Brock Lee

I just got in my truck and turned the key... nothing. I hear nothing, I see nothing. Turning the key does nothing. No interior lights, nothing electrical at all.

What sort of things should I suspect? Help me, guys, please!

thook

dead battery or bad/broken connections.

i will add if it is a dead battery issue and the connections are good, you might have the alternator checked

old87yota

x2

The best place to start is where the power comes from: the battery. First, do a visual inspection of the battery terminals and connections. Are they lose? Corroded? Not even connected?

Do you have a multimeter and know how to use it?

If all the connections are good, then check the battery voltage. It should be around 12.6 Volts.

gsp4life

If it's not the battery (which it most likely is) than the next suspect part are the cables from it. You can check the cables with a cheap multimeter set to continuity.

Have you been having any starting or electrical problems before this happened?

Brock Lee

Went back to the truck. As I began to loosen the terminals a wire on the + side just fell free. Corroded as all get out. I fixed it, started the truck and all's good!

Thanks guys!

gsp4life

Congratulations! Glad you got it up and running again so quick. Now's a good time to check the ends of your main grounds and make sure corrosion hasn't done any more damage.

thook

well, now.

i remember years back....for a time i had problems with the battery connections always getting funky. i'd get them all cleaned and later have problems getting started. it stumped me for a time, and very frustrating. turns out the battery seals were leaky and living on a country road did not help.

RAD4Runner

Toyota components are bullet-proof. Problems usually arise from poor connections and or assembly work like .
Connections, not just grounds, not just f#^@(^g grounds, should have bare, shiny metal tightly contacting bare, shiny metal.
The multi-meter, next only to our senses (common sense included) is the most important electrical diagnostic tool.

wonderhat

Always good when you can just find a bad connection.

In the future, if you're stuck with your standard transmission and you're on a hill or with friends, you can always roll/push start it. Put the key into "ON" position, and releasing the clutch (at appropriate speed) into 2nd gear or reverse (depending your direction) and give it some gas to make sure it catches. Saved me tow $$ with two separate starter failures in the past year.

wonderhat

Although I suppose with a completely disconnected battery it may have still fallen out of idle. But a good back-up to have nonetheless.