Hello,
My sisters 94 OBS appears to have a dead short at the batteries.
Truck has been starting and running perfectly with no issues. A 12V handheld spotlight was left on overnight while plugged into the ash tray lighter socket. The next morning I noticed the spotlight still dimly illuminating. I then unplugged the spotlight, put the key in the ignition and turned it to the “wait to start” position. The “wait to start” light illuminated and then went out after what appeared to be the normal amount of time. The door ajar/key in ignition alarm/bell was also dinging during this time, although slightly slower and softer than normal, which furthered my suspicion of the truck having dead batteries from the spotlight being left on all night. Turn key to the crank position, and, as expected, nothing.
Here is where it gets weird. When I go and try to connect a running vehicle, with known good jumper cables, to jump start the truck, as the final jumper cable connection is made, it sparks and starts rapidly heating as if I am dead shorting a battery.
None of the cable ends ever touched each other while connected, nor was the running vehicle affected in any way. All fuses are good except for maxi fuse slot 18 (trailer battery charge relay), which is blown.
Here is what I have done so far:
Disconnected battery cables from both batteries and metered batteries with DVM. Open continuity and voltages of around 3.5V from both batteries, which both slowly climb up to around 8.5V on their own while still disconnected from the truck within 3-5 minutes. However, the voltage instantly drops to 0.01V the moment I touch the battery cable to the post.
Of note, the truck is a flat bedded dually and was last used to bring a 14K lb track hoe on a triple axle pintle hitched trailer down to my sister’s house from up at the end of her road, which is about a half mile trip. Since it was daytime, I didn’t bother to even hook up the plug to the newly acquired triple axle trailer to the truck.
Not sure where to check next. Any and all help appreciated!!
Thank you,
Lance
My sisters 94 OBS appears to have a dead short at the batteries.
Truck has been starting and running perfectly with no issues. A 12V handheld spotlight was left on overnight while plugged into the ash tray lighter socket. The next morning I noticed the spotlight still dimly illuminating. I then unplugged the spotlight, put the key in the ignition and turned it to the “wait to start” position. The “wait to start” light illuminated and then went out after what appeared to be the normal amount of time. The door ajar/key in ignition alarm/bell was also dinging during this time, although slightly slower and softer than normal, which furthered my suspicion of the truck having dead batteries from the spotlight being left on all night. Turn key to the crank position, and, as expected, nothing.
Here is where it gets weird. When I go and try to connect a running vehicle, with known good jumper cables, to jump start the truck, as the final jumper cable connection is made, it sparks and starts rapidly heating as if I am dead shorting a battery.
None of the cable ends ever touched each other while connected, nor was the running vehicle affected in any way. All fuses are good except for maxi fuse slot 18 (trailer battery charge relay), which is blown.
Here is what I have done so far:
Disconnected battery cables from both batteries and metered batteries with DVM. Open continuity and voltages of around 3.5V from both batteries, which both slowly climb up to around 8.5V on their own while still disconnected from the truck within 3-5 minutes. However, the voltage instantly drops to 0.01V the moment I touch the battery cable to the post.
Of note, the truck is a flat bedded dually and was last used to bring a 14K lb track hoe on a triple axle pintle hitched trailer down to my sister’s house from up at the end of her road, which is about a half mile trip. Since it was daytime, I didn’t bother to even hook up the plug to the newly acquired triple axle trailer to the truck.
Not sure where to check next. Any and all help appreciated!!
Thank you,
Lance
