have you stopped by autozone or o reily and let them check your battery yet? your battery might not be holding a charge which is very common...they can test your alt at the same time so youll be killing 2 birds with one stone. start with the easy crap and work your way back IMO

 

Helps to have the wiring diagrams too. Sometimes it gets quite complicated trying to trace it back when there are multiple components on a circuit. Had the same problem with my old Suburban. Traced it back to a bad remote start unit(was drawing more than spec) and a bad HVAC control(shouldn't have been drawing anything).

I have a car for the kids of the same vintage that's doing the same thing. Just haven't got around to chasing it down yet. It's fine if it doesn't sit for more than 5 days.

 

My jumper cables are in my tool box that wont open no matter hard I pull on the handles or beat on it Like I said this isnt a problem with just this battery it has been with ALL the batteries I have had in there. The battery may be **** again but I really dont think so. Im going to do the amp draw thing and figure out what the hell is pulling the voltage down.

 

mayb its the light inside of the glove box, but you cant tell its still on because its closed....kinda like that commercial about the 5 star checkups the dealerships do on used cars with that guy trying to see if his truck light was actually turning off

 

when using the circuit tester do you put the negative lead on the positive post of the battery and the positive lead on the positive lead that goes to the vehicles electricals? Sorry I am electrical dumb. I can wire up a ceiling fans and gauges but thats about where my knowledge of electrical stuff ends.

 

I think it's the other way but if it's a digital meter,it won't(shouldn't) damage the meter.It will just show a negative value if it's connected the wrong way.
Generally,for safety sake,you use the hightest scale and then drop down if necessary,if you don't know what the reading might be. I think the digital meters have some kind of overload protection...at least a internal fuse.

 

my truck does the same damn thing too. i bought it new in jan of 04 and let it sit in my unheated garage and sometimes it wouldnt have enough juice to turn over, never a problem in the summer just when it sits in the cold garage all week, i unplug everything and dis able the dome lights, WTF! i d like to fix this prob, im tired of jumping it,i thought that the battery run down protection would save the battery?but it doesnt. did i mention im tired of jumping it?!

 

Yeah its a digital meter. IDK if it has an internal fuse or not. Yeah its really annoying for sure. Hopefully I can figure out what the deal is this weekend if I have a chance. I have to install a nitrous kit and drie to Houston so I may not get to figure it out this weekend

 

Even if it did somehow damage it,you can get them at Harbor Freight for less than ten bucks. Just don't have it set to read resistance...that will definitely damage it.
I've used that method to find current draws...it does work...good luck.

 

they have fuses. Set it on 10 amps, most don't have more than 10 amps capability.
leave the negative post hooked up. You will put the meter in series with the positive cable, all loads going through the meter. One test lead to the posi post and the other lead to the posi cable. Don't turn anything on that will draw any current while doing this or you may pop the meter. you have to make sure EVERYTHING is turned off. No dome light or anything.