2001 gls battery drain

Imagine this. Another problem with a 2001 Jetta (4-cylinder GLS) and a parasitic battery drain. Details below, and any insight you can provide would be helpful.

Condition and Tests

* car killed three batteries in two years (no problem starting in summer, but winter breaks them).

* charged existing battery to 12.4 volts, disconnected it, and then reconnected one week later to reveal 12.4 volts. (should be 12.6 at full charge, sure, but only got to 12.4)

* connected battery overnight, 12.4 volts dropped to 11.8, no start.

* same result as above with brand-new battery (including 12.4 volt limit on full charge and subsequent voltage drop).

* multimeter says alternator charging normally (steady reading of 14.5 with car running, tested on both batteries)

* set multimeter to 10 amps, and readings jumped around - 0.5, 0.85, 1.1 - then quit to 0.0 with 10-amp fuse blown (verified with continuity test on fuse pulled from multimeter).

* after three days with battery disconnected, placed a 12-volt test light (0.4-amp draw) in-line, and pulled everything I could think of one-by-one --- all fuses (battery fuses and interior panel), Monsoon audio (radio, amplifier, and CD), and alternator --- but test light (rather bright) would not go out.

Observations (some odd)

* radio retains presets, even with week-long battery disconnect. (unheard of, in my experience)

* CD player, a usual suspect, is factory but installed aftermarket (and removing it didn't make light go out)

* test light glimmered - brighter, dimmer, brighter - not a steady consistent light.

* with fuse 42 (radio, 25-amp) removed, test light would glimmer in sync with loud clicking in the dash behind the odometer: louder clicks = brighter light, quieter clicks = dimmer light.

* glove box, trunk, and interior lights go out when glove box or trunk closed and/or car turned off.

* all auto locks and windows work properly, but can hear what sounds like a window motor trying to wind when doors are unlocked (not CD player).

Do all the bells & whistles work , other than battery drain?
Is there three fuse blocks on this car?
Try isolating the relays!

yep, all bells and whistles work.

two fuse blocks that I could find - (3) 30-amp fuses on battery housing, the few dozen on driver-side inside panel. is there a third?

good idea to isolate relays, but aren't they generally defaulted to "off" position?

two more observations tonite:

* running lights remain on even when the parking break is engaged while car is started or running

* key cannot be removed from ignition unless forcefully placed in 'park' - generally takes two or three times slamming into 'park' to remove key.

TCM maybe?

The fuse should protect the relay and circuits.
Some unswitched relays get the battery with the ignition switch off.
Also some control modules have a capacitor to act as a small battery to give a small battery to the control module to save data and control with the ignition switch off.

If a capacitor is leaking, it could cause drainage on a battery.

Picture the security Alarm ON needing a battery with the ignition switch off!

Because all the bells + whistles works, you might need to Isolate the control modules by
a disconnect.

good advice and explanation.

will try isolating relays and modules with test light (and leave the multimeter out of it) and let you know.

Try to get the Park pos with the ignition key removal problem fixed ASAP!

There might be a broken, or loose sensor/switch, that's not signalling the
TCM your NOT in the parked pos, so you can't have your keys.

agreed. guessing loose sensor or switch and definitely don't want to lose the keys.

thankfully, first thing is that TCM does not seem to be the problem. guessing it's the key - switchblade key has trouble with removal, valet key removes easily under same conditions.

however, testing has revealed additional information.

* re-tested all interior, driver-side fuses against test light, and no problem revealed (test light stays on).

* removing power from S176 fuse/wire on top of battery http://media.photobucket.com/image/s176%20relay/DARKiGOD/Picture1.pngturns test light off. this wire send power to the relay.

* isolating relays does not relieve drain on battery - test light continually bright.

* isolating second-from-left 30-amp post at bottom of relay (two red wires) does relieve test light. split those two and have a long list of what works and what doesn't.