98 Blazer Won't Start after 3-ish days.

[adoti]

Hello everybody,
I have an issue I have trying to nail for a year or so now. Problem is that it's an electrical issue and I hate those!

When the truck sits for 3 days or so and I return to start it up it's completely dead, no power what so ever, not even stock alarm is blinking.

If I should catch it at about the 2 day mark, it will do the "clicking" thing where accessories come on but won't turnover. Interior lights may be dim as well.

I have to jump it with my wifes car and even that is tough. It has to suck off her battery whiel reving for a while before it will turn.

So my next thought was to start removing fuses to try and narrow down the draw. As you can guess a very long drawn out process since I have to wait a week for each test. Long story short, that did nothing, bettery still dead after 3 days.

The battery... it's a 1 year old Sears DieHard, top of their line and I brought back to test and they said battery was fine and holding a charge as well.

I'm suspicious of the alram... anybody else have these issues?

-a

[Jeremy-WI]

try removing the underhood light bulb, use the dome override(if it has them). After that I would suspect oil pressure switch- can provide power to fuel pump with key off, brake switch, and aftermarket accessories

[ponchonutty]

Alarms usually do not cause major draw unless they are blinking the parking lights or something like that. I would suspect either the battery has a problem (even though you say it is new) or the altinator could be the culprit. Sometimes they can have parasitic draw when the car is off. Also, sometimes they can overcharge and cook the battery. I have had BOTH of these problems happen to me.

[adoti]

Tried the dome overide, havent removed engine light yet however.
How would I go about testing the alternator? I have a test meter just dont know where and what I ma looking for.
Thanks!

[airforceone]

A cheap way to test the alternator is to get a test light, hold it to the terminal on the alternator that goes to the battery. Then fire up the truck. If the light brightens, the it is putting out power. Autozone has an alternator test that they will do for free.

I think you may have a jacked battery. All of the battery testers I used just put a load on the battery just to see if it would take, not necessarily hold it.

[michelq]

when you take the battary to auto parts to check it they do not check for dead cell
try put another batt and see that happen

[adoti]

UPDATE:
It's been a while since my last update on this thread because it's really hard to lick this problem because I have to wait 3 days or so before I can see if anything I did worked.

Anyway the latest test I did was hook a multi-meter up between the negative terminal on the battery and the negative wire.

Pulled the hood light and made sure all accessories and car was off.

I immediately got a reading of 3.1 - 3.3 fluxuating up an down continually. This was when the multi-meter is on the 200m setting.

So my approach was to start pulling fuses in the engine area as well as the passenger cabin on at a time and look for a drop in flow. My thought was when it dropped down that would be my problem circuit.

Starting in the engine block fuse box I removed all fuses and only got a change in draw from a few fuses defined below. I can not seem to find out what these control. The identification is a bit arbitrary.

1. "TBC 10A" fuse reduces the draw down to 2.1 - 2.3

2. "RAP A 50A" (BIG Fuse) reduced draw down to 1.1 - 1.2. When plugged back in, the draw peaked up to 7.2 then settled back down to 3.1 - 3.3.

3. "IGN A 40A" (Ignition I assume) reduced draw down to 3.1 flat, no fluxuation.

Removing the RAP fuse has the biggest effect in draw, but can not find anywhere what this controls. Anybody have any idea?

I then did the fuse box in the cabin. Removing all of thes eone by one had zero effect on the draw.

-Adam

[missionblazer]

Something to consider too is that if any aftermarket wiring has been done(for alarm, stereo or whatever), and have been removed, make sure that there isn't an open draw somewhere. Happened to a buddy of mine on his truck. His battery went dead after two days.

[adoti]

What do you mean by "open draw"? Like if a bare part of the wire where aftermarker wires was is touching metal?

As a matter of fact after market wiring WAS done and I just ripped it all out.

I had a phone and a CB radio. I also has some trailer tail lights in the back. I just removed all of this.

I am about to conduct another test this week when I leave town so well see.....

-a

[missionblazer]

How long have you been having the dead battery problem? Has it started since you tore out the aftermarket wiring?

[adoti]

No, I have been having the problem for about 6 months to a year.
It's just that I didnt really realize it was an ongoing issue untill recently when I started traveling for business more often. Normally I start the car every day or every other day. It seems to keep a charge for that long, but then at the 3 day or more point, it looses all charge... weird.

I took out the aftermarket wiring thinking that may be the cause of it.

I will be back on Thursday, so well see if that did the trick!
-a

[adoti]

Alright, I'm back with an update.
This comes with a small story, so stay with me here....

So like I said I left town allowing the Blazer to sit after I tore out aftermarket wiring. When I returned on the 4th day I looked through the window and saw alarm light still blinking so assumed I has *some* power left. Following morning the light was off and car was completely dead. Not an ounce of juice.

So wasn't aftermarket wiring. I ma now still suspicious of the fuse test I did a few posts back.

So I jumped it from a starter and drove down to Sears to have them do a check on the e battery again. I was told that even though they tell me it can hold a charge that it isn't a 100% accurate test on being able to hold a charge for the long term.

Anyway long story short, they pulled the battery, put it in the plastic box to charge it and test it. In the meantime they hooked a "Battery Saver" up to my cigarette lighter. It was a silver box device with one red light and one green light. The red light was on and I asked the mechanic what that was all about. he said "hmm looks like you have an above normal draw". I said no shit Sherlock!

So now like above I'm suspicious of a few fuses. I mentioned that I would like to removed them one by one while his hi-tech gadget was hooked up. He said he could not be held responsible, blah, blah, blah. I recommended he go get some coffee....

While he was away I went straight for the RAP fuse (At the time I still had no idea what the RAP fuse was for). Sure enough the light went back down to green! I finally isolated the leak!
I tested the other suspicious fuses as well. Still red.

I put everything back together in time for the mechanic to return

I got on the horn with my local friendly independent mechanic and asked him what the RAP fuse was. He looked it up and called me back. It stands for (if I remember correctly) "Reserve Auxiliary, or Accessory Power"... I think. anyway he said it is what controls my power seats, if I have them. Which I do.

So I pulled the efuse. and left it out for the past 3 days and she starts up stronger than ever. So looks like there is an issue with my power seats. No bigggie. Could have been worse like a power window or something.

-Adam

[pressman20]

My 1997 had the same problem. My lighted vanity mirror had a bad switch on the driver side visor. I personally don't need a lighted mirror, so I removed the bulbs. I hope this helps you.

[marly87]

Originally Posted by pressman20

My 1997 had the same problem. My lighted vanity mirror had a bad switch on the driver side visor. I personally don't need a lighted mirror, so I removed the bulbs. I hope this helps you.

I think this may be my problem, too. Right now, a piece of electrical tape is holding the button down, but how the heck do you get these stupid, little bulbs out? They are too small to get my fingers around and I don't want to break the glass. Any suggestions?

[billibong]

On mine the vanity mirror cover broke off. I just have a map pocket strapped on the visor and the strap holds the button down keeping the light out.
I can't figure out how to pull the bulbs, either. I have thought about using a pair of needle nose pliers, but am afraid it will break the bulb.