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Topic: battery woes (Read 1550 times) previous topic - next topic

battery woes

So, I was installing a power cable for my sound system on the positive terminal and didn't disconnect the negative and smacked a wrench against something and got some sparks. So...now the battery is dead and most likely fried. No power at all. My girl friend got home and I hooked her car up with jumper cables for about 15 minutes and when I tried to start it the starter just buzzed. So I figured, I'd just wait a bit and try again. Same result. So I disconnected the jumper cables and no power at all. So to everyone in the internet land....did I fry my battery and will one car running not quite have enough umph to start another with jumper cables?

battery woes

Reply #1 –
Check your fusible links?

(They run from the starter relay on the driver's side inner fender down and along the fram rail...that is if it's an '88 5.0. V6 I have no clue..)
'98 Explorer 5.0
'20 Malibu (I know, Chevy, but, 35MPG. Let's go brandon, eh)

battery woes

Reply #2 –
No, but i figure if when i have the cables hooked up to it for 15 min and disconnect them that there is no power at all, not even for the dome light, i'm assuming it's the battery. You wouldn't have to have a pic of those links would you?

battery woes

Reply #3 –
it is a 302 btw

battery woes

Reply #4 –
also...if the battery isn't gettin enough juice wouldn't the starter just make a buzzing sound or is that something else?

battery woes

Reply #5 –
Quote from: zerokool;319057
No, but i figure if when i have the cables hooked up to it for 15 min and disconnect them that there is no power at all, not even for the dome light, i'm assuming it's the battery. You wouldn't have to have a pic of those links would you?


This is the solenoid.... all those wires that are NOT the battery cable on the left stud are the fuse links :D
Fox-less at the moment

battery woes

Reply #6 –
thanks for the help guys. it was something so stupid i'm not even gonna talk about it
 

battery woes

Reply #7 –
lol can we hear it anyways, if not, glad you got it figured out

battery woes

Reply #8 –
Quote from: zerokool;319072
thanks for the help guys. it was something so stupid i'm not even gonna talk about it


Talk about it and let us revel in how stupid it was! :rollin:

battery woes

Reply #9 –
Bad or loose terminal?

Nothing none of hasn't done at least once ;)

It's only stupid if you have it happen more than one more time lol
'98 Explorer 5.0
'20 Malibu (I know, Chevy, but, 35MPG. Let's go brandon, eh)

battery woes

Reply #10 –
well...here it goes....after gettin so pissed at the car for awhile and readin up online about stuff and lookin at battery prices, i had a friend of a friend come over with a battery meter. We checked the battery, it had power and was good. We checked the fuses in the car, they were good. We checked the fusible links. They were all good too. He bumped the battery and low and behold the interior lights came on the the door bell was chiming. So 2 hours of frustration turns out to be i must have bumped the battery when i smacked the wrench on the ac lines causing what was a loose dirty terminal to slip and loose contact. What a dumb move on my part all together to not check it

battery woes

Reply #11 –
Hey man that can happen to the best of us. I see this kind of problem everyday when I diagnose battery problems. The hardest thing is convincing people with no electrical knowledge that bad connections and other defective things that cause significant amperage draw when the car is off and the doors are closed are at fault and not the battery itself. What is funny is when you start questioning customers they will finally admit they left lights on, a door open, or an electrical device that stays on all the time plugged into a cigarette lighter or power outlet...

Well at least it was a good learning experience for you! You don't gain wisdom and knowlege any other way unless you exercise problem solving...

battery woes

Reply #12 –
exactly. I think it was more of a complacency on my part by not starting from square one and checking the other terminal. It's like a story my friend told me about a couple years ago about his mom complaining to him about the computer not working even after she turned it on. He went to check it out and viola the monitor wasn't on. It's just something so simple and stupid that i got into a rush and overlooked and cause myself such a headache over, for nothing.