Okay, so it has been a while since I have posted since usually I find all my answers using the search feature.
Not this time, unfortunately.
Here is the situation as it unfolded today -
Call from wife - NO POWER. She got my daughter to the "Mothers Morning Out" and was then stranded. Turn the key on and nothing happened - no interior lights, no radio, no dash lights, no power door locks. Nothing.
When I get to the truck I check the "links" and all three are in good condition. I find some loose relays and some loose fuses but nothing "burned out."
I put the volt meter on the battery and I read 12.27v.
I put the key in the ignition and now I hear a faint buzzing and some dash lights are faintly trying to come on. The radio works and the clock is on. I tried to crank and nothing happened. The dash went blank and nothing - not a clunk to be heard. I returned the key to the on position and some buzzing (very faint) and the dash lights dimly light up.
I have to push the truck out of the parking space to jump it...thank you ARB for being easy to hold onto.
I get it backed out and jump it off from my 4Runner - VROOOOOM!
I don't dilly dally - I pull off the jumper cables and it stays running. I drive it home (4 miles at 45 mph) without any issues. I was cautious not to run any accessories that might drain what charge there was in the battery.
When I get home I put the voltmeter across the posts while the truck is still running and see 14+ volts.
I stop the engine and tried to restart - dead. Nothing happened. No clicking like the solenoid trying to turn over...nothing.
I found that my positive cable was slightly loose. Meaning that while I was loosening the nut that holds my positive wire to the clamp I saw the clamp rotate. I was pulling the wires off the clamp to see if there was any chaffing or damaged loom. So I cleaned and re-tightened everything.
I checked the voltage across the posts of the battery and saw 12.73v. So I tried to start it - This time I had interior lights on, radio on, the power seats worked, the AC fan worked....no start. Turning on the headlights killed everything. Trying to turn on the hazards made this strange chirping noise and dimmed everything.
I push my truck out of the garage and jump it again - VROOOOM!
This time I drive around and idle in my driveway for 1 hour. I turned on the headlights - Saw the volt gauge bounce. I saw this bounce for headlights (low and high beam change), turning on the hazards or blinkers caused the bounce to happen every time the relay clicked. Now for the surprise - if I FLASHED my high beams the voltage dropped in half the alternator light flashed on and the RPMs of the truck DROPPED in half.
This was interesting because besides this - everything else worked like it usually would. So I pushed the envelope to see what would happen. I flashed once - voltage drop/RPM drop - I then flashed repeatedly which had less and less impact on the voltage gauge and RPMs.
I drove around some more thinking that this must have been because the battery wasn't charged enough...surely it would improve driving around some more.
I got home and pulled into the cave..I mean garage..and shut down after checking that again I was over 14v with the engine running. With the engine off I was at 12.79v.
I tried to crank again - Nothing happened - no clicking or any sound. The dash lights disappeared and nothing happened. It was like I turned the truck off. When I turned the key to the on position I got the same pathetic buzzing noise and bashful dashlights I had before I drove the truck for an hour.
The battery is a DieHard International Group 27 772CCA that is over 4 years old (maybe 7 years old) and up to this point people have always commented on how aggressive my truck cranks and starts. It was always CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP - VROOM!
My truck has proudly just turned over 190K. I have done nothing electrically to the truck yet as it is my wife's daily driver while waiting for my 4Runner to be paid off. Then it will become my toy again. So this is to say - I have not recently done anything to the truck besides PM and inspect her. Effectively this is a shot out of the blue because she has been such a solid workhorse.
Each time my truck was jumped my started came to the party with AUTHORITY. I would wait a few minutes before attempting to crank and when I did it was like - Chiiiiiirp, CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP - VROOM!
So here is where my trouble shooting has lead me and unfortunately I do not have enough time/diagnostic equipment to verify the next step. It is either that the alternator is not charging the battery adequately anymore - but produced enough power to run the truck without issue once jumped. OR - It is time to say goodbye to the battery and find a new one.
The thing that has stumped me is the "Flashing-the-brights-makes-the-voltage-drop-like-a-prom-dress-on-prom-night" thing. Because in my mind that could take me down both roads.
So - I have checked voltages around the engine and peered around to see if I see melted wires etc...I have not pulled open any harness sections because I am currently not inclined to do so. Everything works at this point once the truck is jumped.
Any and all feedback will be welcomed. I apologize that electrical no start conditions come up so often on these forums and it sometimes feels like they are all the same. I read through each one that came up in my searching.
Not this time, unfortunately.
