Slow battery drain and ticking from instrument panel

[MoKanB]

2002 dodge ram 1500 5.9L. When I shut off the engine the instrument cluster remains engaged for a few seconds and the guages slowly fade down to off, the alarm light comes on and there is a faint ticking like a watch. dome light and door locks do not work unless the ignition is on as well. If left for several days it will drain the battery. Radio not working at all. IOD fuse is good. Any suggestions? Maybe ignition switch?

 

[SYKRAMMAN]

Is there any aftermarket accessories on the truck? I.e. remote start, alarm, etc?

 

[MoKanB]

There is not no, nothing electrical anyway

 

[bulrid8]

Could be the ignition switch going bad. They are not hard to change. They are known for burning pins on them.

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[xtremewlr]

Could be the ignition switch going bad. They are not hard to change. They are known for burning pins on them.

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Agreed. And to clarify, he isn't talking about the lock part with the key but actually the other side. It's pretty inexpensive and easy to swap. I've done it on my 2004 because of burnt pins that would cause the HVAC blower fan to stay on after turning off the truck and killed 2 batteries on me.

 

[Danny Treadway]

I replaced the module twice but still had the problem just like you are describing. Turns out that it was indeed the actual key lock worn out. I ordered the dorman key lock change kit and rekeyed it to my old key as per the instructions. It fixed my problem.

 

[MoKanB]

I replaced both the switch and the ignition lock cylinder. Same damn issue. I'm stumped. I'll post a video

 

[MoKanB]

 

[xtremewlr]

Wow, got me. You've replaced the 2 main items I would have suspected so I really don't know where to go from here. Sorry.

 

[bulrid8]

I don't remember if there is an adjustment. It sounds like the cylinder is a hair off and not turning the ignition switch all the way to off. Did you check the bar that went from cylinder to switch? Nothing wrong with it?

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[MoKanB]

That was a thought I had too. Didn't know how doable that is. I will have to look it up.

 

[MoKanB]

So, does anyone know... if I remove the tumblers from the lock cylinder, will that allow the key to come out in the correct off position? Will it function as normal, albeit with any key(not factoring in chip)?

 

[FrankCastle]

I know this is resurrecting an old thread, but I'm having the same issue. Have you found a fix?

 

[Peggy Hoover]

Maybe it's your instrument cluster itself. I would give these people a call and see if they can help you. Their number can be found at www.instrumentclusterstore.com. Good luck!

 

[designwebs]

I had the same problem.... I took the stock radio out and no more dead battery. Looking to puch a cheap radio in there now.