auggy

Had ,have a battery drain on my 94 from day one. When you open the door it seems as though about a dozen or so lights go on and in my case would not go off for about 10-15 mi. The system is over complicated and subject to the whim of door/hatch switches, a photo sensor, lighting control box(somewhere behind the dash), high humidity(just kidding I think), and lord knows what else. So , I just pulled a fuse and removed the cargo hatch bulbs. I also disconnected the lights under the hood since those 2 lights will kill the battery it seems like after a few hours. I don't drive the car often after dark. The rear view mirror lights still work with the switch if you still need them. I don't think the effort required to figure out what was wrong is worth it. I still have a small draw and do not ignore the battery more than 3-5 weeks, otherwise risk a non- starting situation or worse killing the battery for good. I stick a battery or trickle charger on it, but not continuously. Good luck and don't fret about it.

pcolt94

That’s deep, getting a bit strange.

The only other direct path to ground for the cargo lights is the hatch switch. If it was not opening up, it would turn the cargo lights on. I would check the switch as routing.

In addition to the circuitry, there is a diode assembly block that ties the hatch switch, CCM and courtesy light together. If it shorted is some way it may cause a problem but not sure what's it's capable of doing in regard to a path to ground. It's located in the cargo compartment taped to the harness next to the hatch relay.

If you pull the plastic panel off to look in there, also look for any wires that may be pinched or a metal edge cutting into it.

Also as I have heard (read) that if the door lock key assembly is not in the vertical position it can keep the lights on but in your case don't think this applies.

dayle97se

The most recent work I did involved removing the pass. door panel, and unplugging all the door electronics (courtesy light, side pwr mirror, lock, etc.). I'm going to retrace my steps on that since everything was working fine before, but all I did was disconnect and reconnect all the pass. door things.

It just still baffles me that the 2 door courtesy lights do not turn on at all: not by opening a door, not with manual dimmer switch, nothing. I will keep checking...

pcolt94

I agree with your direction. Always go back to the point here things changed and or problem occurred.

Did not realize the door lights did not come on. If a wire was cut and then grounded, according the schematic it sure could cause the symptom you have and would definitely be a unique situation.

dayle97se

I checked nearly everything: passenger door panel connections/plugs, cargo hatch switch, door ajar switches, antenna connections - all seem fine. problem still persists. I'm stumped. Thinking maybe the light control module under the passenger dash?

Klondike

That kind of jarred my memory. I had a similar problem when I was working on a passenger side window. After going over and over schematics and ohming out switches, it turned out to just be a fuse! I wish I could remember which one it was, but it was in that fuse panel on the end of the dash, passenger side. Sometimes the simplest and most obvious things are the hardest to find.(at least mine was) Good luck.

dayle97se

this made me just remember something - a few weeks ago I was fiddling with the battery, maybe removing it, and I somehow accidentally got the positive and negative cables to touch for a millisecond - just enough to see a small spark! Maybe this is the cause of my problem? But not sure exactly what impact it had on which components or fuses. I will check all fuses tomorrow.

exitwound

Had this problem in my '87. Pulled the ctsy fuse and it went away.

Checking each item in the circuit fed by that fuse, it turned out to be the Bose radio head.

hcbph

I had an issue with mine a while back with a battery drain. In my case, I eventually found mine. The wife had put a lipstick tube in the well in the console and I'd put some tools over it. Happened that they were pressing down on the lipstick tube which in turn was pressing down on the seat adjustment control continuously. Took it off and the power drain was gone.

In the course of tracking it down, I found a tool at HF that helped. You pull a fuse out of the fuse panel, plug it into the tool and in turn plug the tool into the slot in the fuse block. It will show how much current is being drawn at that time. It saved me a lot of time and effort tracking down the drain.

It will also test the circuit breakers but you will need to make a couple of jumpers to connect it to the tool as they're bigger than a fuse is.

dayle97se

Update: good news, bad news. I found a blown fuse: RH CTSY (5A). Bad news: when I replaced it, it blew instantly. Where do I begin? I'm getting closer...
appreciate everyone's help.

pcolt94

On a trip so no documents with me but I do remember that fuse is for the door courtesy lights and probably foot well also. If the fuse blows one of those lights voltage lines is shorted to ground. I would focus on that, it might clear everything up.

WVZR-1

You've jumped from one problem it seems to another. Your original I can't help but thinking that's maybe "self-inflicted" by your handiwork doing the antenna switch. It just seems so likely.

This new RH CTSY powers both foot-well, both door courtesy, the console lamp, lighted rear view mirror and the DLC (Data Link Connector).

Do you have the FSM for this '96?

I believe that you go where you were "last" for the newer problem and do those diagnostics with the LH CTSY fuse removed. Once you've conquered that then you reinsert the LH CTSY fuse and if the RH CTSY blows again you're a step further in the "parasitic" diagnostics and your first problem.

Hot Rod Roy

If you have a short to ground, this HF tool won't help. The internal fuse will blow if you have a short, so you'll continue to blow fuses faster than you can chase down the short!

Here's my "Short Chasing Tool": An old headlight wired to a burned out fuse. If you have a short, the light will shine, but nothing will smoke! If you don't have a short, the light may glow, but your accessories will continue to work, until you wiggle that bad wire that's causing the short! Just plug this into the offending fuse position.

Cliff Harris

In my car, opening the hatch will turn on the cargo lights and no others. This sounds similar to the symptoms described.

dayle97se

I connected my multimeter to the 5A RH CTSY fuse to get a reading. Unfortunately I got to 1.75A before I heard a small click from behind the dash fuse block, and then the RH CTSY went dead.

Not sure if it's related, but I discovered an empty plug with a purple and white wire near the right door key switch. See pic. Couldn't identify it with my FSM.

WVZR-1

Is it a solid "purple" or did you mean PPL/WHT or maybe is it PPL and a separate WHT? If you meant PPL (solid) and a second color that's different then in the RH door of a 'vert there would be a PPL (solid) and a TAN (solid) for the PKE antenna which on a coupe wouldn't be there but I might not have expected the connector either.

dayle97se

to clarify: the empty plug has two wires. A solid purple, and a solid tan. (I mistakenly thought the tan was an aged white, but it looks more like tan now. See zoom in of photo).

dayle97se

PROBLEM SOLVED: I discovered a short circuit occurring due to one of the upper windshield trim screws (by the RV mirror) that had pierced one of the courtesy light wires for the RV mirror. That screw pierced the wire and made contact with the metal windshield frame behind the trim, thus grounding the CTSY wire and shorting it. I replaced the blown 5A RH CTSY fuse, and all is well.

Also, when I tucked the RVM connectors back behind the upper trim piece, the trim piece stayed bulged out. Is there a better way to route or tuck the RVM connectors?

I'm still curious though what that blank PPL and TAN connector in the right door is for?

WVZR-1

I thought I explained - most likely since your car appears to be a coupe the PPL & TAN aren't used for anything. If your car was a 'vert a PKE antenna would be mounted in the RH door. I believe that since the door harnesses are actually just extensions of the IP harness it's the same for 'verts and coupes. An older SPO catalog I've got seems to confirm that.

dayle97se

Makes sense. thanks!