I have a 88 XJ with yellow top optima lots of mods ie winch, driving lights ,2 amps, deralle trans cooler, battery 1 year old. Battery goes dead overnite wont start or even remote unlock the doors. Did searches tried to check with test light and pull fuses,when I hook up the light to pos post and the pos cable the light comes on brite for 4-5 seconds then goes dark I isolated the 2 amp wires and the heavy cable going to the power center as these three wires each lite the light and goes dark. The crazy thing is after the light goes dark I can move the end of the test light from the battey pos post to the neg post and the light will lite for a brief second this is without the pos cable touching the pos post.There was some talk about charging problems with yellow tops. If Anyone has a clue I can sure use some help with this one Thanks
battery problems?
- Thread starter dan
- Start date
A one year old Jell-O battery! Take it back and have it tested. Go from there.
Winches if used a LOT will eat any battery and an ALT for lunch. I plowed for some time and could use up a battery in less then 60 days if keep bizzy. Some plower reported having to replace a battery in less then 30 days,
Winches if used a LOT will eat any battery and an ALT for lunch. I plowed for some time and could use up a battery in less then 60 days if keep bizzy. Some plower reported having to replace a battery in less then 30 days,
5-90
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Hammerspace
badron said:
Don't bother having it tested - the testers that parts houses use can't handle Jell-o batteries.
If you've got the space, do this - put it on the trickle charger overnight (minimum eight hours,) put it in the freezer for 30-40 minutes, then hook it up and try to start your rig. If it cranks and starts, you're good. If it doesn't, you want a new battery.
Until they can come up with an "automated" tester that can reliably test Optima, Odyssey, and other batteries, that's how I'm going to do it. I've back-checked it with a 200A carbon pile I have lying about, and that's the most reliable test I've been able to come up with.
Again, don't bother with the store testers - they don't know what's going on (the testers, not the people. That's another story...) This is, so far, the only real reliable test I've been able to come up with for Jell-o batteries...
And, if your counterman is worth what they're paying him, he'll understand that you just did what is actually a valid test of the battery (and that constant "Charge and Retest" they get from their tester isn't worth a damn - because you can play that game for weeks...)
5-90
DirtyMJ
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Prince George, BC
I think you've got a leak. An electrical one that is.
Unplug the neg cable before leaving the thing for the night. Try it again in the morning. If it fires, you're in for fun. But you know it's not the battery.
Unplug the neg cable before leaving the thing for the night. Try it again in the morning. If it fires, you're in for fun. But you know it's not the battery.
thanks for the advice I'll try the freezer test this weekend. That won't help the test light mystery. The two amps wires are not a problem cause I can do without them but the main wire to the control center is where the Alt. charge is coming from I'll have to hook it back up.Since I can't pull fuses is there another way to test for shorts?
lilredwagn
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- South Carolina
I know you can't pull fuses in the middle of testing because the problem seems to go away during testing, but is there any reason you couldn't pull all the fuses (making sure to carefully sort/label of course) and then reinsert one at a time, then testing, until the odd behavior returns?
5-90
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Hammerspace
dan said:
Yah - get a DMM with a 10A or so ammeter function, hook it up, and start disconnecting circuits (one at a time.)
I don't recall the "key OFF" draw spec, but it should be less than 1A. You'll know you've found the circuit you need to concentrate on when the gage takes a nosedive...
5-90
site lots of people with similar problems. I'll check back in this thread as I check things so if a answer is found we'll all knowwell I let it set with the batt. disco.for 3 days Hooked it up starts like new. tested voltage on the three wires each showed a 12v draw that fadded to 0 after a few seconds. I think this is going to be in the radio so I will start with those fuses , I'll check back later
5-90
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Hammerspace
BlueCuda said:
I test them with a carbon pile - I just know, from experience, that those automated testers - on either Jell-O batteries or AGM - don't work worth a damn, since they're designed for conventional liquid-electrolyte cells. The responses each have to loads differs slightly - but enough to give testers fits.
5-90
buzzbombxj
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- lake chabot
remember when looking for the parasitic drain to turn the key on first if you disconnected the battery, otherwise you may not ever find it, ive wasted a day on that before!
5-90
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Hammerspace
When looking for a parasitic drain, I usually do so with the key OFF at first. If you have too much powered on, how will you know what you're looking for?
Besides, you're looking for a drain with the key off, aren't you? Usually, I end up looking for parasitic drains with the keys in my pocket.
Don't forget to check everything - pulling a dome light bulb can sometimes show up a parasitic drain (if it gets low current, it won't light brightly enough for you to see it easily - but it's still drawing power...)
5-90
Besides, you're looking for a drain with the key off, aren't you? Usually, I end up looking for parasitic drains with the keys in my pocket.
Don't forget to check everything - pulling a dome light bulb can sometimes show up a parasitic drain (if it gets low current, it won't light brightly enough for you to see it easily - but it's still drawing power...)
5-90
