Toyota Pickup Battery Drain................

[EMC45]

I have a 1995 Toyota pickup with a 22RE motor. Have had a slow drain on the battery for years, and it is now so bad it won't last an 8 hr shift at work without straining to crank. I had the alternator checked and the battery checked and both are good and strong.

I did a test with a test light and the only fuse that killed the light was the "Stop Light" fuse, which is 15 Amp. I pulled the back bulbs out from tail lights and the test light will turn off. I pulled the bulb out of the roof mounted stop light and the test light turns off.

I have pulled all the lower dash out, seat out, and most of the interior trim and paneling. I can't find the short to make the light turn off. It's driving me NUTS!

I like the truck and I do my own work on it and other than this, it is very reliable. I have had it since 2005.

Another note: The colder and wetter it is, the quicker the battery will drain and die. It has rained a good bit here in Gatlinburg/East Tn lately with mornings in the low 60s. Sounds like a short, just can't find it!


ANY help or advice is greatly appreciated!!

 

[Kahrnut]

Do you have a radar detector, or other auxiliary devices, that stay plugged in, or left on?

 

[EMC45]

Do you have a radar detector, or other auxilliary devices, that stay plugged in, or left on?

No. The cig lighter fuse blown/out, but the brake light 15 Amp fuse is the one, when pulled, made the test light go out.

 

[Kahrnut]

See if your brake lights are on, had a 'bumper' fall off the b/l switch on a car, b/l's stayed on.

 

[November Sierra]

Check your radio. My f150 had the same problem and it turned out to be the factory stereo. I pulled the fuse on it and it's been gold since. Only downside is I have to listen to the wind for 40 minutes to work

 

[EMC45]

See if your brake lights are on, had a 'bumper' fall off the b/l switch on a car, b/l's stayed on.

Kahrnut.........Funny you should say that.....The 15A fuse that controls the Stop lights (all 3) has a "jumper" wire plugged in with it..It leads to a Motorola amp/transformer under the seat my MIL had installed to run her "car phone". I unplug the "jumper" and the test light goes out. YEA! I found the cause of the dead battery all these years. It is a "constant on" that is draining my battery right?.......

Here's the deal - When I unplug that "jumper" I have no brake lights! NONE! I unplugged this "jumper" a while ago and thought it was the culprit (turns out IT IS!) and when I realized I had no brake lights I plugged it back in, which in turn went back to killing my battery. This tiny wire that is the "jumper" goes straight to the amp/transformer and a small little black plastic box down under the dash. Unplugged the lead on the black plastic box and test light is still on. When I unplug the wire from the fuse box it goes out, but no brake lights, which is confusing the heck out of me. The "jumper" goes no where near the brake light wires or is connected to them in any way ("jumper" is solid red, the brake lights - both in the fenders and the roof mounted one are white w/black strip and green w/white stripe).....Still scratching head...

Thanks to all the replies. This is my DD and my only wheels other than the wife's van, which she needs for homeschool and church stuff.

 

[Kahrnut]

Pics? Most likely, the 'jaws' holding the fuse have been stretched, by the 'jumper' wire. Try bending them back in. Also, could've been a loose connection, causing burning/corroded contacts. Try cleaning w/elec. contact cleaner(plastic safe).

 

[Kahrnut]

Never use a fuse holder terminal to add devices.

 

[EMC45]

Pics? Most likely, the 'jaws' holding the fuse have been stretched, by the 'jumper' wire. Try bending them back in. Also, could've been a loose connection, causing burning/corroded contacts. Try cleaning w/elec. contact cleaner(plastic safe).

SON OF A GUN!!!!!!!!!! It would be the link that makes my brake lights work with the "jumper" in place, but not without it! I am going to try it. The contacts right? Now that makes sense!

 

[Kahrnut]

Yes. I had a drain, caused by a faulty radar detector. If it sat one day, it would crank okay. Two days, dead battery. Unplugged the r/d, sat 3 days, fired right up.