electrical gremlin

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euclid

euclid

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10 Year 15 Year 20 Year OG
Joined
May 15, 2002
Threads
328
Messages
6,067
Location
Jackson, MS
OK fellers I have some strange symptoms on my 2000 100 that I haven't been able to diagnose. Stock electrical system except for a winch wired to the battery, which has been in place for a year at least.

Symptom:
Truck acts like the battery is dead, wont turn over. Dash lights come on with key turn but not enough juice to turn over the starter.

The first time this happened was after I used a cig lighter power adaptor to charge my MacBook Air with the key in the ACC position. Haven't used that charger since.

Band aid: jump it off and it runs just fine. I can even turn the truck off and then immediately re-start it and it works fine.

Earlier symptom:
Dragging sound like the gear on the starter was not disengaging after the truck started. Sounded metallic like there was a chunk of metal rolling around in there.

I say earlier because when this first happened I cleaned the battery posts and this has gone away.

I noticed when I cleaned the battery posts that there was white powdery looking oxidation on the posts and on the battery hold down. This is very new and I wonder if it is associated with a change in how I use my truck which is long afternoons of being in and out of my truck and rolling the windows up and down and charging my iPhone using the cig lighter iPhone charger. The cig lighter inverter charger killed the battery the first time. I haven't used it since.

Tests so far:
I watched the tech at the interstate store load test and cell-test the battery. Both test results indicate good battery. Alternator is putting out just over 13 V at idle.

Thoughts? TIA
 
euclid said:
OK fellers I have some strange symptoms on my 2000 100 that I haven't been able to diagnose. Stock electrical system except for a winch wired to the battery, which has been in place for a year at least.

Symptom:
Truck acts like the battery is dead, wont turn over. Dash lights come on with key turn but not enough juice to turn over the starter.

The first time this happened was after I used a cig lighter power adaptor to charge my MacBook Air with the key in the ACC position. Haven't used that charger since.

Band aid: jump it off and it runs just fine. I can even turn the truck off and then immediately re-start it and it works fine.

Earlier symptom:
Dragging sound like the gear on the starter was not disengaging after the truck started. Sounded metallic like there was a chunk of metal rolling around in there.

I say earlier because when this first happened I cleaned the battery posts and this has gone away.

I noticed when I cleaned the battery posts that there was white powdery looking oxidation on the posts and on the battery hold down. This is very new and I wonder if it is associated with a change in how I use my truck which is long afternoons of being in and out of my truck and rolling the windows up and down and charging my iPhone using the cig lighter iPhone charger. The cig lighter inverter charger killed the battery the first time. I haven't used it since.

Tests so far:
I watched the tech at the interstate store load test and cell-test the battery. Both test results indicate good battery. Alternator is putting out just over 13 V at idle.

Thoughts? TIA
Click to expand...

Could it be the dreaded starter contact issue?
 
euclid said:
It doesn't give me the CLICK when I turn the key. No nothing.
Click to expand...

Do you have access to another battery to try it out? I saw that yours was tested, but you never know.

Maybe also a grounding issue...
 
euclid said:
Lights on AUTO. Turn off truck, don't open the door and the lights stay on. The lights kill the battery.

Dumb design.
Click to expand...
you're referring to your headlights right?

how long do the lights stay on for you? i believe this is configurable (techstream) and should be like 30 seconds which should not be draining your battery. Are you saying yours has a problem and stays on until the battery dies or are you suggesting the ~minute of lights is draining your battery?

Sent from my iPhone using IH8MUD
 
The headlights will stay on until the driver door (only) is opened. You then have to cycle back through the stalk options (Auto>Off>On) to turn them back on. I can't put 2 and 2 together, but did you sit in your 100 until the battery died from the headlights?
 
did you have a chance to take a look into your cigarette lighter receptacle? Maybe you arc welded a pieces of metal when placing or removing your high amperage charger causing it to short/lose charge.Just a possibility but I think it could be still a bad starter or battery. 12 years is about time for a starter. I 've had bad starters sound like a whine/grind while others no sounds at all. Did you try the "hit the starter while turning the key"? How many miles on the truck?
 
euclid said:
Lights on AUTO. Turn off truck, don't open the door and the lights stay on. The lights kill the battery.

Dumb design.
Click to expand...


From the owner's manual below. Unless I'm missing something, the light should not be staying on more than say 30 seconds beyond your door opening or closing. So if it is staying on for an hour as you said then it is not functioning as designed as far as I can tell...?

When the headlights come on, the lights
automatically turn off about 30 seconds
after any of the doors is opened and
closed with the ignition key turned to the
“ACC” or “LOCK” position.* To turn them
on again, turn the ignition key to the ”ON”
position, or turn the headlight switch off
and then twist the knob until the first or
second clickstop. If you are going to park
for over one week, make sure the headlight
switch is off.
When the headlight switch is on with all
the doors locked, pushing the “LOCK” button
on the wireless remote control key​
turns off the headlights.


euclid said:
Headlights or drl, not sure which but mine stayed on for an hour this am.
Click to expand...
Again, don't think your system is working as designed, so if I were you I'd want to identify what is staying on longer than it should and see if you have some sort of electrical issue there... Should be easy enough to see if it's the Headlight or DRL...
 
euclid said:
Lights on AUTO. Turn off truck, don't open the door and the lights stay on. The lights kill the battery.

Dumb design.
Click to expand...

agaisin said:
From the owner's manual below. Unless I'm missing something, the light should not be staying on more than say 30 seconds beyond your door opening or closing. So if it is staying on for an hour as you said then it is not functioning as designed as far as I can tell...?

When the headlights come on, the lights
automatically turn off about 30 seconds
after any of the doors is opened and
closed with the ignition key turned to the
“ACC” or “LOCK” position.* To turn them
on again, turn the ignition key to the ”ON”
position, or turn the headlight switch off
and then twist the knob until the first or
second clickstop. If you are going to park
for over one week, make sure the headlight
switch is off.
When the headlight switch is on with all
the doors locked, pushing the “LOCK” button
on the wireless remote control key​
turns off the headlights.



Again, don't think your system is working as designed, so if I were you I'd want to identify what is staying on longer than it should and see if you have some sort of electrical issue there... Should be easy enough to see if it's the Headlight or DRL...
Click to expand...

Didn't open the door. That's the kicker.
 
I did a test last night. I started the truck with the driver window down and lights on. I reached in and shut the truck off with the lights still on. I left and an hour they were still on. Opened the door and off they went. Out of the 13 years we've had this truck, this hasn't been a problem. It's good to know though, makes me flip the light stalk to off before I get out just for good measures.
 
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