Odd battery issue: lose power with key turn

dylansalrin

Orthopedic Circulator
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Minneapolis, MN
Hey so I have this odd issue. My old battery was leaking acid so I replaced it today. All was well until I went to go get gas. I shut the jeep off at the pump and went to turn it on and it primed fine, just like normal. The dash lit up and gauges were normal. As soon as I crank the key for ignition the dash goes blank and a single click is heard. After that. There is absolutely zero power. I can't even re-prime the key and try to light the dash up again. I have to lift the positive clamp off the battery terminal and reseat it on the terminal for me to reprime the key and the dash to light up. But if I turn the key to start it, the same click is heard. I noticed a little corrosion on the terminal clamps when I was changing out the battery. It's like the battery isn't giving much of a connection and when the starter draws power it's too much for the battery? The issue isn't the starter as we tried to jump it with a wrench and nothing even sparked. Only 50k miles on the jeep. Going tomorrow morning to use steel brush and terminal cleaner on everything to get it shiny.
 
Hey so I have this odd issue. My old battery was leaking acid so I replaced it today. All was well until I went to go get gas. I shut the jeep off at the pump and went to turn it on and it primed fine, just like normal. The dash lit up and gauges were normal. As soon as I crank the key for ignition the dash goes blank and a single click is heard. After that. There is absolutely zero power. I can't even re-prime the key and try to light the dash up again. I have to lift the positive clamp off the battery terminal and reseat it on the terminal for me to reprime the key and the dash to light up. But if I turn the key to start it, the same click is heard. I noticed a little corrosion on the terminal clamps when I was changing out the battery. It's like the battery isn't giving much of a connection and when the starter draws power it's too much for the battery? The issue isn't the starter as we tried to jump it with a wrench and nothing even sparked. Only 50k miles on the jeep. Going tomorrow morning to use steel brush and terminal cleaner on everything to get it shiny.

My thoughts are it's just a connection issue with the corrosion and cleaning it up will solve it but I wanted to post in case someone had this issue and it was something else.
 
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Your issue almost certainly sounds like a bad connection issue. Clean those terminals up really well and try it again. Let us know if that fixes it.
 
Had some fun with a grinder and a steel brush. Works great now. Thanks for input everyone
 
Had some fun with a grinder and a steel brush. Works great now. Thanks for input everyone

Glad you found your issue. But just to share the experience I once found a battery with a broken internal connection between the post and the plates. Voltage tested good until a load was applied then something would flex and nothing. I don't know if it was a factory defect or broken from over torquing but it led me on a merry chase for a while.


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Glad you found your issue. But just to share the experience I once found a battery with a broken internal connection between the post and the plates. Voltage tested good until a load was applied then something would flex and nothing. I don't know if it was a factory defect or broken from over torquing but it led me on a merry chase for a while.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wow that frustrating. Glad I got mine from Costco. 45 month warranty.
 
Glad you found your issue. But just to share the experience I once found a battery with a broken internal connection between the post and the plates. Voltage tested good until a load was applied then something would flex and nothing. I don't know if it was a factory defect or broken from over torquing but it led me on a merry chase for a while.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Wow, I'll bet this drove you crazy trying to find the solution, huh?