2013 parasitic drain/constantly boosting to start

[Dodgejourneygirl]

My 2013 journey has been having trouble starting for well over a month. I use a portable booster to start it but sometimes even fully charged that won’t get it to turn over but the next day it will. I disconnected the fuse for the HFM and a few others I don’t need. When it does start, the moment I pull away, the parking brake, ABS and stability control lights come on and it beeps once, at the same time the radio screen goes black then the lights go off and the radio screen comes back on. Sometimes it does this a few times while I’m driving. 

 

Today I started it and noticed the light inside the glove box getting brighter and dimmer very noticeably. It wasn’t consistently the same for more than 2 seconds and seemed to be in sync with a whirring noise I heard from somewhere under the hood. After I boosted it today the car switched from km to miles and °C to °F. 
 

For 3 years something to do with the heater behind the glove box makes a periodic “click click click click click click” noise when the car is on and once a few moments after it has been turned off. Apparently a gear isn’t catching. Could this be the cause of the parasitic drain? 

The battery and engine light never come on. Thank you for your time!

Edited Monday at 07:35 PM by Dodgejourneygirl
Added details

[5rebel9]

Clicking noise as you described when it happens is most likely a broken RECIRCULATION /door actuator. NOT LIKELY the cause of parasitic drain. The actuator is one of the easiest to change and many youtube videos about doing it.

How old is the battery, and when were the cable ends last cleaned for both positive and negative at battery and the outside fuse panel and grounds at the strut tower?????

A good FULL electrical system code scan would be a grat thing to have done to help find the source of your cars problems.

[John/Horace]

It sounds like either your alternator is not putting out enough power (ecm controls how much alternator charges) or possibly a problem with bad grounds or even main power connections at battery/fuse box. Lots of people on the site have replaced some of the undersized wiring with better gauge wire and cleaned up some of the main grounds (down to clean shiny metal) and then a thin film of dielectric grease.

 

You need a tec with a multi meter and electrical knowledge to check over the main wire harness. Electrical specialist is better option than regular auto mechanic, if you can find one. Even auto starter, sound system installer are reasonable option. 

Older cars in the rust belt can often have issues with bad electrical connections. Not a simple diy without having some electrical back ground unfortunetly. You have already checked more than a few things yourself like HFM fuse. Bad grounds or corroded connections can create a lot of weird electrical faults with random patterns. May be as simple as post connections on battery.

 

The dash clicking noise may be the blender door venting the cabin air to prevent moisture build up. Most cars do this, it’s around a 2 min cycle of dash louvers. If you-are having  condensation issues, then it’s broken like 5rebel9 mentioned and needs changing. But not parasitic load.

Edited Monday at 08:53 PM by John/Horace

[Dean H]

Read my thread on the battery:

 

https://www.dodgejourneyforum.com/topic/18210-electrical-system-fyi-battery/