[jonpaulfernandez]

Dodge caliber 2010. Came back from dealer service and they said I need a new PCM but the PCM for my car was discontinued last year. They said they looked for after market parts but couldn't find this. Is that true? No hope for my paid off car? Is there some arcane source of old parts I can check with that might have this part? Will look into Ebay but that seems like a long shot. New battery slowly drains to low overnight until I get this fixed. Have to disconnect battery cables at end of day.

Thanks!

 

[672aq]

I would not delve into the PCM until you figure out what is draining the battery.

Low voltage can cause a P1607, but doesn't necessarily mean the PCM is bad.

Look for cheap fixes first.

Personally, I'd first look into door/hatch switches, brake light switch, ignition switch... I'd also pull out fuses one by one.

Relays... I had a car that the horn didn't work, but somehow the relay for it was stuck on, draining the battery in a few days. I never would have figured that out until I installed a new horn (and lost one of my nine lives) when it wouldn't shut off.

If need be, can't PCMs be acquired from junkyard cars? Grab one, try it, if it doesn't work then you can get a refund - as opposed to buying new with no refunds possible.

 

[John Galt]

You can get a PCM from a junkyard and install it yourself cheaply and easily, but you will likely need to have it programmed to the car for it to work. If you dealer will not do the programming for you, find a local car tuning shop that uses HP Tuners software and they should be able to do it.

That said, if the problem really is just battery drain, go search Youtube for 'parasitic draw' and start working to figure out the source of the problem.

 

[Aleks]

I could not locate my drain and got fed up with popping the hood to wrench the cables ... so

Low Voltage Issues

Our Calibers are sensitive to low voltage issues which messes with the electronics, sensor readings, and starting. The Owners Handbook advises - VEHICLE STORAGE If you will not be using your vehicle for more than 21 days you may want to take steps to preserve your battery. You may: • Disengage...

www.caliberforumz.com

 

[chrisf2012]

Get an amp clamp and put it around the positive battery cable to see how much of a drain is on the battery. Let the car sit for an hour with doors closed, windows open, key out of the ignition, and hood open. This lets the various computers in the car go to sleep...normal draw should be a few milliamps. Then WITHOUT OPENING ANY CAR DOORS, pull out each fuse one at a time until you see an appreciable drop in current draw...that's the circuit containing the device causing the drain. Use a wiring diagram to identify culprits and narrow it down.