Weird electrical thing

[RiverRunner]

Occasionally I'll get in my 2000 Limited and the truck is totally dead - no lights, no seatbelt beeper, no nothing - and of course no start. So I get out, pop the hood, touch the battery terminals, and bingo - everything's on. I cleaned the terminals and thought I had it taken care of but it happened again this morning. Could it be a grounding or cable issue, or...?

 

[Pyral]

Sounds like ground issue, try cleaning off the ground, both the terminal but also where it attaches to the body

 

[phattyduck]

Are the terminals actually tight on the posts? Many times they get overtightened at some point and deformed.

-Charlie

 

[brillo_76]

Inspect the terminals very closely. Verify good fitting like Charlie suggested. Look for bubble and oxidation near the climp parts and eyelets on the main wire feed to the fuse box as well. Acid fumes are known not cause oxidation right near the terminals. Feel for warm spots ( sign of oxidation under insulation if bubbled or deformed.)

This is the 2nd person reporting this in a month or so. Nothing then full power. You stated you thoroughly cleaned the terminals. So unless loose that should not be the issue. I am suspecting with the age of the 3rd gens now, people maybe getting oxidation issue right near the terminals. Where the wires are barely making to main fuse box feed.

As the alternator charge wire, Start wires would only be affected when charging and starting..


Both of these are complete dead nothing no dome then in one case, 30 min hour later everything fine. If your case, everything dead then wiggle move wires or terminal then works.

Sounding like connection failure of the circuit. with the terminals or wires themselves. Possible bad ground. However, the bad grounds don't oxidize as fast as the positive side does.. But a possibility as it would create an open circuit scenario just the same

 

[RiverRunner]

Thanks y'all. I thought to check the grounding point and negative wire myself but it comes off the battery, goes into a group of banded wires and appears to head down under the engine. Any idea where it terminates? I had expected it to go to a closer or more accessible grounding point, but no. Sounds like I need to check the pos as well; maybe a trip to the shop is easiest but hate to spend the bucks if I can do it myself.

 

[phattyduck]

Thanks y'all. I thought to check the grounding point and negative wire myself but it comes off the battery, goes into a group of banded wires and appears to head down under the engine. Any idea where it terminates? I had expected it to go to a closer or more accessible grounding point, but no. Sounds like I need to check the pos as well; maybe a trip to the shop is easiest but hate to spend the bucks if I can do it myself.

Engine ground on that side is just under the oil filter (below the alternator too). There is also a smaller ground on the back side of the passenger side head up to the firewall.

-Charlie

 

[TheSaturnV]

My personal experience is that over time the soft cable ends get to a point where they just won't tighten enough due to corrosion and wear. I took a couple of strips of thin metal and wedged them between the battery terminal and cable ends as I slid them down into position.

This takes up some of the slack and gives the cable end a better bite. Cables that aren't cinched down tight will cause all kinds of electrical havoc.