continuation of battery problem

I am cross posting this like a mo-fo, just so you know. This is actually a continuation of an electrical problem I have been having for awhile now and I posted something about it before so if this seems familiar it probably is. Also I drive a 2003 Baja, so only kind of a legacy, but the wiring should be pretty similar to at leats a 2000-2004 legcy/outback, so hopefully someone will be able to help me out. Bear with me as this represents a long process and is kind of wordy;

 

OK, so for quite some time now I have been having a problem with something causing a battery drain while my Baja was turned off. Basically what this means is that if I leave it sitting for 4+ hours, my battery didnt have enough juice to start the car. I checked through all the basics, made sure no lights were on, checked alternator, checked battery, checked all the fuses to make sure none of them were burned out, even tried pulling individual fuses and testing the individual with a multi-meter to see if there was a draw, but it all came up with nothing. Got the battery itself tested (one idea was that there might be a short in the battery itself, the alternator readings were a little weird, but the battery was fin and there was most definitely a drain, specifically of 1.32A. A couple of days a go a friend of mine who is into cars and has been keeping tabs on my problem talked to a friend of his that suggested we hook a multimeter up to the battery itself and pull fuses to see if there was a change in draw, *facepalm* I dont know why I didnt think of that.

 

So last armed with a multimeter and a "sick of this BS" attitude me and my "car guy" guy friedn that has been helping me with repairs went through the process of checking the fuses for Voltage changes. Pulled and reconnected all the fuses and relays on the inside first with no changes, started pulling fuses in the main box and just about when we were starting to think that the whole thing was a waste of time (with comments made to that effect) I pulled No.5 and the Voltage shot up (well maybe not "shot" up, but it definitely showed a marked increase); sweet! results! Took a look at the fuse (I call it a fuse because it was in the fuse box, but the car guy says its a diode, what do I know?, but regardless...) it looks good so its probably not the fuse (diode?) anyway we do some more testing and to make a long story short (too late) if we pulled the fuse and put it back in it no longer showed the voltage draw, but when we started the cruck back up and turned it off it showed the draw until we pulled the fuse again. Switched No.5 with No.6 (same type of fuse) to make sure their wasnt something wrong with the fuse itself with the same results. When I got home I pulled the No.5 fuse to test it out and it started up fine in the morning. So whatever is causing the draw is connected to that fuse. I have the Haynes repair manual but I cant read wiring diagrams so good (at all) and I was hoping that someone on here may have some idea as to what I need to do next or what the root problem may be. In the mean time I will continue to do tons of internet searches, try to comprehend these wiring diagrams and in general keep my fingers crossed.

 

And just for the sake of having a visual aid here is the fuse box label:

 

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c335/not_sabbat/mainfuseboxlabel.jpg

it seems that this fuse controls the OBDII and also the dimmer and cruise control light.

 

It flows thru the ECM.

 

Do a reset of the ecm by disconnecting the battery and holding brake pedal down for thirty secs. to drain any residuals.

 

There are a few electrical egineers on the forum and they can help more.

 

it seems that you are getting a complete circuit somewhere in this line and causing the drain.

 

O.

thats wierd! i was at my local mechanic getting my brothers car inspected, there was an old lady complaining about the local dealership on how they couldn't fix her car. she was having the same issue like you, battery drain...something something...dimmer and door ajar light. i wasn't sure exactly what year, but it was an 00-04 outback.

Resetting the ECM hasn't done anything as of yet. For quite some time as a temporary fix I have been disconnecting my battery when I park it for more than a couple of hours to prevent the battery from draining. Cant imagine that the ECM hasnt already been reset in the dozens of times I have done that.

The leading theory so far is that a relay somewhere is faulty. Assuming that is the case I just need to find out where the relays are that are connected to that fuse. Unfortuanately th Hanes manual I have has been little help.

I hve read about this problem happening to other people, but I have yet to see any kind of resolution, so Im working from scratch here.

wish I could help. But you'll need more help than I can offer.

 

i have the same Haynes and the fuse 5 listings are on 12-49, 12-65 and 12-82.

 

The only thing I can think of is to check the door ajar switches, to see if they are turning off when depressed.

 

Hope you find the problem.

 

O.

good luck, i ll follow your story. Maybe i would change that relay ? it s a cheap guess. Sometimes after i shutdown the engine i hear a small sound with a very high pitch nearby the coils. Did you try to 'hear' something ?

good luck