depending on the results of whether the column did retract is a requirement that needs to be satisfied . That was the issue with mine . No lottery /dealer needed . It be free
Editing with a picture of a simplified wiring diagram . You will notice that I split my replay in upper and lower halves as that corresponds to the upper and lower half of the system in the car and the diagram . The direction of search for solution in the simplified wiring diagram will depend on your results
Last edited by Lady Penelope; 10-05-2017 at 04:24 PM.
Do take pictures of the extra wiring in question with respect to the phone installation with plenty of light . You can take a piece of cardboard covered in the shiny side of aluminum foil to direct sunlight on the area of interest . The X300 has the option of a factory phone if the aftermarket installer had researched and utilized the existing wire loom . You can modify the factory stereo control head to except any external device yourself with a auxiliary jack later yourself .
Last edited by Lady Penelope; 10-05-2017 at 03:41 PM.
Hi, I'm having a similar draw problem and have these symptoms, anybody have some direction for me? It is a 96 X300, the automatic memory function stopped working years ago but if you touch one of the buttons everything works. If I take the key out the column does not move, but if I have it in the aux position, press a memory button it will move and if I turn it to off it will continue to move. If I remove the key in the middle of the movement it stops immediately, so I'm thinking the switch is functioning. When I put the key in or take it out there is the sound of a motor running but it is not the column motor, it sounds like it is buried a bit deeper behind the dash.
Another symptom is it sometimes does not unlock the doors when you turn the car off and seems to want to keep you in the car. I did replace the security module a couple of years ago when that system went haywire.
Driving rain here today or I would be pulling fuses, etc. but I've got a feeling this is something along the lines of a hung relay or switch somewhere.
10-01-2017, 03:34 PM
Battery drain found - now what?
,,,,,,,,with a update , will have to recover from it to open up the wiring schematic . Do you have the file ?
If you break the second print in half at the inertia switch and read with a meter on the White / Orange wire that you lose the ground through the ignition switch as you remove the key you would prove the suggestion that b1mcp gave is your issue . There is a plastic ignition switch on the outside end of the metal key barrel easy to replace if it is the issue . The other direction in the print gets busy as the relay control coil could be getting a ground in that direction . The diode in the wiring schematic print is backwards in order to get it to work on paper as it is drawn because the relay should be a normal open . I'm going out to the car now to see if this is a valid test procedure . Later
