Alright here is the story: I recently installed a new head unit, new door speakers, battery, 2 amps, pwr inverter, and Personal Computer to the truck.

I let the truck sit for about 7 days, and the new battery is totally drained.

I decide to check how much amps are being drawn between the neg. batt cable, and neg. batt post.

I find a .57 amp draw. Immediately I disconnect the personal computer and amps and kill about half the draw. I call Opus the company that made the DC-DC pwr supply for me and resolve that problem.

However, I still have a unexplained .33 amp draw with the dome light off (doors shut), and hood lamp pulled out. Pwr inverter, pc, Flex-a-lite electric fans, and amps disconnected at the battery.

Next I start pulling fuses. I pull all of the ones under the hood one at a time, replacing them as I go, and no change.

Then I move inside and find that as soon as I pulll the interior lamps / Acc Delay Relay (Fuse 14) the amp draw drops to .07 amps. Obviously this is the troubled ckt.

Now I'm stuck. Being an electronics tech I traced the Ford CD scats and keep getting lost. The signal seems to start at the batt save relay head to the acc delay & int lamp relay after that. Then it intertwines with the GEM a few times, and I get all lost.

Has anyone ever found this one before? Could it have something to do with the new radio install? Or, my passenger side window has been a little sluggish in the middle of the roll down could this be it? Or is it some thing totally unrelated?

Thanks a million if you can help. Lord knows I can't afford to get this fixed at the dealer.

-Murray

 

One more thought, could it be something in the doors from putting the new speakers in? Maybe a wire in there? Urrrrrrrgh. I swear I'm going to crazy. I have to finish up the minor details of the install / change a heater core / and fix this problem. My truck is mad at me!

 

I would start pulling the relays as well. Once you find which relay is the culprit, then you will have a direction to go in. Without knowing how you wired all of your new stuff, it's kind of hard to say what it could be.
Something to think about. The GEM module should go to sleep after about 10 minutes of sitting. Try this. Open the hood and let it sit like that. The light should go out after about 10 minutes or so. If it does not, then the GEM is not going to sleep. If it does, then check the draw after it goes to sleep. In other words, connecgt your meter to the negative terminal and the battery post, wait for the GEM to go to sleep, then see if the draw is still there.

 

I'll try it tomorrow, and then let you know. Thanks, I never thought it could possibly be current from the GEM. Maybe i don't have a problem at all? That would be the best thing that happened all week. I'll keep ya posted.

 

All the new stuff with exception of the head unit is disconnected with this problem. The head unit is wired through the factory harness via install kit. with exception of the ground.

 

If I pull this fuse (GEM/CTM #15) I can get the draw down to .03 amps. Here's the latest tests:

I found that my .33 amp draw is confused. Today it was .16 or .32 couldn't find any logical reason for this? Tried al sorts of stuff to make it jump between the two, but nothing worked.

As soon as I pull one of these fuses, even with the door closed and the hood lamp removed the batt save relay energizes.

Pulling the ACC Delay Relay, and / or the Int Lamp Relay changed nothing.

So I've gathered the problem to be the GEM is keeping the Battery save relay energized for some reason.

How long does it take for the GEM to go to sleep? I figured out the battery save relay takes 40 minutes to deenergize. I didn't have 40 minutes to kill today to see what happens to the amp draw, but maybe I'll see if the draw dissapears after 40 minutes tomorrow.

-Murray

 

Not much of a truck electronics guru, but do you have an alarm which could be drawing some juice.

 

But I've been wondering if I got one installed if it would save me the money I'd spend on fixing this problem, and fix the problem, but doubtful. Good looking out...