Battery dies over night
 

Had this car since 02 never had any problems, my daughter just gave it to my son and now the batt dies. He thinks he may have left the dome light on but not sure. Any ways it jumped ok and ran all day ok started when ever needed. The next day dead again. lights come on but will not crank over no clicking on anything. Jump won't start it still wont turn or click nothing. he leaves it for a couple more days and jumps it ok starts and drives fine. Drives 40 miles to my house and I check battery volts at 14.1 running and 12.5 off drops to 11.9-12.1 while starting. Seems ok to me. A couple days later he parks the car at work and when he gets out to car some of the dash lights are on and the radio is playing when the car is locked and key is in his hand. The question is could the electric part of the ignition switch ie the back current carrying part not the key part, be bad. He tried to jump after this last time and it won't start, same thing no crank or clicking nothing.

Jeff

Better get that radio out of there. Time for a nice aftermarket unit. I've seen the factory ones come to life before. The thing is the radio is on the BUS comm so if it gets real bad it could take down some modules communication inside the car. Charging and cranking volts sound fine.

Any idea why it will not start with a jump? I mean it won't even turn over.
Jeff

I'm sorry, I thought I was posting in newer car area.

Take the 2 piece shroud off of the steering column and look at the ignition switch plug and the switch. Look down inside the plug at both places see if any melting has been going on. CHeck the wiring a few inches or so away from it. Then look at the IOD fuse in the underhood PDC and see if there is anything melted around it.

Question, when he found his radio on did he get it to turn off by doing anything, or is it still on?

Ok he said he was able to turn the radio off, he also told me that the radio will not turn on all the time and sometimes it will crackel and then go off by itself, so the on off may have been on at the time it came on with out the key on.

I took apart the steering column and checked out the switch, no burnt areas no smell of burning. I couldn't find any thing wrong. One thing I noticed was the key wasn't turning off all the way but would pull out of the ignition. When putting everything back together I couldn't get on the part that connects the neutral starter switch to the bottom of the tumbler assembly. My son was asking me what this part does so I was explaining how it keep you from starting the engine without the car being in park or neutral like this I said and pushed the shifter into park!!! The shifter had been put into reverse instead of park and the key turned to the stop next to off and pulled out. Guess what it started to crank but needed another jump to get started. Boy was my sons face red, the car started fine after a 30 minuite drive. Thanks for the help.
Jeff