HaveBlue

I disconnected and removed the old battery from my truck to work on my headlight project. When I reinstalled it, it was dead. I jumped it using my wife's car and went to Checker to replace the battery. They gave me a replacement battery and sent me on my way. Last night, I disconnected the battery again to continue the work on my headlights and it was completely discharged again this morning. I jumped it with my wife's car again, let it run for about 12 minutes, and shut it off. I tried to restart it - nothing. I hooked my wife's car up to it again and this time got...NOTHING! The "door ajar" light is dim. As soon as I turn the key to "on" or "start" everything goes dark. I checked all fuses. It won't even turn with the jumpers attached.

Any recommendations?

kevin444

2 things

maybe alternator

maybe a voltage leak?, get a multimeter, and start unplugging fuses from the fuse box till you notice a change in the voltmeter its worth a shot to pinpoint what is draining the battery.

Firefightertaco

Altentor bad?

rimpainter.com

Could be a bad relay. Get the multimeter out and start testing.

You'll find it eventually. I had a similar situation with our 94 Accord and narrowed it down to a bad ignition switch. Replaced it for $70 myself. The dealer wanted $400 to diagnose and replace.

HaveBlue

Since it won't even start with jumper cables attached to it, do you think it's more likely that I cooked the alternator?

rimpainter.com

Naw. If it isn't even cranking the alternator has nothing to do with it (the not cranking problem). You can actually start and run a vehicle with a bad alternator - until the battery dies that is.

I am sticking with my relay idea, but you are going to need to start testing the voltages at various points of the system and when the key is in certain positions to narrow this down.

4x4Lamm

All this battery movement makes me think that the wire from the battery to the starter is loose or maybe the fusable link is partially burnt out somehow.

I say that there is a problem with the connection between the battery cables and the rest or the rig.

Lamm

Good Times

ya got an ugly leak somewhere. I would think that a relay is shorted and causing you the headache. Get a multimeter and start testing each connection from the battery to locate the voltage drain.

HaveBlue

Could a completely drained battery cause this?

Arron

Hrmmmm since you were working on your headlights, it might be a good spot to start looking, if this problem started after this work. Maybe a lead is grounding, a bulb not in place right and touching ground or something. Check all the wires well around the areas you were working at, as well check back to the source of any wires that may have been tuged at, with a charged battery maybe even warmth, sparking or dare i say burned wire may help track it down.

Good luck, i HATE electrical problems.

profuse007

ill second that. it works for me.

w99t4rweos

Was the new battery was fullly charged when you installed it . If it was , the alternator has nothing to do with it.

Try turning on the headlights and watch either the dash lights or headlight and see what happens when you turn the key to the start position. If the lights dim while in the start position, then the starter is drawing amps and is probably ok.

If the starter just clicks, or does not make any noise , then there is not enough amps to the starter.
Check the battery, cables, cable connection(clean and tight) and the starter solenoid.

Also check for a possible draw on the system.

Good luck

kmchby76

when you took the battery out, where did you place it? if you had it on cement, the cement drained the charge. i don't know why that is, but it is. when you leave the battery out of the car, you need to place it on wood.

MTL_4runner

This is a joke right? .....you can't possibly be serious.

Alan, you should buy youself a small battery charger and charge it again and then reinstall it and see how it does. Often if you fully discarged a battery it may have enough voltage to turn on headlights, dash, etc, but it won't have enough to turn over the starter. Sometimes the battey has become so discharged that even jumping will have no effect (if your jumper cables are not higher grade......ie you are basically trying to start the truck with the battery in another vehicle and the dead battery is trying to charge itself again too). Check the battery with a voltmeter you should have over 12.5 volts to be able to start the truck.

4runnermt

I've been told for years to never put a battery on the ground like that, It supposedly drains the cells.

rimpainter.com

http://www.repairfaq.org/ELE/F_Car_B...CARBATTERY_025

HaveBlue

Bought a small charger and let it charge overnight. I'm getting 12.8 volts. As soon as I turn the key, all the dash lights go dim and nothing happens. The lights even go dim when I turn the key to "on"

MTL_4runner

That sounds like a pretty serious battery drain to me (like a relay or something similar. Check the voltage with the key in the off position vs key in the on position vs trying to start and tell me what you get. You may even have a fried starter solenoid too....not sure yet.

gpcollen1

Yeah - sounds like a nice short.

profuse007

did you take off any ground while taking the headlights off?

btw, the battery on the cement isnt really a joke. ive heard about it, and battery stores never put them on their concrete floor. they either put them on a wooden pallet or rack.

might be a good topic for, discovery channel, myth buster.