So previously I had posted a possible alternator issue as I had just had to replace my battery after ~8 months of use. I had the alternator checked and the charging system is fine. Well wouldn’t you know it, after my car sat from Saturday at 6PM – Monday morning at 7AM, the battery died again. This battery is a whopping 3 weeks old, so given the fact that the alternator checked out, I either have a bad battery or…what about my PIE adapter I just installed? I installed it a few weeks ago, but had some problems with it actually working. I took it to get it checked out at a local car audio place, and it was just working fine now for no reason.
The PIE adapter was installed just before the Autozone battery died the first time, and has been working basically the 3 weeks now that the replacement Autozone battery was in place. I connected the PIE adapter to the 12V power plug on the dash per these instructions:
http://www.jtephoto.com/mustang/idiots_guide/Idiots.htm
I thought this was a switched source, but it’s acting like it’s drawing power all the time, causing my battery to run down. Does that sound feasible or is this simply a worthless battery issue? I almost bought an Optima Yellow Top battery, but for $189 I decided I’d just take the free warranty replacement Autozone battery. If I can’t let my car sit for 2 days, then $189 is well worth it however.
So, PIE adapter or worthless battery? How do I measure the draw on my battery when the car is parked and shut off? Any other things I should look for or check to find the problem?

 

The power plugs are not switched.

 

Well crap, that might explain some things. I can't believe that the PIE adapter actually draws power when the car is turned off, but obviously that is happening. So, assuming I'm not an electrical guy, how do I find a switched source? What should I be looking for? The instructions I referred to earlier state specifically I should use the power plug wire, but that isn't going to work. So given that I only have so much room to run a wire to, what wire should I tap into?

Help a poor soul who has no juice to start his car please...

 

Are you leaving your iPod in the car? I would imagine that as long as the iPod isn't connected it shouldn't be drawing any power. I'm at a loss as to where-else to connect it too

 

I'm pretty sure one of the power points is switched, and one is not. The one that is not switched has a picture of a battery on it.

 

It could possibly be the battery. I was in the middle of a bad battery recall a few years ago. I went through 3 in a month. Also, I read here or somewhere that putting a hidden switch on the power supply of the PIE for easier reset when that needs to be done. That may help you isolate your problem. Seems to be a pretty cheap easy solution to PIE problems.

 

What about identifying a switched power source out of the fuse box behind the passenger kick panel. If its a fuse already in use, use an "add-a-fuse" and a piece of copper wire to extend it to the PIE adapter.

I did similar for my radar detector and homelink mirror and they both work great!

 

Definitely not leaving the Zune player (Ipod, HA, I'm no Mac fanboy!) connected. In fact, I disconnect it, bring it inside, turn my radio back to the FM setting, then turn the car off. The only change made before my battery problems was the installation of the PIE adapter. I cannot imagine that I'd have to go all the way to the kick panel for a switched power source as the PIE unit only provides a 12" power lead. Ah, what do I know. I'll look at the power plugs now when I go to replace my battery.

I'm thinking of disconnecting the PIE unit harness and running it for a few days to see. The bad battery thing still intrigues me as it is Autozone, who knows where their Duralast batteries come from.

Does anyone know if the PIE unit draws power constantly even when the car is turned off?

 

I believe Duralast is made by Johnson Controls which is one of (or is) the best battery manufacturers.

 

You need to get a digital multimeter. With that you can tell how much draw there is on the battery when the engine is off. When doing the test, you need to make sure that all other power sources are turned off like the dome light and hood light. You will also need a service manual that has the amount of the Engine Off Current Battery draw. If your draw is higher then the PIE unit is drawing power.

 

I really hope this doesn't sound like a dumb question, but what exactly does the PIE adaptor stand for ? and is it related to the K.A.M (keep alive memory) and smart junction box in anyway

 

Stands for Precision Interface Electronics, it's basically an mp3 player adapter that plugs into the back of the OEM radio. Needs to be connected to a power source, which may possibly be the source of my issues here.