No power anywhere!!!

[bescurred]

Car sat for about 2 months and battery died...

I tossed the charger on it and it showed charged.

I jumped in to start the car and it makes a few clicks and nothing.  Nothing comes on at all!  No lights no headlights nothing.  Didn't have time break out the voltmeter but put a test list on the terminals and it lit up.  Back of the alternator didn't have power at all.

I'm guessing I need to start checking the grounds...No rats or anything either lol...

Any pointers or ideas?

[Steve Wood]

I would guess you need to have the battery load tested....you can take one of mine with you because it is doing the same thing...looks like a bad cell

[bescurred]

My little brother dropped off a battery for me, I'll try it when I get home. 

I would think something would work somewhere if the battery is bad, but its acting like there isn't one in it at all!

[TexasT]

Not with the last few I've had. They work good one day and the next it won't hold a charge.

One of the reasons I buy wally world. They just give you another of it is in the warranty period.

[Steve Wood]

Seems my diagnosis was wrong in my case.  I noticed the battery charger was acting strangely so I used another one and it showed the battery to be mostly charged....yet it acted just like a bad cell when I hit the key.

I remembered that I had charged it a couple of months ago and it acted like it did not need a charge then altho it had been sitting for awhile...

Cleaned the terminals and stuck the charger back on...it acted differently but still did not seem to be fully discharged.  After a couple of hours of trickling charging, it would try to turn over and then die...left it on all night and it cranked like a charm this morning...batt ery is several years old so I will keep my eye on it for awhile...

First time I ever had a side post that the connectors seemed to have oxidized...saw it many times on top post cars. Live and learn.

[bescurred]

Thanks Steve, I'll check out my posts too...I'm a friend of yers on facebook lol I'll send a message if I need more help lol

[TexasT]

I thought one of my chargers had given up but after doing some reading the charger needs a little bit of voltage to get the charger to begin to charge. When I jumped a good battery in with the dead one the dead one then began to charge.

I also bought an attachment for my auto x-ray that does a load test on batteries. Been well worth it.

http://www.amazon.com/AutoXray-EZ-Charge-200-Battery-Tester/dp/B00092CP1G

[larrym]

T do you have the update software for the autoxray?

[TexasT]

It appears as the autoxray was bought out and made an orphan. It works on my stuff as my newest is 2003. I've been looking into something new on amazon. I guess that is why I was able to buy what I got so cheap.

[larrym]

dang it mines good to 2005 wanted to update for my wifes 2009 F150..........

[larrym]

look what I found last time I tried I could not locate this......


http://www.autoxray.com/tool_download.php

[Steve Wood]

a load tester is a really handy tool....for sure!

[TexasT]

I highly recommend one of these if you already have an auto xray as it was cheap and so far has worked great. It tells if there is a bad cell. It is adjustable for cca and the other way batteries are rated(crs kicking in).

[Steve Wood]

I don't have the xray so I am screwed there...and neither my Ctek or my Battery tender seem to be working properly on other batteries that seem to be charged at the moment plus I cannot find my meter so it is buried wherever I used it the other day so I can check the voltages..so, being an idiot, I just ordered another Ctek...hell I cannot even find my little 5 A charger

[larrym]

Steve I'm getting sign out sheet for tools..... I'm always trying to remember who borrowed what!