Battery issue? Or loose connection? (1 Viewer)

[OregonB]

Noticed some efflorescence on the pos post of battery. Its' been working fine, so I had to go do something. Scrubbed the post clean with a toothbrush + water/baking soda to neutralize. I gave the area a lite rinse with water, maybe a quart. Vehicle then would not start. I dried everything up w/a leaf blower, still did not start. I jumped it, and i started fine.

Curious what happened. Did the water get into a branch circuit located near the post...

 

[Spike555]

The water had nothing to do with it. My money is on the battery cable being loose.

 

[2001LC]

Clean post & clamp, put on full charge, then grease the post & clamps, finally attach the clamps.

Would be good time to run down to parts store and get a load test while fully charged.

 

[OregonB]

Thanks. Will do. Better here in my driveway than up on a mtn.

 

[Dwight S]

Check for corrosion on the positive terminal connection to the small inline box at the battery. I had severe corrosion on bottom side of the joint and I ended up having to replace the positive terminal.

 

[OregonB]

So I cleaned up the posts and the clamps thoroughly with a wire, reconnected it all tight.
Click, click. Dead. Had to jump it. So it has to be something besides the battery. Started fine again this morning.

 

[2001LC]

So I cleaned up the posts and the clamps thoroughly with a wire, reconnected it all tight.
Click, click. Dead. Had to jump it. So it has to be something besides the battery. Started fine again this morning.

Not necessarily.

You only mentioned doing two of the five steps I outlined!

 

[OregonB]

you're correct.
I do need to go get the load test.
And I did skip the grease - but in my defense, I did a small amount of research.... there is some online chatter about whether to grease posts.

 

[2001LC]

Did you fully charge the battery before re-connecting clamps!

The factory installed battery of the Land Cruiser with it's lead post, must be grease. Oxidation builds (graying) on connection and inhibits current flow. It will look clean, but will turn gray. If you just clean them, it works ok for awhile but only awhile.


Oh,, But then they's said don't grease online "so it must be true"

 

[OregonB]

You've got me convinced!
What do you use?

 

[2001LC]

I use White Lithium grease which is old school. You can use dielectric grease or auto parts store have tiny packs of red grease that said to be the best. Even vaseline or wheel bearing grease will work in a pinch.

If you don't have a battery charge go on a long HWY drive to fully charge.

Warning, without a load test on a fully charge battery to know if good or bad, driving far from home is risky. Our rigs act funny on bad batteries, and sometime will not jump.

 

[OregonB]

Thanks for sticking with me on this one.

To add to the issue, while I was working today (unrelated - cleaning the cabin temp sensor below the ignition) I left the key in the ignition on "accessory" to listen to the radio. About 10 mins into the job the radio died. The NAV display flickered on and off for a seconds, then went dark. I turned the key to start the engine, just a rapid clicking noise, no starter turn.

Jumped the car, went to auto parts guy who had a tester. I never charged it, although the drive took about 10 mins on the freeway fwiw.
It restarted fine from the parking lot there, as well.

To Recap: battery is established as good, connections are cleaned and super tight (pos post is ungreased, at least for now that should not be an issue). Adjacent wiring looks decent and intact as well. Yet I periodically (once a month or so) get a "dead battery" & need to jump. Then all is fine.

[Some background: I had this rig into the Lexus dealer about 6 mos ago for an electrical issue. Battery dead every 2 or 3 days if not driven. Turns out the PO had had a non-Lexus replacement moon roof motor installed...it was leaking just enough power that, if you drove it daily, not a problem. We ended up disconnecting the roof.]

What I was hoping for was to just get out of this all with a new battery.....ugh.

 

[Julian Stead]

You need to test for a parasitic battery drain.

 

[OregonB]

Yep. Again.

 

[Julian Stead]

Have you got any electrical gremlins that would help pin point.

 

[OregonB]

Other than the moon roof motor issue I described, which was disconnected by Lexus 6 mos ago....there's the yellow "maint." idiot lite went off a few weeks ago + I have the warning light for a light bulb replacement on...looked everywhere to find a burned bulb, can't find it.

This is a weird one...I left it unstarted in 40/50 deg weaher for a week, and it started up fine. Then, like yesterday for example, it just clicks out.

 

[OregonB]

And I do not have a Techstream.

 

[vman07]

Next time you experience a no-start, grab a friend and have them try to start it. While they are trying to start, you jiggle and wiggle wires in the engine bay. Near battery, grounds, anything electrical.

I've found a separated wire inside a crimp like this, wire looked fine from the outside but jiggling revealed a poor connection inside the sheathing/crimp....

 

[OregonB]

staying clear of the fan and belt, of course

 

[OregonB]

Tried it. Couldn't find a loose connection, darn it.
Other than the car not turning over, I hear thatt "small motor sound" that comes from the ABS accumulator (yellow warning labels)...sounded like it lessened in frequency, until it stopped, as power was draining with key in accessory position.