elecrical issues???

[sid23man]

first off i need to say that it has been dying ever week or so if i dont touch it (dont start it turn radio on or nothing just let it sit) well tonight not 10 mins ago i hooked up a new distrabution block for my amps. (battery was disconnected) i hooked it back up and tried the amps they work. so i pulled the power wire off of my battery since i need a new cd player (it fried thats another story lol) and hooked the battery back up got in my explorer so i could roll the windows up and get to bed. lights came on it dinged like normal. well i went to turn the key and every thing shut off. lights shut off stopped dinging etc. it didnt make that clicking noise like it normally does when it goes dead just a louder sound not a loud boom or nothing sorta like a louder zap sound lol. so i pulled the dodge up so i could jump it off. well i opened the back hatch to get the jumper cables and the lights came on. i jumped it off and let it idle for about 3 mins. i shut it off and turned the key to make sure and it did it again every thing just shut off. theres nothing going to the battery to draw power no lights,amp,cd player,etc. just the battery going to the car. can some one please help me with this???? any help is appreciated.

 

[sid23man]

sorry this is supposed to be in the 96-2001 section for my explorers a 98 if an admin can read this and move it please thank you and im sorry. still need help lol

 

[Turdle]

I moved your thread--


did you decide not to sell your explorer?

 

[sid23man]

thanks for moving it. no im selling if theres a buyer lol but in the mean time i need something to drive that dont suck gas lol.

 

[sid23man]

help!!! lol

 

[fraxinusalba]

How old is your battery? Have you check it to be sure its good? Symptoms sound a lot like the battery has weak or dead cell.

 

[sid23man]

battery is roughly about 2 months old, when i got my first amp i upgraded my battery to make sure ya know?..

 

[Hoppy]

I would start by checking the main lines from the battery to their respective locations for good continuity. Make sure the battery terminals are tight and clean, make sure the connections to the chassis ground, engine ground are good, tight, clean, as well as the connections to the power distribution box, starter, alternator etc.

It sounds like you have a bad connection, and this has happened to me in the past by not tightening the connections to the battery. The only time it did it was if I was not going to tighten it due to removing the battery from the vehicle right after using it to start it. I would go out and twist the loose terminal and voila.

Hoppy

 

[sid23man]

you mean the terminals being tight? o trust me they are lol cause i have/had that power wire to it i wanted it to be tight so it wouldnt come loose.

 

[Exploderpilot]

that, and check for corroded wiring from the battery.....

 

[Hoppy]

Yes, but including where all of the wires terminate at engine, alternator, etc.

 

[sid23man]

o ok so you think it could be my big 3? hell i just figured it was a bad alt.

 

[Hoppy]

I suppose it could be your amps, I'd give that a try to rule them out, but I would make sure all other connections on the truck, are nice and tight, clean to prevent any other problems. I had an 86 Bronco II a few years ago and the old connections that Ford used on those year of vehicle were terrible. I had many problems with lost connections. One from the batt to the ign sw. and another was ground from the injector rail to the battery.

 

[sid23man]

ok thanks! well i dont think it would be the amps making it not start but.. im gonna go check the connections later when i get woken up better lol..but like i said i thought it was the alt. cause people say that when an alt. dies it does it slowly and its been doing this every since i hooked my lights up with the amp hooked up. which has been about a month and a half.

 

[Hoppy]

You don't happen to have power on to the remote line to your amps on all the time do you? Just in case you don't know what I mean, there is a smaller gauge wire, around 16 to 20 gauge, that I beleive on my old Rockford amp was blue. This wire when engergized would turn on the main power from your battery to the amps. If you have power on the remote wire all the time, you'll definately have problems as the amps will never turn off until the battery is out of juice.

 

[sid23man]

yeah i have a remote turn on lead but it goes to the back of my cd player,thus when i turn the cd player the amp turns on. but i recently ran the wire from the back of the cd player to a toggle switch and then a wire from the switch to the amp. so its not on all the time..

 

[budwich]

Just to ensure that I understand.... you have taken off all wiring that you have added for any "extra / non-stock" stuff... right? and when you turn your key to "run", everything (ie. courtsey lights, bells) die... right? If you turn your key to ACCY (ie. the other way, what happens?

 

[sid23man]

yes every thing non stock is taken away from a power source. no its completly dead. but when i charge it off then turn it off the lights stay on it dings when the doors open, but when i turn the key every thing goes dead.

 

[budwich]

Please re-read your recent post carefully and maybe correct if necessary... as it is still difficult to understand what your are trying to say (ie. "charge it off...???????) Again, is there a difference in your system response if you turn your key to "run" versus "accy"?

 

[sid23man]

no no difference, by saying charge it off i mean jump it of using my dodge and jumper cables.