Anyone have any experience in which they pulled the codes, as per the Haynes manual's instructions, and then experienced a dead battery?

A little background is needed I guess, so here goes. Have a 90 FSB EB w/302, automatic trans., new battery (as of about a month ago). Also, pulled the codes about 3 days ago, went to start it up this morning and nothing happens (no turnover, no ticking of the solenoid, nothing--the needle of the batt. charge indicator guage barely moves). Started fine immediately after test--just let idle for a while cause I missed some codes. And has not been started or driven in the time intervening between the end of the test and this morning.

For those unfamiliar with the Haynes process for this, it involves connecting a jumper wire between the self test input (STI) and pin #2 of the Diagnostic Link Connector (DLC), turning the key in the ignition to the on (engine off) position, and then recording the codes that flash out via the check engine light.

Is it possible, that somehow I caused a short somewhere, that in turn allowed the battery to discharge? Any ideas much appreciated. Thanks in advance....

 

I'd say not likely. As long as you followed the instructions carefully, there should be no short. This is probably just a coincidence. Will the battery take a charge? Can you jumpstart the truck?

 

Don't know yet--stuck at home until my buddy gets here, then will try and jump. And that shouldn't be a problem. The aggravation comes from addressing the symptom and not the cause....

 

I understand the aggravation. You might consider adding a battery charger to your tool collection. I found one a Wal-Mart for like $40 that is indespensible. It lets me test batteries and alternators and will charge a drained battery up enough to start the vehicle in less than 5 minutes. Anyway, I'm sure that's not what you're wanting to hear right now

The reason I asked about that is b/c I was wondering if it acted like it has a power drain or if the battery might just be a dud. In the case of a drain, the truck should jump off pretty easy. If you have a dud battery, it most likely won't jump, or it won't run well once it's jumped. just my 2 cents

 

Thanks djjoshuad.... had one of those chargers, but no more. To make a long story short, I flipped my truck on the freeway doing about 72mph, and the diamond plate box in the bed (where I had the charger) somehow both broke out of the bed and came open. So, in the aftermath of sorting out what was left, no charger (among other things), so either that stuff got flung some great distance and was unrecovered or someone who stopped helped themselves to it.

Either way its gone... gonna have to get a new one. I've been putting that off--unwisely, as it now seems. This is the second time in 2 months that I gone out to find a dead battery. Now, I have gotten a new batt. since it happened the first time. But the first time it happened a turn of the key was rewarded with the solenoid clicking away. This time its really dead--truck doesn't make a sound when I turn the key.

 

yeah, it just takes a couple hours of battery drain to make that clicking sound disappear If that battery is just drained (that's how it's starting to sound), you've probably got a short somewhere that is unrelated to pulling the codes. you seem like a smart enough guy, so I'm sure you can handle a multimeter as well as any of us. As with most electrical problems, start tracing wires. find that power drain.