SOLVED. NO Electric, totally dead - NOT the battery

[christmas]

Hey all, hope you can help! Truck is COMPLETELY dead, no lights opening door, no dash lights or anything when trying to start.

So I had gotten a new battery, deleted the aux battery & heat shrink & taped up the ground for it. Truck was running well, but still had some parasitic draw, which seemed to be coming from my winch. Removed the winch negative (positive is already on a shut off switch) BUT bumped the negative battery post & got a spark. Battery is still good at 12.97V, all the fuses & relays seem to be good, the BIG fuses running off the main battery to the buss bar on the engine side of the fuse box are giving me continuity with a multimeter. ANY ideas on what else I should be checking please & thank you so much I love this thing & won't even move :/

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[kevman65]

Main fuse block. Z fuse, around $70

 

[christmas]

Main fuse block. Z fuse, around $70

Thank you, if I'm still getting continuity across all fuses on the Z block, could that still be it?

 

[Lost1wing]

Thank you, if I'm still getting continuity across all fuses on the Z block, could that still be it?

You will have to isolate ( disconnect) the fuse array to test. It won't work testing for continuity still hooked up.

 

[chr15m]

Thank you, if I'm still getting continuity across all fuses on the Z block, could that still be it?

Continuity or current?

 

[christmas]

You will have to isolate ( disconnect) the fuse array to test. It won't work testing for continuity still hooked up.

Yeah, I did, un bolted all the nuts, pulled it out & tested on plastic w/ 1 lead on the bottom common part & other lead on each top attachment point. Really driving me nuts.

 

[christmas]

Continuity or current?

continuity the "beep" setting

 

[chr15m]

continuity the "beep" setting

Luckily I havent had much time in the fuse box myself but I spend plenty of time troubleshooting electronics elsewhere.

While Im not immediately familiar with the circuitry and cant recall by memory I'd ask or say to also make sure you have current to the block. Fuses are intact but also need to ensure there's power to them. Again, without out schematic or experience here so I don't know the path the power makes to this block.

Im recalling similar issues when the aux dies, but you mentioned its bypassed and has HST so Im going to guess its not shorted there. Wish I could help more, but Im sure someone else will step in shortly. GL.

 

[christmas]

Luckily I havent had much time in the fuse box myself but I spend plenty of time troubleshooting electronics elsewhere.

While Im not immediately familiar with the circuitry and cant recall by memory I'd ask or say to also make sure you have current to the block. Fuses are intact but also need to ensure there's power to them. Again, without out schematic or experience here so I don't know the path the power makes to this block.

Im recalling similar issues when the aux dies, but you mentioned its bypassed and has HST so Im going to guess its not shorted there. Wish I could help more, but Im sure someone else will step in shortly. GL.

Thank you, just checked & negative lead on negative battery & positive lead on each tab is still showing 12+ volts. Hoping I didn’t Brock something more expensive, I’m gonna grab a new Z fuse anyway & see if that fixes, or I have a spare for later.

 

[Lost1wing]

You could explain your Aux delete method. If you only pulled the negative off and isolated it, without pulling f42. That could be the problem.

The spark that you saw was from the winch negative cable? And did it spark off of the main negative post of positive post?
A spark from the negative post would explain the parasitic draw if the disconnect was still on. If it was off you have a problem. It should not have sparked.

If it sparked off of the main post, there is a good chance your fuse array was compromised.

 

[Lost1wing]

Did you pull f42 as part of your Aux delete?

 

[christmas]

You could explain your Aux delete method. If you only pulled the negative off and isolated it, without pulling f42. That could be the problem.

The spark that you saw was from the winch negative cable? And did it spark off of the main negative post of positive post?
A spark from the negative post would explain the parasitic draw if the disconnect was still on. If it was off you have a problem. It should not have sparked.

If it sparked off of the main post, there is a good chance your fuse array was compromised.

Sure, thank you. Completely removed the aux battery, taped the negative off for it after removing from main neg. post. Removed fuse 42 as well. Took the + end that went to aux & put it on the main + post. Spark was winch negative hitting the negative battery post. That seems to be the parasite & for now that’ll just stay off & heat shrinked, that’s a job for another day, just wanna get the truck back running & awesome for now.

 

[Lost1wing]

Your negative cable should not have sparked hitting the negative post, especially if the positive winch cable is disconnected with a switch. Are you positive that you pulled the winch negative and not the main negative that goes to the left fender? Pulling that cable will completely kill all electrical. Got a pic of your cables connected to the main?

 

[Lost1wing]

It sounds like your winch is supplying the ground if it sparked. That would mean your main ground could be disconnected.

 

[christmas]

Your negative cable should not have sparked hitting the negative post, especially if the positive winch cable is disconnected with a switch. Are you positive that you pulled the winch negative and not the main negative that goes to the left fender? Pulling that cable will completely kill all electrical. Got a pic of your cables connected to the main?

Turns out you’re brilliant & I now have a lost morning, an extra Z fuse, and most importantly, a running truck again! The winch was what I thought it was, but I’d removed the main negative (I guess) instead of the Aux negative (though I was sure I did that & then drove it). So it looks like the main negative is the one that’s easily removable & requires a 13mm wrench while the aux negative takes a 10mm, but has no real way to remove it as it’s part of the whole bit that clamps onto the battery post. Jeep REALLY wants to keep selling batteries, I guess

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