Slow Battery Drain

[Fat McNasty]

Hello. I truly hope someone here can help me. I have a 2000 T&C LXI that has a slow drain on the battery. It is killing one battery after another. No one can located the problem. It took my dealer 1 1/2 days to even confirm the problem existed (since it was slow, it took leaving it there overnight for them to find it DOA the next morning) and another 1 1/2 days for them 'not' to find it. This has been going on for about a year now and no one (several different dealers and local mechanincs) can figure it out. We have become experts at jumping the van and the battery charger has become our best friend.

Anyway, after a lot of time with a mutlimeter, it seems that removing the 20Amp fuse labeled "MOTOR" from the fuse and relay panel under the hood stops the draw. However, I cannot find any information in the Owner's Manual or the web that indicates what this fuse is for or controls.

Can someone please tell me what this fuse controls and if anyone has ideas what could be causing this, I would GREATLY appreciate it.

Thanks,

FM

[Fat McNasty]

Forgot to add some potentially very immportant information:

1) This all started 'shortly after' one of the transmission sensors went out, throwing the tranny into 3rd gear.

2) We have replaced the battery SEVERAL times. Had the alternator checked (all OK).

EDITED: It was not the 'MOTOR" fuse. I pulled it last night and this morning the van was DOA as usual.

[HiRez_L]

Probably a stupid question, but you aren't leaving anything on that draws power, such as aftermarket stereo equipment, cd players, cd changers, radar detectors, etc?
Also, did they check your alternator to make sure the output was sufficient?

[theFREAKnasty82]

It sounds like you have a module that nots going to sleep. Every vehicle has a degree of battery drain known as parasitic drain. That drain should be no more than 200 milliamps. If it's more than that, you have a serious parasitic drain thus causing the dead battery. In my experience, it usually is the Body Control Module that draws too much amperage and gives most owners the problem they have. Next time you go to the dealer, (if you want to deal with them) have them check for the parasitic drain and where it is coming from.