So im getting back at this this morning and im going to start by charging the battery up fully,
then... I guess I will just start my testing again...last night i wasnt able to get any voltage reading off my ignition Black/Yellow wire at the plug at the steering so i need to work back from that...any ideas
i just need to sit here and think...
The link “Never Underestimate the importance of a ground” below may help.
Sometimes I hate being “North” of the 49th. The linked leads here are $90… I know the dollar makes some difference, but really. A 30 minute boat ride due east from here, they are $20.48.
At less than 12 V resting I would get that battery tested. Go ahead and charge it but it may not be good and those Optima batteries fail somewhat catastrophically. Good luck.
Edit: Did some quick reading and I may have given bad advice. It looks like AGM batteries do deep discharge and are generally ok if they are above 10.5V.......of course they won't crank a car at that voltage.
If your charger has a boost function (or you can jump it from another vehicle) try it. See if it changes the results.
As stated above, you should see 12.5-12.7 at rest. 14-14.7 running. 9v won’t power much, and won’t start the truck… while trying to start it’ll drop to nothing.
well i pretty much think (98% sure) its a ground because nothing is getting power - usually im at least able to pull the light switch and get lights but no so because nothing is getting power that leads us all to think ground. that should narrow my focus but im not able to place it in my mind where to go. So im just testing everything.
but i should be able to narrow the focus based on nothing getting anything
ok so update - tested my ground to fuse block and 4 of 6 have no reading while the others do -
of the 4 that dont have a reading the important ones are the Ign. and Turn - Black/Yellow
also the headlamp fuse gives me a reading and then when i pull the switch it drops to 0 ... why would that be happening? i assumed ok power to that fuse - should get lights...boom pull - 0 reading - push back in reading jumps back up.
I get a nice reading at my fusible link plug (pictured), so I then take the tester prong to my starter battery cable connection and test and good 12v reading...then go to the ignition coil and NO reading...so reverting right back down to the starter I saw my connections down there didnt look great (black and burnt looking), im going to put new ones on and see what happens...BUT even so, I took off the "bad" connection and tested just the post and still got 0.00 reading !! so even if i change the connections i dont think its going to get power ..so power to starter but no power coming out ???? take a look at the pic where i have the meter hooked to the post and tell me - should i be getting the same voltage reading from that post as whats going into it from the positive battery cable..? - has my starter gone out?
When connected to post I get a 0.00 reading... but at the battery cable its 12
ok so update - tested my round to fuse block and 4 of 6 have no reading while the others do -
of the 4 that dont have a reading the important ones are the Ign. and Turn - Black/Yellow
also the headlamp fuse gives me a reading and then when i pull the switch it drops to 0 ... why would that be happening? i assumed ok power to that fuse - should get lights...boom pull - 0 reading - push back in reading jumps back up.
Sounds like a dead battery. Never had an optima… but wit lead acid I’ve had batteries that would run a car stereo for hours, but put out nothing when there was a more significant load on them.
Try a different battery or jump it and see if the results are different.
Sounds like a dead battery. Never had an optima… but wit lead acid I’ve had batteries that would run a car stereo for hours, but put out nothing when there was a more significant load on them.
Try a different battery or jump it and see if the results are different.
i dont think its the battery...its leading 12v's everywhere i test ... it just stops at the starter
plus this isnt exactly an old battery its basically brand new maybe had to charge it twice since owning..
so your telling me it could be the battery even though i get a 12v reading at the starter where the cable is attached...but then testing the output posts nothing is coming off...im changing connections but again that 0.00 reading from the post in the previous picture leads me to think it wouldnt even matter if i changed the connections even though im doing that currently
because im novice at car language - you mean take the positive battery cable attached to the solenoid and attach a wire from that to the small post that i got a 0.00 reading off?
maybe its not the whole starter, just the starter solenoid? but thats where my problem seems to stem from after all this testing
Your big pos lead from the battery to the starter, jump from that ( to the small solenoid connection) should turn the engine over, this will confirm battery and grounds are ok
I can only work so fast bro give me a second and I am doing what you recommend - trying to do what everyone is recommending
(I appreciate your assistance by the way - I will report back)
im getting 12.01 -12.07 type readings from that - picture of how i got that reading so you know im doing it correctly - positive on battery lead , negative prong on bare metal
so i jumped it and tested voltage and it is now transmitting voltage to the ignition coil and the car is trying to do something - no engine turn...and now i hear a clicking in my relay where the main ign Black/Yellow wire runs through off of a splice. when i turn the key and the rpm meter moves a bit, but no engine turn ... BUT that being said jumping that did begin to transmit the power from the starter to the ign coil....so thank you for that...what are your thoughts now?
