Hey guys. I'm here with a 1984 F150 Ford pickup electrical problem. It goes like this. If I don't remove the battery cable the truck battery drains overnight. With the truck parked and no key in ignition and by amp meter measurement between positive battery post and the disconnected battery cable I measure a half amp current draw. This would seem to confirm that a short or something is drawing current that drains the battery. Removal of each fuse caused no change in the amp reading. Whenever I 'complete the circuit' by touching the amp meter probes to the battery and battery cable (or whenever I reattach the battery cable to the positive battery post) there is a 'clicking' sound under the dash--just left of center. This sound seems to be coming from a 'box', a box sized about half the thickness of a Kleenex tissue box, that is located under the dash. WHAT is this box ? It is not obvious what the box is or does. This box has a bundle of wires plugged into it. Any idea what this box is? Any suggestions how further I may troubleshoot to pinpoint the source and cause of the battery draining ? Thanks in advance. Related, has anyone any comment on the installation and use of a cut off switch temporarily to circumvent the above battery drain problem ?

 

sounds like an after market alarm system
can you get a picture
that or any numbers on the part

 

Thanks mhg. I think the unknown 'box' in question is factory original. It has wiring harness and mounting bracket and plugs that look factory. And the location of it is under, up, and inside the dash, as if located there by design and at factory. It looks original from factory. I'm the second owner, and I have no information or indicaton of after equipment or alarm system on this truck.

 

Thanks mhg. I will get picture at first chance. Can't see numbers on it while still mounted. I may find numbers if I disassemble and take box out from under dash. I would add, this unit/box would seem NOT to be incidental. It's big as a Kleenex box and is well situated in the 'guts area' inside the dash. It has an impressive wiring harness attached to it. It is located as said, and at position approximately left of center of the dash.

 

Most all components are fused from the factory. One of the fuses pulled should make the the box quit clicking. You could also unplug the box and see what doesn't work.

 

It sounds like you're talking about the feedback computer. It has a connector with about 60 wires coming off of it and is a silverish box that's about 6"x1.5"x4".

The other boxes in that area would be the cruise control modules, but you'll only have those if you have crusie control.

Justin

 

I don't know what the box is that you are talking about. However, the clicking may not point to a problem. It may be perfectly normal. Many of my cars will exhibit a click of a relay somewhere when I reconnect the battery.

First of all, are you sure that your battery is healthy? 1/2 amp seems like a fairly light load to be draining the battery overnight. Maybe your battery is just getting tired.

I had a similar problem with one car (not a Ford truck). One morning the battery was dead. I jump started it and it ran fine and the battery charged fine as far as I could tell. I turned on the headlights, high beams, rear window defroster, every electrical load I could turn on, and everything seemed good. After driving it to work, I tried to start it again later in the day and the battery barely had enough juice to start it. Drove it home, ran fine, no problems. Shut if off in the driveway, then restarted it and it cranked right over and fired. Next morning - battery dead. To make a long story short, I tried for a couple of days to find the problem. Then one day, after having my battery charger hooked up for about 10 hours, I was looking around under the hood and just happened to put my hand on the alternator. It was warm to the touch. Ended up being a shorted diode in the alternator. I rebuilt the alternator and the problem was solved.

 

I also had a box that was similar. Like hoxiii said, it was the feedback computer. As I'd converted from the TFI ignition to the DS2, I eventually took it out. Your box might be the same.
Edwin

 

Might be the Throttle Kicker Module which, in '83's, were fed by Fuse #18 @ 15 A.

 

Bundle of wires? Could be the fuse panel which is in that location. Its size matches your description.

The fuse panel will be marked with a Ford engineering number: E0TB-14A068-AA

There's a removable cover over the fuse panel, the marking will be: E0TB-14A076-AA

 

i have the exact same problem. the clicking sound wasnt coming from the tissue box but a little relay looking thing mounted on the side. i have no idea what it does or if that is the problem. ive changed the alternator, neg and pos cables, starter relay, and voltage regulator and it still didnt fix the problem. i could use some help too. this is frustrating

 

That sounds like the cruise control module.

 

my truck doesnt have cruise control, would it still have a cc module

 

the part that is clicking is the ECM wiring relay. i have no idea whqt that is but i found it on line

 

Hey Bakesteak44, this is Virginia Squire, starter of the thread. I ended up simply disconnecting the 'relay looking thing' mounted on the side. And it had NO ADVERSE EFFECT on my truck, and the truck runs ok. And the original, paracitic battery drain problem stopped upon disconnecting the 'relay looking thing' mounted on the side. ( I used a multimeter at the battery to measure the current drain before and after disconnecting the relay thing. The current drain stopped upon getting rid of the relay thing. ).

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