Need Help
Jul 26, 2014 | 10:03 PM
#1
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 22
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From: Seattle
Need Help
Just picked up a 93 4X4 pickup, 4 cyl manual.
Drove fine for first 20 miles, then acted like it had a bad battery, I jumped it and it started. drove to Parts store to get a new battery and it died in there lot as I was driving in. battery tested ok so I pulled the alternator for testing, its also ok. I am not a very experienced mechanic but I try and do what I can. Any idea of where to go from here?
It makes a clicking sound when trying to start like a bad battery but it will jump start pretty easy.
Drove fine for first 20 miles, then acted like it had a bad battery, I jumped it and it started. drove to Parts store to get a new battery and it died in there lot as I was driving in. battery tested ok so I pulled the alternator for testing, its also ok. I am not a very experienced mechanic but I try and do what I can. Any idea of where to go from here?
It makes a clicking sound when trying to start like a bad battery but it will jump start pretty easy.
Jul 27, 2014 | 01:16 AM
#2
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From: I live in New Tripoli Pa out in the woods
As you just bought this no telling what might be wrong.
Start with the simple make sure the battery terminals are clean and tight.
Then make sure where the cables attach to the vehicle itself are clean and tight .Don`t just look and say good enough!!
If you don`t own a Multimeter time to get one real voltage readings are a great help.
Start with the basics and go from there.
If you have a poor ground connection the flexing of the vehicle going into the parking lot could have caused the connection to be broken.
Also if you have a charging issue and system voltage drops to far the ECU shuts down
Start with the simple make sure the battery terminals are clean and tight.
Then make sure where the cables attach to the vehicle itself are clean and tight .Don`t just look and say good enough!!
If you don`t own a Multimeter time to get one real voltage readings are a great help.
Start with the basics and go from there.
If you have a poor ground connection the flexing of the vehicle going into the parking lot could have caused the connection to be broken.
Also if you have a charging issue and system voltage drops to far the ECU shuts down
Jul 27, 2014 | 05:49 AM
#3
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Joined: Sep 2007
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From: San Francisco East Bay
Other than blindly snugging up the connectors (which is not hard and you should just visually check anyway), the multimeter is your tool of choice. If the battery voltage from the battery posts doesn't drop much when you try to start, but from the connectors it drops a lot, you've found your problem.
Jul 27, 2014 | 08:56 AM
#4
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Joined: Mar 2012
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Start with the simple make sure the battery terminals are clean and tight.
Then make sure where the cables attach to the vehicle itself are clean and light .Don`t just look and say good enough!!
If you don`t own a Multimeter time to get one real voltage readings are a great help.
Then make sure where the cables attach to the vehicle itself are clean and light .Don`t just look and say good enough!!
If you don`t own a Multimeter time to get one real voltage readings are a great help.
A multi-meter and in this case a 6-dollar battery post/connector cleaning brush
All connections should have bare metal to bare metal contact. Grey is not bare metal, in electrical terms. Bare metal is shiny silver or copper color.
Jul 27, 2014 | 11:14 AM
#5
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Joined: May 2009
Posts: 22
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From: Seattle
thanks for the replies, I will get a meter tomorrow and check it out, I did make sure all the connections were tight and clean. installed a new alternator since I already had the old one out and charged the battery, started right up and I drove around for a bit with no issues but i'm sure its a matter of time before it comes back up again.
