Jeep Meridian: how to fix battery-drain issue?

I own a Jeep Meridian and its battery has completely drained. This forced me to take it to the service station twice: I was at home for the the first time, but it abruptly stalled on the road for the second time. The battery drained while the vehicle was running. They kept the vehicle for over four days, but the problem recurred within three days of installing a new battery. Please advice on how this can be rectified permanently. 

Prasad Wani, Thane

Autocar India says: The battery-drain issue is a common problem reported by several Meridian customers. However, in most cases, replacing the OEM battery and updating the Body Control Module (BCM) has helped resolve the issue. It is likely that the BCM, which controls various functions such as dimming the interior lights, locking the doors, or even flashing the turn indicators on lock/unlock, could be drawing extra current (parasitic draw) from the battery, owing to a bug in the system’s programming. It could also be due to a faulty input from any of the associated sensors. Therefore, we would first suggest getting the BCM updated.

However, if the problem persists, it would be advisable to investigate further by tapping into the fuse box, and by using a multimeter to ascertain the specific electrical circuit that is sapping power from the battery even when the vehicle is turned off. While it could be traced to a particular short-circuited wire in the wiring harness, we would recommend getting the harness changed under warranty.

Furthermore, if no parasitic draw is found, the problem could eventually lie in the car’s alternator, which might be unable to charge the battery properly. In all cases, we would recommend taking the car to a Jeep service centre, and pressing for a thorough diagnosis and repair of the problem. We would advise escalating the matter to Jeep India’s regional service manager, whose contact could be obtained from the service centre’s escalation matrix, for ensuring a qualitative and timely job.

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