Electrical Short - What Just Happened?!
Well, I spoke too soon. Problem not solved. I went out to start the car this morning, gave one turn of the key, and all electrical was dead again.
So, I'm going to try a new battery first, and if that doesn't help, I will investigate the other suggestions in this thread.
Well I can plead with you, or act like the teacher in class, or just get plain mean
WHAT DOES IT TAKE to get you guys to pick up some tools (meter and a test lamp) and stop throwing expensive parts at a problem?
Do some testing!!!!
Or.........maybe you have a C you can throw at the car. Just buy a new battery
Now...........I understand the frustration, ..........been there.........But how frustrating is it gonna be when you dump a hunner'd bucks 'o battery in there and........it won't start?
"Whut you need" for electrical testing
1...Two people, or a starter remote switch, which you can make
2...A multimeter which nowadays you can buy for 30 bucks.
3...A 12V test lamp
4...Some alligator jumper leads. You used to be able to buy these at Radio Shack, but you can still get them off ebay, Mouser Electronics, Digikey
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Rig the remote switch, or have an assistant who can twist the key.
"Stab" the probes directly into the tops of the battery POSTS. Twist the key and take a reading. If the voltage goes below 10V, the battery is either DISCHARGED or DEFECTIVE
What do you ALWAYS do first? Charge it, of course!!! It might be DEAD, which is very different from DEFECTIVE
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Battery has been on the charger, rerun the test above: If voltage is ABOVE 10V and engine will not crank,
Move your probes to the starter relay "big stud" and to the engine block. Attempt to crank the engine. Should be above 10V. NO? Check the CABLES and the battery post connections.
How? EASY.
Listen. Frying sound? Bad connection. Look for smoke, feel for heat. Use your METER. Put one probe on the battery pos. post, the other probe right next to it on the battery clamp. Crank the engine. Should be less than .1V (1/10 of one volt) If more, remove and clean the clamp
Put one probe on the battery post. Put the other probe on the far end of the cable, at the starter, or starter relay, wherever it goes. Crank the engine. If more than .1V you have a bad cable, IF the clamp test right above tested good.
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Repeat this for the NEG cable.
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You can modify the procedure, jump "right to" the starter. Put one probe on the engine block, the other probe onto the starter main terminal. With engine trying to crank, shouldbe above 10V. If you had "good" voltage at the battery and low here, you know you have a bad cable or bad connection.
If you have plenty of voltage at the starter stud, but it will not crank, replace the starter.