drawing voltage when ignition is off

Asked by mikefitz78 Jul 15, 2018 at 11:37 AM about the 2013 Chrysler Town & Country Touring FWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

my 20133 Chrysler is drawing voltage when the ignition is off. I checked across
all the fuses and found that several are drawing. I wanted to know which ones
should be and which ones shouldn't be?

4 Answers

44,000

Several fuses are live while key is off, like the horn, lights, power seats, etcetera. But that doesn't mean they are actively consuming power. If something is wrong, the battery would be going dead. Makes sense to be concerned but I think you are okay.

Well I wouldn’t necessarily be concerned but has killed the battery 3 times within the last month and I’ve had to come jump her. I did notice that the PCM is drawing voltage and it seems that it has been an issue with this vehicle in some reviews I’ve read.

44,000

Mikefitz78. Thank you for the email concerning your 2013 Chrysler. You had stated that your concern of "key off voltage flow" was based on the battery going dead three times recently. You are correct, that is not normal. The easiest component to test is the battery. Have it tested, especially if it is more than four years old. And yes, there is always a small standby load of the computer (ECM) but I don't know just how much is acceptable. I will look for technical info on these concerns and post them if I find anything relevant. Good luck with your testing.

44,000

Another idea. Sometimes an alternator's diode becomes "leaky" allowing battery power to drain back into the alternator's circuit while "key is off". Like a mild short circuit. Okay, test between the battery terminal and cable disconnected for how many amps or milliamps draw (drain) you have. Now disconnect the heavy red output cable on the alternator and keep it from shorting to ground. Now test again between the battery and cable to see if the drain decreased. A decrease in amps means alternator diode is leaky. Replace the alternator or have it tested first. All this is done with the motor off. Hope you find it.

2 people found this helpful.

Your Answer:

Town & Country

Looking for a Used Town & Country in your area?

CarGurus has 121 nationwide Town & Country listings starting at $4,999.

Postal Code:

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Lisa Klancher
    Reputation
    3,700
  • #2
    dandyoun
    Reputation
    3,290
  • #3
    thejeepdoctor
    Reputation
    3,180
View All

Find great deals from top-rated dealers

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Dodge Grand Caravan
133 Great Deals out of 2,037 listings starting at $1,995
Used Honda Odyssey
44 Great Deals out of 1,043 listings starting at $5,900
Used Toyota Sienna
37 Great Deals out of 857 listings starting at $3,000
Used Nissan Quest
13 listings starting at $9,995
Used Ford Explorer
79 Great Deals out of 2,097 listings starting at $3,995
Used Ford F-150
305 Great Deals out of 14,144 listings starting at $1,712
Used Honda CR-V
89 Great Deals out of 4,428 listings starting at $1,695
Used Honda Pilot
41 Great Deals out of 1,281 listings starting at $2,995
Used Chevrolet Tahoe
12 Great Deals out of 889 listings starting at $12,900
Used Kia Sedona
10 Great Deals out of 215 listings starting at $3,800
Used Chevrolet Equinox
67 Great Deals out of 2,940 listings starting at $2,900
Used Chevrolet Silverado 1500
177 Great Deals out of 5,872 listings starting at $2,975

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.