I started having a problem a couple of weeks ago. I left my lights on for about 10 minutes and found the battery dead. Got a jump and everything seemed fine. Couple days later, battery was dead when I went to leave in the morning. Got a jump, started fine and then died when I put it in gear. Tested the battery and the alternator; both are good. Starter clicks and sometimes tries to turn over. Took it to our local mechanic, they couldn't find the problem. I noticed today that the rear gate unlatches when I try, unsuccessfully, to start the engine. I am absolutely at a loss. If anyone has an idea, I'd be extremely grateful. I'm also sure I'm leaving out a critical piece of information that's needed.

 

no short in your wiring?

 

Not that I'm aware of, but my familiarity with the wiring system has been limited thus far to installing a new stereo and CB.

 

Did this problem happen shortly after you installed these items? Or did you have both items installed for a long period of time and then experienced an issue?

 

No, they were installed years ago. There was nothing done to the vehicle recently.

 

If you have no current draw coming of an accessory, and the batter check's out, you could be due to an ignition switch. Honestly, these trucks are **** for just about any problems....i have an 01, and its a nightmare, everyday something new. Most unreliable vehicle i have ever owned.

 

A problem with the ignition switch should be shown during amp draw testing. If you remove a battery cable and put a suitable multimeter set to read the amperage connecting the battery terminal to the battery cable, what does the amperage draw read? It will likely start out close to 2A, but should drop to ~35mA after 20-30 minutes as the various systems shut down. If it doesn't drop into that range, then there is a problem in the electrical system that is causing the excessive draw.