Hi guys

I really need some help. Its been the third time i take my xf to the chrysler deales because supposely it has something that stays on (consuming battery power) while the car is off. So if several hours pass by without turning on the car i would have to jump start it in order to keep going. I have changed the battery twice with the warranty.... NOT THE BATTERY. The first time i took it to the dealer they told me it was the radio, so i disconnected it.... NOT THE RADIO. I thought that for some reason it could be the fabric alarm..... NO LUCK EITHER.

If there is anything you guys could help me out with it would be great, because my car is still at the dealer and it looks like they dont know what else to do with it. By the way it's a 04 non srt.

Thanks

 

While I can be absolutely no help with your problem, are you aware that Chrysler dealers are supposed to furnish you, at no charge, with a loaner while your crossfire is in the shop?
Someone else may correct me if this has changed but that was written into their advertisements many times

 

It appears that this dealer has never heard of a draw test ???? To check how much of a amp draw you have on the system while off, and then narrowing it down to a specific area or module or what ever may be staying on, thus finding the problem and fixing it. I would be speaking to the service manager to get a tech that knows electrical to work on the car, thats if they have one ????

 

I believe this issue came up before - and if I recall - for that owner it turned out to be the trunk light.

 

Ya beat me to it. This is NOT a hard thing to find. Within five minutes, the tech should have a current reading to go by.

1) If he sees no current, then the problem is intermittent (and yes, that can be hard to deal with, but the opening post makes it sound like there is NOTHING intermittent about this.)

2) If he sees current, the thing to do is to start pulling fuses until the culprit is found. Once we find the fuse that is carrying the current, it's then a job of identifying what that fuse powers.

If the battery REALLY DOES become THAT discharged in such a sort period of time, this should be easy to isolate.

But most dealerships and independent shops are totally incapable of handling this job. I work at a Motorola service facility - we get cars in all the time that dealers say are simply impossible to repair. Most mechanics don't even know what an ammeter is, OR how to use it. I have actually watched one poor ignoramous try to trace current flow wth a voltmeter.

We usually have the culprit isolated in 1/2 hour. Usually, the problem IS with the equipment added after the factory (our customers are mostly police and fire departments with very heavily modded vehicles). BUT, once in a while, we isolate it to a factory electronic assembly or module somewhere. When this happens, I or the service manager will call the dealer and inform them what module has to be replaced. They usually listen and replace the module and the problem is solved.

Oh, and often, (I didn't say always) the "Module" is an odd device found in most cars.... called the alternator.

But, alas, electronic/electrical troubleshooting is not taught anywhere anymore. This just gets to me... in a world where there is more electronics than ever, no one is learning ABOUT electronics anymore - anyone going for a technical education goes into I.T.

Perhaps if the role of the electronic technician didn't offer an average pay of $14 an hour.... we could get someone to learn. But no, that can't be it, right?

 

Pizza, I agree with you... I have been in electronics/computers for 35 years and nobody trouble shoots anything anymore... they just throw parts at a problem... and IT guys just reload your system if you have a SW bug.....

(getting off the soap box now)

to the OP.... if that dealer dosent have anyone to properly diagnose your problem, find a shop that does electrical and take it there....

 

LOL you answered your own question, I started in electrical engineering technology and got out of it for that reason, much more money in IT (usually)

 

it's usually always a switch of somekind that goes bad...when you open your door, there is a switch that turns the light on, same for the trunk, and in some cars, even the light under the hood, not ours...btw...so, that is where you start if you are a good mechanic...the simple things first...then do a draw test throughout the system...but usually this is where those types of things happen...if you had an aftermarket radio, or any other aftermarket add-ons that require power, I would look there as well...after all, it just now started to give you problems right? Now, common sense tells you it isn't the door switches, because you would notice the dome light on all the time, but not the trunk, not the glove box, which I don't think the crossy has one, so you get the picture...look for the simple short first...good luck, and most Chrysler dealers have lost most of their good techs to other dealers...find a private shop....

 

The glove compartment has a light. But like you said.... look for the obvious stuff first.

 

Bring it by the house we can work on it here.

Oh wait. Don't know where you are.

 

You just know his car will be black don't you?

 

If that's the case I'll drink a case before he gets here.
Beer goggles make everything look better!

 

DJ, no beer for you. You already cant say 'beer goGGles'....
drink enough beer and it will look YELLOW....

 

I can relate to this! My XF was at the dealership twice with battery failure- and IT WAS THE TRUNK LIGHT! The cause was determined on the 2nd visit - and now I always make sure that the trunk is FIRMLY closed (and locked). I would hear it click, but it was not completely closed, so the light in the trunk stayed on, draining the battery. The only good thing about this was that the dealership put in a new battery as the '08 is still under warranty.

Since this happend within weeks of my initial purchase, I was beside myself. The local tow shop always sent a flatbed in case the car needed more than a battery start. My XF was the continued interest of the neighborhood, and, of course, not in the usual, desirable way.

You know how the unlock feature is a tad delayed when you press the remote?? And doesn't work at all if the battery is gone? I'm still kinda on edge every time I go to use the car after a couple of days and it has been 2 months! All is working fine - halleleujah!

Alicia

 

it's usually the simple things...just a hint here....the first time you have an indicator telling you, you have a light out....check one of the license plate lights...lol...another one of those I can't find things...

 

I didn't think they could drain the battery by leaving a door or hatch open. Both of mine will shut the lights off. I have seen this when I am washing the car and cleaning the carpet. Let the doors open long enough and the computer shuts them off. I left my parking lights on at Woodward by mistake and the car shut them off.

 

SoTHAT's why the world is full of unattractive women... I'm not a beer drinker!

Man, you guys are SUCH a help to me.

 

Pizza, you have got to get a life buddy.....I am going to take up a collection for an escort for you....lol

My lights don't shut off when left on, so what am I missing here?

 

It would be nice if we had the definition of what a 'several hours' is.
Is it two or twenty? Knowing would help. If its two hours what ever is using the power would be pretty warm.
If you start with a boosted car, run it and then park it and its flat in an hour or so what is there to say that the battery was ever charged enough in the first place, maybe an alternator problem, starter shorting out.
REST motor continually running, other motors running continuously, fuel pump, solenoids jammed.

 

I just was without a car for a week. Most Chrysler dealers do not offer loan cars anymore. They will put you in touch with Enterprise, but you are on your own.