You are going to think I am a tard but, I think my battery is dead I think I left the ignition on acc and drained it out over about a 10 day period, it will not hold a charge nothing comes on in the truck. When I hook jumper cables to the battery I get no spark, I took it back to auto zone where i bought it in august and they said it is fine with a 100% charge. WTF??? your input is appreciated and what is the name of the gadget where you hook it up under the hood and you can turn the truck over with out getting in and out of the truck?
SP

 

That is called the starter solenoid. You must mean the + batt cable hookup.... other side goes to the starter. If you leave the key on in the start and run postition in older vehicals you can burn up the points if they happen to be closed when left on also heard that you might be able to cook the coil too. I have never seen a burnt coil but have seen some burnt points before from leaving the key in the run position. Im not sure leaving key in accessory would do that though.

 

Yeah I left it in acc, like I said I put cables on the battery and hit the other end and get no spark, no lights no nothing. maybe the guy from autozone is just as dumb as I am when he checked the battery.
SP

 

The gadget ur talking about is a remote starter. You can get a cheap one at Harbor Freight or make ur own. How old is ur battery? I always replace mine when the warranty runs out. Batteries can quit with no notice. Good luck.

Kurt

 

I bought the battery in august 2011.

 

Sound like it may be time to buy a volt meter so you can check it your self. First connect it to the battery cables and check to see if you have 12 volts...if so have someone hit the key and see if the voltage drops below 9.6 volts. If it does recheck it with the volt meter held on the battery posts instead of the cables to make sure it's not just a bad battery cable connection. If voltage still below 9.6 volts the battery may be junk. If voltage is over 9.6 volts then work your way down the system...

 

I have one I just do not know how to use it, i suck when it comes to electrical stuff.

 

I sent my volt meter on battery test and put it on my daily driver and the needle ran into the good area, I put it on my battery in question and the needle did not move at all. So I am guessing the battery is defective as I have only had it for a couple months.
SP

 

Did you try connecting your "battery tester" on the top of the terminals instead of on the cables to see if it reads the same?

 

Yes, in fact the battery in question is out of the truck and in the back of my xterra, no terminals to connect it to just the post's
thanks
SP

 

Sound like the battery is bad. How many volts does it show? You may want to ask the guy at the parts store if he can load test it. Maybe then he'll see it.

 

You need a charger.

Batteries don't like to be run down all the way. A simple Schumaker 2/6 amp charger works just fine if you're willing to monitor the voltage and shut it off when needed so you don't cook the battery.

You can perform a load test of sorts by turning on the headlights for ten minutes, and then measuring the battery voltage after a half hour or so. Incidentally, 12 volt batteries aren't 12 volts. They are constantly charged by the truck charging system around 14 volts, and should read around 12.6 to be considered "good". If it reads 12 volts it probably won't turn over. It pays to keep your battery well charged at all times, esp. on these old trucks that might still have a generator. They will keep a battery charged, tho just barely.

For WAY more than you ever want to know, or to cure insomnia try the Battery FAQ page - it's the best, for sure. Car and Deep Cycle Battery FAQ, Battery Manufacturers and Brand Names List, and

 

I took my battery to another autozone since mine was under warranty, he said somehow the polarity had reversed. anyway I got a new one, gonna install it in a few.
thanks
Scott

 

Scott, please be careful that you connect the battery correctly. A battery that has reversed polarity was either charged with the terminals reversed or connected that way. It is possible this happened when you jumped the truck. This could lead to the battery exploding. Make sure that your connections are secure and correct. The only tard is the guy at Auto Zone.

Kurt

 

I never jumped the truck, I did put a charger on the battery after I found it dead. I am always careful to check the positive and negative as I know the dangers. All is good I had it running for a half hour with the new battery and even drove it around the yard, also discovered 3 mice making their home in the truck, I gotta get some poison as I know they can chew up some shat.
thanks
sp