85 amp parasitic draw cars

2006 Ford Five Hundred

I took my car to a local garage a few times over the past 6 months because the battery kept dying. They didn't think to test anything after the 2nd battery replacement (we paid for the first battery, they covered the 2nd replacement under warranty). After a dead alternator (which we also paid for... sigh) and the 3rd dead battery, they ran some tests and (allegedly) found an 85 amp parasitic draw while the key was OUT of the ignition. They said we'd have to take it to a dealership for further testing, because the scope of the problem was beyond their ability to solve.

That I buy. What I don't buy is an 85 amp parasitic draw on a car with literally 0 aftermarket parts -- even my radio is stock. My car's at the dealership now. That guy said, if the draw was really 85 amps (they haven't tested yet), it would be big enough "to power 5 refrigerators." They speculated it might be an issue with the body control module (I've never heard of this before).

Any thoughts as to what might be causing a significant parasitic draw on a car with no aftermarket parts? And how much it might be to fix? Even if it's a range from, say, $200 to $800. I'd feel better than going into this knowing absolutely nothing. I'm not car-savvy at all.

Submitted April 29, 2017 at 04:42AM by fuckysprinkles http://ift.tt/2pefB2Y cars