Once you isolate which fuse it is, then you have to start unplugging individual components on that fuse circuit until you narrow down what is causing the draw. A good electrical wiring diagram for your specific year 4Runner would be a huge help.

With the Dome fuse out what all doesn't work?

Those are your possible problem components/ Issue areas.

Yes sometimes you actually have to verify wires are not shorted or grounded.

Ok, yea, the wire diagram lists out what works on the DOME fuse.
Auto Antenna
Cigarette Lighter and Clock
Combination Meter
Garage Door Opener
Headlight (w/ Daytime Running Light)
Interior Light
Radio and Player

And yes, w/o the fuse those items do NOT work.

I decided to research the rear hatch, there was a you tube video titled: Rear Hatch Wiring Repair and I did a little investigation. One wire was completely severed, and a couple others with cracked sheaths. So they need repair. And hopfully that was the source of the drain. Still not sure why the cigarette lighter worked, but who knows, maybe the circuit in the rear hatch made it work without ACC/Key/Ignition on.
hoping. It'll be a pain to repair those wires (tight area)...

Cracked insulation and broken wires in the rear hatch boot will cause you issues as well as a large % of the sorts in these rigs are in the rear hatch and doors especially the drivers doors.

Glad to see your making progress.

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Update: I was able to find where to disconnect the wires in the rear hatch. And they do need to be fixed, but for satisfaction I disconnected and then placed a test light between the POS post and disconnected POS cable (easier than fiddling with the temperamental multimeter), sadly it still lights up until i remove the DOME fuse. So more work is needed. The door switch is a simple pin under a grommet and I'll have to figure out how to remove. Oh sigh, i was hoping the rear hatch wire was it. Not sure how the cigarette lighter wires would have been grounded. But since it works w/o ACC key on, then it must have an issue along the lines.

You are testing with all the doors closed and the key out of the ignition, correct?

Yes, all doors closed and key in my pocket. I was thinking...maybe the DOME fuse is supposed to make a closed circuit because it goes to the clock and radio which need power to hold the memory. I have a pdf of the wiring and page 270 (for those who also have it) shows the DOME fuse going to the clock. Why the lighter works without the key is beyond me.

Good news is - I think..., when i just now tested with the multimeter on the NEG side with the damaged rear hatch wiring disconnected/unplugged, I do not see a reading - just ZERO.
So hopefully I am measuring correctly. The wires are in need of repair for sure and one completely severed (it is not the ground or the power - haven't figured out yet what it went to) So many B - Y (black - yellow stripe) wires.
I have to figure out which gauge wires I have to splice. I think most are 18 or 20 gauge, but the Blue Power one is around 12 gauge I think.
I believe it was a lucky coincidence that the DOME fuse made a test light work, but actually it is supposed to...i think.

UPDATE: With the damaged wires at the hatch totally disconnected, my cigarette lighter ONLY works with the ACC / Key turned on. As designed. So yep, the damaged wires on the hatch were indeed causing the issue! I suppose one of the wires (maybe the Black - yellow one that was totally broken) completed a circuit to the lighter. Whew. I now just need to repair the sections of wires. I may be able to go to a salvage yard for a 98 4runner to get exact wires (color/gauge) to make life a little easier and splice in good/flexible sections of the wire. Thanks for everyone's input. I got lucky because the rear hatch wiring is a common problem. So I knew where to look faster than ripping the entire car apart.

Well, after repairing the rear hatch wires, that was not fixing the battery drain. It did make the cigarette lighter works as designed though (only works when key ACC ON). I still can't for the life of me isolate the issue. I tried unplugging things related to the DOME fuse. As much as I can reach them anyway. I have a wiring diagram, but I do not know how to read all the junctions etc. Everything works as designed and no lights stay on. Could the door switch work fine but still be an issue? And measuring with a Digital Multi-meter isn't helping me. Not sure if I should buy a ECT 3000 to help trace the drain, but that may not help much either because the fuse is not blowing.
Surely someone out there has had a similar problem to help point to an issue. I'd hate to spend money as this is a spare vehicle with almost 300K miles and I rarely drive it, and I feel determined to trace this issue and learn the proper way. Even if I need to buy a tool like ECT3000.

This is how I measure mine so as not to wake it up while testing by interrupting power to the pcm.

Your in the No two problems are the same Black Hole, vehicle specific gotta dig into it ground zero.

You got the attitude, Fluke Meter posted is Da Bomb in VOM's for mA's Instrumentation field work,
tough as nails always accurate been a favorite.
Perfect scenario problem can sit there until you work through the circuits.

Thanks for the images 19963.4lsr5. Out of ALL the you tube videos....I never saw this method for testing. I like it and may provide a better reading. My meter starts of high and then drops. Not sure what is causing that, and makes me think I am doing something wrong. Also, all the darn you tube videos neglect to show how to start tracing a drain. I would unplug items on the circuit but that doesn't help me trace the problem area. So maddening. And since my fuse is not blowing... it probably isn't a ground. I suppose I could have a relay stuck in 'open' mode. But I think the only relay on the DOME fuse is the antenna. And maybe DRL's? I disconnected the modules and no difference, but again, maybe my methods aren't the proper methods.

Let it sit for an hour and put your meter leads in amp mode and parallel the white wire.

Then remove the white wire from the post stud or bolt and see what your amp draw is and go from there.


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Ok, I secured the door light switch and latched the door so i could lock and arm the alarm with the door open (to gain access to the fuses). I connected the DMV leads (had to clamp them) and placed them as you have with the white wire to the fuse box disconnected. and got .035-.037 reading. I then measured (with another meter) the Voltage drop across all fuses. I got Zero. hmm.
Now what made me think I had an issue on the DOME fuse was when i remove the negative cable and jump a test light between the batt. neg. post and the neg. cable = the test light lights up. if I remove the DOME fuse, it goes out.
Ok, I am measuring the battery (edit: 12.41) and see if it slowly drains, which I know it will. Any more trouble shooting ideas to proceed with? Thanks!

Attached Images

 

I was always under the impression that anything less than 40ma is good.

Have you tested the amp capacity of your battery yet?


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