Need Help badly! Have to always jumpstart to get my explorer started

[GETMYBELTSON]

mr2fix2it, I shut the car off and she will not start again until jumped. This is even after a immediate shut off and try to restart.

Your battery is dead. Yea people are saying your alternator might be bad, but if it is it probably ruined your battery as well. Point being you need a new battery either way so you might as well get one and see if it fixes things.

 

[my98nnj]

8 Year old battery is done! Not enough power left in it, replace it.

 

[badgett]

Hold a screwdriver really close to the negative post while the truck is off. If you get a spark from the screwdriver to the post (like a sparkplug) then something is pulling power from the battery while the truck is off. Draining it overnight.

 

[cpeters1965]

badgett, I will try that today. If it turns out there is something draining the battery how can I run down what it could be? any pointers and clues will help!

 

[badgett]

I usually start by pulling one fuse at a time and checking to see if it stops pulling on the battery. If you have off road lights or a sound system installed I would start with those.

 

[rego]

You really gotta put a voltmeter on the battery. With the motor running and with it not running.

 

[ErnieX]

Had a similar problem - battery tested good as did alternator. Removed battery, put it on a charger and it would charge up fine. Removed charger and let it sit disconnected and the battery drained itself - had an internal short! It would charge up,crank the car, etc., but if it set for an hour or so the battery would totaly discharge itself.

Just a thought - but sounds very similar. Might want to try it just to verify.

HTH

Ernie