No power at times on my dent at start up....just started a few weeks ago.

[taxreliever]

This just started a few weeks ago and before I take it to my electrical guy, I wanted to see what you fellas had for suggestions.

The dent would start right away after sitting all night or for a while, then I would pull it out and shut it off, or drive into town (only a few miles) to run some errands and shut it off. Just a few minutes later, I would try to start it and absolutely nothing! I hate it when this happens as I'm not as mechanically inclined as you fellas and most of you know that 90% of this rig is brand new with 12k on the clock and the only offroading I do is when I accidentally hit a grassy patch on my driveway.

It NEVER happens at first start....just at the second one.....the way I fix it is, open the hood (and I have one of those knobs that you can twist to turn the power off for car shows - maybe this is the problem?) twist the knob to disconnect the battery, then twist it to connect it and it'll start right up again.

Help or I have to take her into the truck hospital for a check up.

Thanks a bunch fellas!

 

[LEB Ben]

No power as in won't start or no power as in no electrical juice? My first instinct is a loose ground or possibly your neutral safety switch starting to go.

 

[taxreliever]

No power as in won't start or no power as in no electrical juice? My first instinct is a loose ground or possibly your neutral safety switch starting to go.

Oh, sorry Ben....no juice whatsoever. No lights, nothing. I replaced the battery this Spring, so that's brand new.

 

[smokey]

the way I fix it is, open the hood (and I have one of those knobs that you can twist to turn the power off for car shows - maybe this is the problem?) twist the knob to disconnect the battery, then twist it to connect it and it'll start right up again.

sounds like the disconnect went bad

 

[taxreliever]

sounds like the disconnect went bad

You mean that little knob I twist to turn the power off with? If so, how come it starts up right away the first time every time?

I don't think I'll enter any car shows for a few years so maybe I'll take it off and hook it directly to it to see if it still does it.

 

[smokey]

Probably has some corrosion in the disconnect and the charging is causing the connection to get hot and breaking the connection and by turning it on and off you are cleaning the corrosion out.
I have seen this on the tractors we put disconnects on. keeps kids from starting them and saves the battery from draining off.

 

[m78]

Randy's answer sounds about right.
Why do the car shows require a disconnect. Does that mean all those new cars have to re-program everything after each day at a show ?

 

[taxreliever]

Randy's answer sounds about right.
Why do the car shows require a disconnect. Does that mean all those new cars have to re-program everything after each day at a show ?

It's a quick disconnect so you can leave all the doors open without having to unhook the battery with a wrench or lose all the power.

 

[Mil1ion]

I would be inspecting ALL power connections/cables and ground connections/cables.

Corrosion can hide from the naked eye.

 

[dakonthemountain]

I agree with the others in that it is "most likely" your switch. That's why I don't use the twist disconnect switch on Burt. You can't see the corrosion under the twist handle. I use the simple knife switch on Burt's battery. It's copper and you can see the connection if it starts getting corroded.
Dak

 

[taxreliever]

It Was The Quick Disconnect!

sounds like the disconnect went bad

Probably has some corrosion in the disconnect and the charging is causing the connection to get hot and breaking the connection and by turning it on and off you are cleaning the corrosion out.
I have seen this on the tractors we put disconnects on. keeps kids from starting them and saves the battery from draining off.

Randy's answer sounds about right.
Why do the car shows require a disconnect. Does that mean all those new cars have to re-program everything after each day at a show ?

I agree with the others in that it is "most likely" your switch. That's why I don't use the twist disconnect switch on Burt. You can't see the corrosion under the twist handle. I use the simple knife switch on Burt's battery. It's copper and you can see the connection if it starts getting corroded.
Dak

You fellas are all correct.....it was the quick disconnect. I took it apart and took a wire brush to the quick connect knob and to the base handle on the battery and I shut it off and on about a half dozen times.....drove it in town to a clients and started and stopped it a few times....works perfect.

I'm going to take off that quick disconnect knob, but I need to get a new battery cable end first.

Thanks again for all the help. It's so much easier and cheaper to have you guys help diagnose little issues like this than to take it to a garage and pay!

 

[smokey]

Thanks for letting us all know what you found.
Glad to be of a little help to you Ken.

 

[Truckin4life]

If you want to keep the quick disconnect, just keep the tools you need in a pouch so you can clean up your disconnect if it acts up. Typically cleaning them and adding a bit of die electric grease works for me. So with the cleaning your likely good to go for quite awhile.

 

[73F100Shortbed]

What about installing the switch type they use on race cars? Maybe that will be a little better.

 

[m78]

I had a marine dual battery switch on a jeep for years and never had a problem with it.
There's a product for electrical connections called anti oxidation. It might help.

 

[taxreliever]

Don't reaaly need the disconnect as I only had it for car shows and got that itch out of me last year. I bet, like you said, what I did to it this morning will last a while. ACTUALLY, it was super convenient when I stored it this winter and started it up once a week and disconnected the battery when iyt wasn't running!

I guess I'll keep it and try some of the things you fellas mentuoned above just in case.

 

[Mil1ion]

I would suggest you replace the cable itself, the cable ends will cause corrosion problems as well.

 

[Alvin in AZ]

My first instinct is...

...to grab the meter quick and try to catch the trouble while it's still failing!



-------------------------------------------------------

x2 on what Dennis said...
"replace the cable itself, the cable ends will cause corrosion problems"

This type clamp is what's causing a no-start situation about half the time,
right where the cable clamps into the little clamp...

I'm the ugly guy that makes a point to stop and ask when someone's hood
is up and spook everyone thinkin' they're about to made into sausage.

Alvin in AZ
.

 

[taxreliever]

I would suggest you replace the cable itself, the cable ends will cause corrosion problems as well.

I can do this.....

...to grab the meter quick and try to catch the trouble while it's still failing!



-------------------------------------------------------

x2 on what Dennis said...
"replace the cable itself, the cable ends will cause corrosion problems"

This type clamp is what's causing a no-start situation about half the time,
right where the cable clamps into the little clamp...

I'm the ugly guy that makes a point to stop and ask when someone's hood
is up and spook everyone thinkin' they're about to made into sausage.

Alvin in AZ
.

So, are you saying to replace the clamp also?

 

[taxreliever]

I had a marine dual battery switch on a jeep for years and never had a problem with it.
There's a product for electrical connections called anti oxidation. It might help.

Mark, is this a spray?