lately ive been having trouble with my battery going dead after sitting for a few days. i broke out my meter and started looking for a current draw. i found a 600miliamp draw on the underhood fuse for the five amp ign. off fuse (with the key off and not in the ignition and the doors closed). when i pull that fuse i lose the draw. my problem is that i can find anything thats still on inside. i read somewhere that its most likely a glovebox light thats not going off but i cant find the glove box light on my truck(i kno ive questioned my own sanity already). so my questions are 1: do all dakotas have glovebox lights and 2: is there something common that i could check for a draw thanks and sorry for rambling

 

Yes you should have a glove box light. IIRC it is on the left side of the box, very poor light. I added in my own light in the center to good light.

Looking at the fuse diagram we got under the FAQ post which is few posts above this one, that fuse also powers the radio for its memory. So that is probably where that draw is going.

Have you tested your battery or alternator? Both can easily be tested at most autoparts stores for free.

 

thanks crazy i just went out there again to check every thing over again. i just replaced the battery in it so i dont think thats it. i had a new one and exchanged it when this problem started. i found that all my current draw is coming from my radio:/ also i couldnt for the life of me find the glovebox light but more importantly, what can i do to lower the current draw of the radio. my stock radio was Doa so i cant put that back in. my radio is a pioneer deh-1300mp if that helps. its just so annoying i only use my truck twice times a week and every time the battery is dead. thanks

 

I doubt it is the radio. Did you just install it, and the problems start? Just pull the fuse and test it out for a few days.

The glove light is hidden on the side of the box, it is not inside of it. You can reach the bump from underneath, you don't have to remove anything. Here is the best picture I can find from the backside.

 

i installed the radio when i bought the truck last year and in the past few month its been acting up. when i have my ammeter hooked up to the 5 amp key off current draw fuse and unplug the radio harness the draw goes to zero. and thanks for the picture that helps alot

 

ok you need to hook up the meter and walk away. the door modaule will draw power for about an hour before it shuts down. also the radio will draw for memory. so you will never have 0 draw!

 

with my meter hooked to the f2 fuse in the power distribution center i should only be powering my interior lights(all of them are off),power mirrors(dont have them),my clock(in the radio),the radio memory,the under hood light(no bulb), and the timer relay to shut off the courtesy lights. when i cut the 12volt+ to the radio at the back of the radio my meter shows zero. when i hook the 12volt+ back up i get 600milliamps. the only thing im removing from that circuit is the radio so the radio has to be the fault right? man i hate wiring why cant everything be powered by a mechanical power source...

 

it shouldnt draw that much

 

i kno, im starting to wonder if there is something not right with the radio itself

 

on average, most vehicles will draw 20 to 30 milliamps. If you suspect it's your radio, best thing to do is while you are doing your current draw test, disconnect the radio and see what happens. A 1992 Dakota only had 2 computer modules, the PCM and the ABS module, that's it, so a module pulling too much current as highly unlikely.