Help please! New batt cables, no power!

[RockcrawlerEX]

I really need to resolve this, i need my POS for work. I just finished putting in the new battery cables, all the positive leads arewhere they go and all the grounds are where they go, but im getting no power. Battery reads 12.8 on my dmm. Any suggestions on where to look? Checked all the fuses already.

 

[nannay12]

Did you make sure you have the right wires connected to the solenoid?

 

[RockcrawlerEX]

Did you make sure you have the right wires connected to the solenoid?

Im pretty sure i did but even ifthey were mixed wouldnt i still have power to my lights and stuff?

 

[nannay12]

Hmmm.. ya I think you are right. That is very weird!

 

[Yankee516]

Morning! Were you replacing them because of a no-crank problem? Were you originally getting a one-click or multi-click when trying to start the engine? Wonder if you have a problem with the fender mounted starter solenoid switch or improper wiring. I just did mine last week following the great thread by Tbars4:

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=250186

I added some additional tips here too:

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=2741519&postcount=9

Make sure you have the starter switch mounted correctly and have the positive cables mounted onto the wrong post (the switched end). That could account for your issue. If you are using the original 3-post design, the smaller lead it positioned at the top and all the positive leads are connected on the left (closest to the front of the car) and only the starter solenoid cable is attached to the right post (closest to the rear). In the four-post design, the lower post is NOT used.

Reference this pic from Tbars4's write-up:

If that STILL isn't working, maybe the fuse for the power box from the battery is bad. Try and test the voltage across the contacts to verify power is going to the box. A bad ground can also be the problem, so verify that it is well grounded on clean metal of the frame and chassis. I scrubbed mine with a wire brush.

One small possibility is that the cables are bad too. Not sure if you built your own or bought the OE style from Napa which worked out great with less hassle. Maybe you can check each end for continuity as well.

Good luck!

 

[RockcrawlerEX]

The cables i bought were a brand like bw or something, oreillys said they were cross referenced with ford so they were OE fit, but 2 leads on the positive wire were the wrong types but i spliced the correct ones on. I think i may just have a problem with my ground but i wont know for sure til after work.

 

[RockcrawlerEX]

Oh, and i replaced my cables because they were corroded pretty bad so when i would go to start my truck sometimes all the electrical would just shut off like my battery was dead. Then id have to move and twist the connectors til it got power again. The connectors were still pretty new.