Spent 7 hours tracking a parasitic drain on a 2010 Accord, turned out to be the trunk light switch

I was pulling my hair out on this one. Tested every fuse twice, pulled the aftermarket stereo, even checked the alternator diodes. Battery was dead every morning. Finally gave up and just started leaving the trunk open while I worked. Sure enough, the dome light stayed on. That little plunger switch was barely sticking. Replaced it for $8 at the dealer. Anyone else have a simple fix that took way too long to find?

2 comments

2 Comments

oscarmurphy4h ago

It's funny how often the stupidest little things cause the biggest headaches, right? I feel like that's just a pattern with anything mechanical or even just life in general. We always assume the complicated expensive part is broken when it's usually the $8 switch or a loose screw.

avery_carr572h ago

@oscarmurphy nailed it with the "stupidest little things" bit because we always think the problem is gonna be something major like a bad PCM or a short in the harness. Tbh I wasted a whole weekend chasing my tail on a similar issue with a Civic, turned out the glovebox light was staying on because the plunger was just a hair too short. Ngl you start feeling like a genius when you finally find it though.