Parasitic drain?

Tiny
VANGUY2009
  • MEMBER
  • 2009 FORD E-SERIES VAN
  • 5.4L
  • V8
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 176,000 MILES
I have my battery going dead overnight. When I hook a meter in series it shows 3.35 draw. Removing fuses, two circuits show a significant drop to.003 total draw with both fuses removed. One fuse is the cluster, the other is
SPDJB brake shift interlock. Is there a relay for the interlock I can check? Where is it located? I don’t see it labeled in with the fuse panel which has the 10 amp fuse in position 5 or power distribution panel
Is there a solenoid perhaps I’m missing and if so, can you tell me where it’s located? How do I troubleshoot what to check next?
Wednesday, August 6th, 2025 AT 1:43 AM

3 Replies

Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 54,137 POSTS
So the shift interlock fuse is also connected to the "logic" inside the SJB and then it goes to the shift interlock solenoid, there is no relay involved. You can unplug the solenoid to see if the draw stops, but I have seen the SJB go out and cause this issue. The shift interlock solenoid is on the steering column. Check the image below to see. The fuse for the shift interlock is the #5 fuse btw. There are two fuses that run the cluster. Can you tell me which one stops the draw, is it 26 or 29? Both are in the SJB as well. I would try unplugging the cluster as well. I would try getting a used SJB from ebay if the draw does not stop with the items unplugged. Check out the images (below). Please upload pictures or videos in your response.
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Wednesday, August 6th, 2025 AT 11:58 AM
Tiny
VANGUY2009
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
The cluster I have pulled is fuse 26 and interlock is 5
I found wiggling the shifter decreases the draw it’s like the vehicle is not sensing the shifter is in park but wiggling the shifter and it finds it correctly and the draw drops immediately. I have all the fuses installed and it falls in an acceptable range. So, what in the shifter (column) should I look for next?
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Thursday, August 7th, 2025 AT 11:08 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 54,137 POSTS
Does the shifter go into park fully? You may have a shifter cable that needs to be replaced. Also, when the draw is happening, I would tap on the SJB to see if it changes.
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Friday, August 8th, 2025 AT 10:36 AM

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