OK, First let me say I'm new here so hopefully I don't get flamed. I am having a problem with my 08 Ranger that has got me so flustered I'm about to take a match to it.

I drive truck so my ranger sits all week long in a parking lot. Starting last winter every week when I got back, my battery would be dead and I would have to jump it. Had the alternator tested... Diode Bad... Replaced alternator and battery since it was 6 years old. I still had to jumpstart it every weekend!

Springtime rolled around and I had no problems with it starting. All summer long, no problems, even letting it sit 2-3 weeks at a time.

The first cooler week hit and temps went into the mid to low 40's. DEAD BATTERY! Jump started it at 5 am this morning and drove it 20 miles home. Shut it off and when I went to leave at 2pm it was completely dead again!

I got out my multimeter and did a draw test. I had about .30 amp draw. I started pulling fuses and found when I pulled #33 (Instrument Cluster Battery Feed (B+)) it dropped to .04 amp. After the antitheft light stopped flashing, it went to a flat 0. Put fuse #33 back in and it goes back to .30 amp draw.

Does this mean my Instrument cluster is bad? I see other people posting about a GEM controller? How can I be certain it is the instrument cluster before I spend $279.00 on a new one?

If it is the Instrument cluster will the Odometer be correct when I put the new one in or will it have to be programmed?

I hope someone can help because I am at the end of my rope with this thing and really considering going back to a gas guzzling 70's model truck with no electronics other than HEI!