4kq no start-possesed warning lights

[Brett Dikeman]

At 7:57 AM -0400 9/3/02, Tu2Tweng at aol.com wrote:

>
>battery less than year old....charged it for 24 hours anyway
>turned key...barely a click first try
>warning lights come on with key in IS on position....but they are acting very
>abnormal....oxs & Batt, on constant but pulse dim/bright...on every 5th cycle
>the dim brake warning light pulses bright...temp pulses as normal but
>dim....no gauge lights
>everything blanks and trip resets when either headlight , emergency's , or
>starter switch is activated . no power windowsat all...could this simply be a
>shorted champion battery.


To eliminate the battery:

a)take the battery to a shop and ask to have it tested.  Half the
"big chains" around here do it for free.
or
b)swap in a known-good battery
or
c)swap your battery into a known-good car

etc.

One thought:

Are the terminals corroded?  Typically corrosion will show up like this:

-interior lights work
-radio works
-turn the key, everything in the car goes dim/out

The corrosion under low current draws doesn't cause a significant
voltage drop(so minor accessories work), but the large current draw
from the starter causes a huge voltage drop with even the slightest
resistance.

The exact same symptoms will show up with a battery that has
developed high internal resistance.

I assume you've checked ground cables, etc?

Brett
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