Here is the situation as it unfolded today -
Call from wife - NO POWER. She got my daughter to the "Mothers Morning Out" and was then stranded. Turn the key on and nothing happened - no interior lights, no radio, no dash lights, no power door locks. Nothing.
When I get to the truck I check the "links" and all three are in good condition. I find some loose relays and some loose fuses but nothing "burned out."
I put the volt meter on the battery and I read 12.27v.
I put the key in the ignition and now I hear a faint buzzing and some dash lights are faintly trying to come on. The radio works and the clock is on. I tried to crank and nothing happened. The dash went blank and nothing - not a clunk to be heard. I returned the key to the on position and some buzzing (very faint) and the dash lights dimly light up.
I have to push the truck out of the parking space to jump it...thank you ARB for being easy to hold onto.
I get it backed out and jump it off from my 4Runner - VROOOOOM!
I don't dilly dally - I pull off the jumper cables and it stays running. I drive it home (4 miles at 45 mph) without any issues. I was cautious not to run any accessories that might drain what charge there was in the battery.
When I get home I put the voltmeter across the posts while the truck is still running and see 14+ volts.
I stop the engine and tried to restart - dead. Nothing happened. No clicking like the solenoid trying to turn over...nothing.
I found that my positive cable was slightly loose. Meaning that while I was loosening the nut that holds my positive wire to the clamp I saw the clamp rotate. I was pulling the wires off the clamp to see if there was any chaffing or damaged loom. So I cleaned and re-tightened everything.
I checked the voltage across the posts of the battery and saw 12.73v. So I tried to start it - This time I had interior lights on, radio on, the power seats worked, the AC fan worked....no start. Turning on the headlights killed everything. Trying to turn on the hazards made this strange chirping noise and dimmed everything.
I push my truck out of the garage and jump it again - VROOOOM!
This time I drive around and idle in my driveway for 1 hour. I turned on the headlights - Saw the volt gauge bounce. I saw this bounce for headlights (low and high beam change), turning on the hazards or blinkers caused the bounce to happen every time the relay clicked. Now for the surprise - if I FLASHED my high beams the voltage dropped in half the alternator light flashed on and the RPMs of the truck DROPPED in half.
This was interesting because besides this - everything else worked like it usually would. So I pushed the envelope to see what would happen. I flashed once - voltage drop/RPM drop - I then flashed repeatedly which had less and less impact on the voltage gauge and RPMs.
I drove around some more thinking that this must have been because the battery wasn't charged enough...surely it would improve driving around some more.
I got home and pulled into the cave..I mean garage..and shut down after checking that again I was over 14v with the engine running. With the engine off I was at 12.79v.
I tried to crank again - Nothing happened - no clicking or any sound. The dash lights disappeared and nothing happened. It was like I turned the truck off. When I turned the key to the on position I got the same pathetic buzzing noise and bashful dashlights I had before I drove the truck for an hour.
The battery is a DieHard International Group 27 772CCA that is over 4 years old (maybe 7 years old) and up to this point people have always commented on how aggressive my truck cranks and starts. It was always CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP - VROOM!
My truck has proudly just turned over 190K. I have done nothing electrically to the truck yet as it is my wife's daily driver while waiting for my 4Runner to be paid off. Then it will become my toy again. So this is to say - I have not recently done anything to the truck besides PM and inspect her. Effectively this is a shot out of the blue because she has been such a solid workhorse.
Each time my truck was jumped my started came to the party with AUTHORITY. I would wait a few minutes before attempting to crank and when I did it was like - Chiiiiiirp, CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP - VROOM!
So here is where my trouble shooting has lead me and unfortunately I do not have enough time/diagnostic equipment to verify the next step. It is either that the alternator is not charging the battery adequately anymore - but produced enough power to run the truck without issue once jumped. OR - It is time to say goodbye to the battery and find a new one.
The thing that has stumped me is the "Flashing-the-brights-makes-the-voltage-drop-like-a-prom-dress-on-prom-night" thing. Because in my mind that could take me down both roads.
- This could be the regulator not keeping up with the demands of the truck - thus needing attention.
- This could be the charging system sucking hardcore
- This could be the battery not having enough electrolyte to do its thang anymore. (this is a maintenance free battery, or else I'd have tried to do something about that)
- D - All of the above.
So - I have checked voltages around the engine and peered around to see if I see melted wires etc...I have not pulled open any harness sections because I am currently not inclined to do so. Everything works at this point once the truck is jumped.
Any and all feedback will be welcomed. I apologize that electrical no start conditions come up so often on these forums and it sometimes feels like they are all the same. I read through each one that came up in my searching.