Jump Starting

dv3andrs · 04-28-2007, 10:58 AM

So I've had my battery die on me a couple times now in the last couple months. Only thing is that i've left my door open for a about 10 minutes. Had the battery tested at Auto Zone and they said it tested good. Anyway, back to what i'm trying to get at, when I jump the truck all my needles go crazy and bounces for about 10 minutes and it ends up resetting my trip computer and makes my 4wd warning light illuminate. Once i let it run for a while to recharge, I shut it off and then restart it everything is fine again. Has anybody else had any crazy things like this happen?

Clint · 04-28-2007, 09:10 PM

Mine did that two weeks ago.

Clint

EVO8 · 04-28-2007, 10:15 PM

Sounds to me that your battery connections are dirty. Try cleaning it and see if that will help.

cpaul · 04-29-2007, 03:37 AM

If it's the original P.O.S. battery, I would replace it without hesitation before it left me somewhere. Not impressed with with the OEM batteries, replaced a bunch of them including mine.

SUBTITAN · 04-29-2007, 11:15 AM

Check your battery cables, and all ground points.

Clint · 04-29-2007, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EVO8

Sounds to me that your battery connections are dirty. Try cleaning it and see if that will help.

You're correct, my cables were all corroded and I took them off, cleaned them and all is fine for now. Costco has all three color Optima batteries in the store. I just might buy one of them.

Clint

dv3andrs · 05-03-2007, 06:15 AM

Well, I tried the connection cleaning thing. Still didn't help. I actually removed my battery cleaned every last part of the connections cleaned the whole engine bay and put some dielectric on all exposed connections. Got done, put everything back together started it up for about 15 minutes and then started to detail the interior. Got done, went to start her up and low and behold the truck wouldn't start again. I really want to believe auto zone about the battery but i'm starting to believe otherwise.

EVO8 · 05-03-2007, 06:28 AM

Take your car in to have the alternator tested or if you have time, just start your car and let it run. As it's running, open the hood and unplug the negative battery terminal. If the car dies immediately then it might be a bad alternator. If this is not the case then I would take it into Nissan to look at it. At this point it could be ecu related or fuel pump related, who knows. It's hard to diagnose a problem over the internet unless the enduser is very specific in detail as what the car is doing.

**chunko** · 05-03-2007, 07:53 AM

^^ Good advice.

If the connections are clean... 99% chance its either your alternator or battery... have it tested somewhere else...

Having said that, while I have heard complaints that our alternator is undersized... I haven't seen any posts about it failing...

bestatchess · 05-03-2007, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpaul

If it's the original P.O.S. battery, I would replace it without hesitation before it left me somewhere. Not impressed with with the OEM batteries, replaced a bunch of them including mine.

Yeah, particulary if it is a 2004 still with the original battery.

cpaul · 05-03-2007, 08:36 AM

Not a good idea to disconnect the battery cable while it is running. You run the risk of spiking some of the electronics. That works good for older cars with carbs and distributors but not the newer stuff. It doesn't happen often, but in the past 20 years I have handed out a few large repair bills for this, including one sentra that sent the alternator wide open and then some exploding ALL the lamps and frying ecm, cluster, radio, a/t controler and any other electronic gizmo in the car that was wired up. Just saying it can happen. Best thing to do is get the electrical system checked out with the proper equipment.

EVO8 · 05-03-2007, 09:04 AM

Cpaul, your right, it's not the best method but it does work and old school mechanics like me have done it several times when I don't have the proper tool available at the moment. I've never had one do that to me. In your situation, maybe the sentra wasn't completely stock and had other wirings from who knows what. The only reason why I suggested that is just so the thread starter didn't have to drop some cash just to have someone test it. The proper way would be to have someone test it with the proper equipement.

TitanRider · 05-03-2007, 03:22 PM

I know these trucks have a battery saver thing, forgot what the exact name is. But if you leave a light on or door open this feature will shut power to any accessory to have enough power to start, unless the key is turned all the way. So even with the door open it should save enough power to start the truck. Maybe this is working the wrong way.

dv3andrs · 01-16-2008, 06:46 AM

So it's been a while on this one because I left for deployment shortly after all of this happened. About a week or so later my wife went out to start it for me, dead. No lights no nothing. She waited a little bit for a friend of mine to get back home and they ran to walmart and threw in a 700cca cheapo battery, works like a champ. She let it sit two weeks after that, walked out one day, unlocked right away and stared right up! Just need to go and purchase one of those $300 military batteries that I read about in another post.

grnTitan04 · 01-16-2008, 07:12 AM

Sounds like a bad battery.

When you are jumping it, are you certain that you have the connections correct? (++,--)
I have had a car alarm go off and other strange symptoms when jumping someone who hooked their end up backwards. That can't be good for anything electronic.