BigChulando

Hi all,
I bought a 91 22re 2wd 5spd earlier this year as my beater and it has been a pretty great truck so far. I have only one kind of strange issue. The truck gives me no indicator that I have left the lights on, so I have killed the battery several times while at work. The first time this happened, I got a jump, and it ran terrible for a few days. It basically would bog down and had no power at lower rpms. It would also sputter at stop lights and I would have to rev it some to keep it from stalling.

Then a few days after the jump start, I was running some errands. After letting it sit for an hour or so, it would not start at all. I checked everything I knew how, and all looked good. I was convinced I had to have fried something with the jump start, because it ran great before, and immediately after, it was running like garbage. I let it sit over night, thinking I was going to have to tow it to a shop the next day. Well, the next day I went to check on it, and if fired up (still running like garbage though). I took it to the shop and they diagnosed it as an EGR valve (which is stupid expensive). After they replaced it, it was running like a top again. This made me think that it was a complete coincidence that it started running bad after the jump.

However, I have killed the battery like 3 or 4 times since then, and every time the same thing. For a few days after the jump it runs bad at lower rpms. It has never been as bad as the first time, and clears up after a few days and starts running great again.

Well, I am at a loss. I have jumped many vehicles and never had this problem. I have searched around, and never found a similar situation. Does anyone have any ideas what could be causing this problem??

xxxtreme22r

your alternator is probably working overtime trying to charge that battery and is both putting a load on the engine and taking away precious amperage to feed the ignition. Time for a new battery and why do you keep killing your battery?

BTW I say this because if I have my stereo and 500W amp up all the way, mine runs like garbage too.

BigChulando

Thanks for the reply, and good advice. Do you think could take a few days to clear up, I have a 60 mile drive home from work to let it charge up?

I guess I should go get my battery/alternator checked at Autozone or something?

xxxtreme22r

yeah I would get them both checked. Preferably when they are still in the truck. And figure out why you keep killing that battery. lol. If you have a bad cell in the battery it might never fully charge.

BigChulando

It actually isn't the truck's fault the battery keeps dying. It doesn't ding or anything when I leave the lights on. So I have killed it several times while leaving them on all day at work. So, it seems to me that the charging system is working well since I have killed and recharged itseveral times, but worth checking out...

ab0tj

It may just take some time for your computer to re-learn the fuel mixture settings after it's memory gets cleared from the battery dying. Maybe you should start checking your headlight switch on the way out of the truck?

xxxtreme22r

^^^^ this is a myth. engine should not run weird because it forgot your "settings" with or without power the ECU does not forget it's long term memory. only short term, meaning it should not run weird because it lost power. Not even sure if these older ECUs have a short term memory to begin with.

BigChulando

Yea, I have been brainstorming ways to get the buzzer to work for my lights. I was thinking I could re-route the buzzer for the door ajar or seatbelt warning to the lights... That's a whole nother topic though. In the mean time I have come up with a super high tech solution. I decided the last thing I do is lock my door (go figure I almost always remember to do that), so I taped a post it just under the lock that says "TURN OFF LIGHTS" with some nicely drawn light bulbs. Seems to be doing the trick so far

Thanks again for the words of wisdom.

xxxtreme22r

if you search on here, someone has done this already. I think lol.