When disconnected, my battery will sit at around 12.8 volts. I tested the current draw by disconnecting negative terminal and then using the multimeter in series. It read -1.8 amps, which is a ton. I also tested the voltage after immediately turning off the car. The voltage drops quickly from 14 volts to 10.5 volts within 30 seconds, you can watch the numbers fall.
What could cause a draw this large?
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If the battery voltage drops from 14 to 10.5 volts in 30 seconds with a 2 amp load, then the battery has no capacity and needs to be replaced before you can properly diagnose a parasitic load issue.
1.8 amp load for a bit might be normal. The battery should be able to withstand that load for at least a day. The voltage going down within 30 seconds means the battery is bad.
Replace the battery first unless you have a power supply that you can hook up to the vehicle for diagnosing.
Yea, like another user said, I should have let all the modules power off before I did the test. My biggest question is why does it only happen in the colder weather.
Electrical problem changing with the weather is really common.
Which would lead me to think alternator, but it had same issue before and after the alternator was replaced
That’s why you should measure what causes the problem rather than just replacing parts.
No I agree. Last year I went thru every fuse in the two fuse boxes and non affected the draw except the power saver fuse, ironically. Even then it was a very small difference
How much was the current draw then?
Sounds like you have a bad battery. I’d test that first. A 1.8 amp draw might be normal for your car right away, some cars take 30-45 minutes to get the modules to sleep before you can accurately test for a draw.
Reconnect the multi meter and pull one fuse at a time. When you see the big reduction in current you are on the right track. I think but am not sure normal draw should be under 100ma. It depends on the car and how it is equipped.
Pull out your accessory fuses one at a time. When the 1.8A drops you know the load was on that fuse.
Does it have the lights in the steps like the Eddie Bauer edition? Maybe bad door switches? I’d check those fuses first
Could door sensor be bad