Howdy, '99 SR5, ~200k miles, alternator replaced ~3 years ago with new OEM, battery about the same age. Runs like a top, ScanGauge always hooked up to monitor volts and water temp, always in charging ~13.5v +/-.2 or so, always ~198*+/- a few*.
Parked it yesterday for ~3 hrs, it was ~40* outside, key fob unlocked doors, but when I got in I had no dash lights, no nuthin'! Nothing but silence when I turned the key. I parked on a slight incline so I couldn't get the shifter out of Park. Tried the key a couple more times, nuthin'!
I had just cleaned the truck so all my tools were 15 miles away, its cold and getting close to dark. Last gasp I open the hood, found a piece of wire long enough to touch the battery terminals, just to see if anything would happened... it did, nice big spark.
I shut the hood, got back in, dome light is on, dash lights are on, everything works again!? Starts up with gusto, all good. But the radio had lost its presets and the voltage was pegged at 14.0V for ~5 miles, then tapered down to about 13.7 by the time I got home.
I haven't had a chance to check the terminal connectors and grounds, but I'm thinking the battery is getting old and... well I have no idea why/how it happened. I was jiggling the shifter quite a bit before I sparked the battery, but it seems like if it were a shifter switch (if there is one) the dash lights would have worked.
Just wondering what y'all think...
Thanks
Parked it yesterday for ~3 hrs, it was ~40* outside, key fob unlocked doors, but when I got in I had no dash lights, no nuthin'! Nothing but silence when I turned the key. I parked on a slight incline so I couldn't get the shifter out of Park. Tried the key a couple more times, nuthin'!
I had just cleaned the truck so all my tools were 15 miles away, its cold and getting close to dark. Last gasp I open the hood, found a piece of wire long enough to touch the battery terminals, just to see if anything would happened... it did, nice big spark.
I shut the hood, got back in, dome light is on, dash lights are on, everything works again!? Starts up with gusto, all good. But the radio had lost its presets and the voltage was pegged at 14.0V for ~5 miles, then tapered down to about 13.7 by the time I got home.
I haven't had a chance to check the terminal connectors and grounds, but I'm thinking the battery is getting old and... well I have no idea why/how it happened. I was jiggling the shifter quite a bit before I sparked the battery, but it seems like if it were a shifter switch (if there is one) the dash lights would have worked.
Just wondering what y'all think...
Thanks
