I went to start my truck the other day, it was pretty cold, temperature outside was about 15 degrees. I hit the key it cranked once then there wasn't enough power to start it. I pulled the battery and checked it out, the battery is fine. Any thoughts? I have zero electricity as of now, not sure how to diagnose the issue. Any input would be greatly appreciated, thanks!

 

How did you test the battery?

 

I hooked it up to my tester/trickel charger. Then just to be positive i took it over to a auto parts store to get a second test. It holds a charge well.

 

Well, if "there isn't enough power to start it", then it's a battery problem.

But it could be a connection problem, at the battery terminals. Are they clean? Or is there corrosion? Even if it doesn't look like there's corrosion, they might still need to be cleaned. Doesn't hurt to look at the fuses real quick, but that's probably not it.

What did the battery test at? Did you bring it right to the parts store after charging it? Or did you just connect it to the charger to test it, and not actually charge it?

 

I charged it, brought it out to my truck and got nothing. I have no electricity at all. The battery read 12v. Iv never had problems like this before, it usually runs like a top. What fuse would you recommend checking? I cleaned the battery up, I will go brush up the connections. Thanks for the help, greatly appreciate it

 

A fully charged battery should be at more like 12.6V. Believe me, that small amount makes a huge difference...But the auto shop should know that. And even if there isn't enough power, I agree...at 12V you should at least have enough power for some lights to come on in the truck, even if there isn't enough to crank.

There should be a diagram on the fuse panel telling you which fuse is which.

Check the battery wires closely for damage. I'm not great when it comes to the electrical side of things...so I'm just throwing out some of the things I'd check if it were me, before looking for more experienced help

 

Look to your ground connections .

Time to break out your Multi Meter get some real voltage numbers .

You have a charged battery but it is not able to get to where it needs to be.

Meter set to Voltage Direct Current.

Positive battery terminal (Red Lead) to the Engine block(Black Lead) will tell you if you have a good ground.

Cold weather can cause strange things with connections .

 

If you have zero power to EVERYTHING, then it is likely a wiring issue. Check your ground cable at the battery and fusible links.

 

This!