Fuse Clicking

[ronin81]

So I started noticing some weird behavior from my 2001 Saturn SL 2 recently. The power locks have been a little bit on the fringe (coming on and off randomly). I went away for a week, came back and the battery was completely dead. I assumed what had happened was the driver's side door power lock mechanism was on the fritz again, so I recharged the battery, disconnected the poor door locks on the driver's side, and all was well for about a month.

Then the other day, come home and the battery is (near) dead again (this time after only I day, I had driven it that morning). Enough to get a few lights but not turn over. But when I got in the car I heard this really weird clicking noise coming out of the fuse box. I checked a few fuses, but nothing seemed burnt out. It would stop when I pulled the main fuse on driver's side out, but start back when it was back in.

Unfortunately I had to leave quickly to travel, so now that I'm back the battery is again completely dead.

I'm charging it now w/ a trickle charger and will put it back in in a day or so, but I'm really starting to wonder a) what keeps on killing it and b) what that clicking noise was and how to fix it (something in the fuse box? starter? a relay somewhere?)

Any help would be great.

[toggenburg]

See what it's like after the battery is fully charged.
Did you mean the clicking was continuous and not just when the key was turned and trying to start? If just while starting, it might have been the starter solenoid trying to engage the flywheel (to start the car) and unable to do so due to a low battery charge.

[ronin81]

Put in the newly charged battery and everything fired up fine.

Now though, the rear and trunk lights don't come on. Break light do, and turn signals, but not rear lights nor trunk lights.

I checked the fuzes and everything seemed fine. Last time the car fired up they were working. Any ideas?

[ronin81]

Brake, inside trunk, and turn signals work. Rear lights do not.

[toggenburg]

Glad the battery works now.
Brake lights are good you say, and stop lights (same filament on the bulb) but, no tail lights at all? Most likely the bulb is bad, or socket corroded or worse, a wiring issue. Check the bulb tho.
Oh, do the front parking lights come on with the switch flicked to headlights?

[ronin81]

Yeah - all front lights comes on. Just seems weird that they would all go out at once (hoping it's not a wiring issue).

[ronin81]

Sorry - i had the wrong lights listed - here's what comes on:

[toggenburg]

Um I've only had an SW2 so I am presuming on your car that those are the tail lights working? So, you lost the brake/turn signals?
Does the 3rd brake light work, and what happens if you put the hazard/flashers on? Might be the brake light switch is bad or out of position or is it a separate fuse on the 2001 model? Have you checked the actual bulb and socket to determine if you are getting 12 vdc to the socket?