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Bad battery or alternator???

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Offline Asbury030

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Bad battery or alternator???
« on: May 17, 2011, 08:43:11 PM »
Well I am trying to sell my samurai Just charged the battery friday put it back in same day... started up no problem.... put it out front today, and I just started it up drove it to the back yard and now it wont start it just clicks. I realized that one of the two wires thats for the sensor for the back up lights is pulled out so now the back up lights dont work could this be part of my issue? I sanded and grounded all my grounds. What the hell is going on with this thing? I have the clicky starter fix on it already
he cables are brand new... I'm going to have the battery tested tomorrow. This must be a stupid ? but Could a bad alternator be pulling power from the battery? Now that I think about it I drove it to work one day... I got back in it to go home after about 9 hrs of work and it wouldn't start I had to jump it if any of this help? I started the samurai pulled off the positve cable and it still ran but I could tell the idle dropped put it back on and it picked back up. I also took the negative off and it seemed to idle a lot smoother than with it on? Now if I take either one off it stalls 

But When I just let it still for a while not even running it... the battery is dead.  I just dont get it! It's just weird to me how it started fine and then like 30 seconds later The battery was to dead to even start it

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Offline wildgoody

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Re: Bad battery or alternator???
« Reply #1 on: May 17, 2011, 08:58:39 PM »
Yes a bad alt can kill your battery, test the alt too

Wild
Real Trucks Are Built, Not Bought,
And Chrome Don't Get Ya Home.  

An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.

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Offline Asbury030

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Re: Bad battery or alternator???
« Reply #2 on: May 17, 2011, 09:01:01 PM »
that quick and not even running it that long?

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Offline wildgoody

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Re: Bad battery or alternator???
« Reply #3 on: May 17, 2011, 09:14:00 PM »
There is a fine line between starting and not enough power to start
sometimes, check em both to be sure

Wild
Real Trucks Are Built, Not Bought,
And Chrome Don't Get Ya Home.  

An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.

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Offline Asbury030

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Re: Bad battery or alternator???
« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2011, 09:17:32 PM »
I'm getting the battery checked tomorrow and how hard is it to take the alt off?

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Offline wildgoody

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Re: Bad battery or alternator???
« Reply #5 on: May 17, 2011, 09:30:13 PM »
Depending on the test machine, some can test the alternator at the same time
or there is a swing bolt/nut combo at the bottom and a tensioner bolt at the top
a plug in the back and a charge wire with a 10mm nut, disconnect the battery 1st
Real Trucks Are Built, Not Bought,
And Chrome Don't Get Ya Home.  

An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.

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Offline Capt

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Re: Bad battery or alternator???
« Reply #6 on: May 18, 2011, 07:13:13 AM »
 To help you understand what Wild is trying to help you with;

An Alternator needs input voltage from your battery to "Charge the Field Circuit" to generate
output "Charging Voltage" to re charge your battery. This done through a built in "Voltage Regulator".

Now, if the "Voltage Regulator" does not shut off when the Alternator stops spinning,
the "Gate" stays on keeping the "Field Circuit" charged, in so draining your battery.

Also, if your battery is not up to snuff, it confuses the "Voltage Regulator" in the alternator,
This is why to always check both if your are having charging problems.

I hope this helps with the "How Comes" of your post.

CAPT

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Offline Asbury030

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Re: Bad battery or alternator???
« Reply #7 on: May 18, 2011, 07:59:48 AM »
Yeah I'm hoping to resolve all of this today already found out the battery is junk and i am going to have the alternator checked when I get out of class. I will keep you guys updated

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Offline Asbury030

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Re: Bad battery or alternator???
« Reply #8 on: May 18, 2011, 12:48:38 PM »
Well the battery and alternator were bad! I also pulled off the postive cable and connected a test light to the cable and the positive side of the battery and no light! but ok I am electronically retarded but correct me if im wrong with the samurai completely off none of the fuses should be drawing power correct? I used a voltage meter with the samurai off and it was showing 12 volts coming from headlights, tail dome, stop horn, hazard, and the EPI but for the rest it was 0

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Offline Asbury030

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Re: Bad battery or alternator???
« Reply #9 on: May 18, 2011, 01:04:01 PM »
Well I was told to pull the negative cable, and have the voltage meter on the - battery and one on the - cable. Pulled all the fuses none moved in voltage except the EPI fuse?

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Online fordem

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Re: Bad battery or alternator???
« Reply #10 on: May 18, 2011, 01:56:02 PM »
Fuses don't "draw" power - they are protective devices that conduct power - if you measure the voltage between ground (or chassis) and the fuse, it will let you know if the fuse is "hot" or has power to it, and if both the sides of the fuse are "hot" then that would be an indication that the fuse is good.

The fuses can be split into two groups - unswitched loads - which will always be hot, and switched loads, which will only be hot when the ignition is on - headlights, tail lights, etc are unswitched loads - turn signals, wipers, blowers are some examples of switched loads.

A volt meter doesn't help much in diagnosing a problem unless you know - a) how to use it and b) what voltage you should be getting - when & where - the headlamp circuits can be especially challenging in this regard.
'98 SQ420 Grand Vitara
'05 JB420 Grand Vitara
'16 APK416 Vitara
'21 A6G415 Jimny

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Online fordem

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Re: Bad battery or alternator???
« Reply #11 on: May 18, 2011, 02:17:28 PM »
Well I was told to pull the negative cable, and have the voltage meter on the - battery and one on the - cable. Pulled all the fuses none moved in voltage except the EPI fuse?

What you're doing here is trying to measure current - but with a voltmeter - and what you've discovered is that the ECU is drawing current - which is perfectly normal, it has a memory that needs power - if you had a radio or CD player with a clock - you'd also find that pulling the fuses for those cause a change.

As I mentioned earlier - you need to know what to expect, before you can tell if what you're seeing is right or wrong.
'98 SQ420 Grand Vitara
'05 JB420 Grand Vitara
'16 APK416 Vitara
'21 A6G415 Jimny

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Online fordem

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Re: Bad battery or alternator???
« Reply #12 on: May 18, 2011, 02:19:19 PM »
By the way - disconnecting the battery leads with the engine running is a very effective way to destroy your ECU - I would suggest you not try that as a way of testing the alternator.
'98 SQ420 Grand Vitara
'05 JB420 Grand Vitara
'16 APK416 Vitara
'21 A6G415 Jimny

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Offline Asbury030

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Re: Bad battery or alternator???
« Reply #13 on: May 18, 2011, 04:18:02 PM »
Ok thank you... So What would you suggest is the best way for me to find out if something is drawing power? I just don't want this to ruin my new battery I have coming and and my new alt. Like I said when it comes to electrical I need help!  ???

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Online fordem

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Re: Bad battery or alternator???
« Reply #14 on: May 18, 2011, 06:27:27 PM »
Having reviewed the thread - what makes you think something is "drawing power" - and what makes you think that having something drawing power is a bad thing?

As I mentioned - some power draw is normal - the ECU will do it, the radio/CD player (if you have one) will do it.

Replace the battery & alternator, start the car make sure it works and then leave it over night and see what happens - if the battery runs down, recharge it.

'98 SQ420 Grand Vitara
'05 JB420 Grand Vitara
'16 APK416 Vitara
'21 A6G415 Jimny