One day it cranks and the next day it doesn't. WTH!

Had a dead battery a few weeks ago so I jumped it off to drive to work. It almost cranked after work so jumped it off again. Got a battery, installed it, problem solved right? Wrong! 😡 it fired right up to move it inside before the storm Friday night and now it's dead this morning before work. I'm not a trouble shooter so some advise would help. My solution for a quick fix - I bought a trickle charger this morning to put on the battery when I get home.

Side note: it's usually parked inside but during this time period it was parked outside, could cold weather be a factor. Surely not cause its a brand new battery.

Sounds like you have a power drain somewhere in the system- if your new battery went dead,just from sitting

Does your radio turn off when you turn the car off? Any lights that stay on?

Brooks424 wrote:Had a dead battery a few weeks ago so I jumped it off to drive to work. It almost cranked after work so jumped it off again. Got a battery, installed it, problem solved right? Wrong! �� it fired right up to move it inside before the storm Friday night and now it's dead this morning before work. I'm not a trouble shooter so some advise would help. My solution for a quick fix - I bought a trickle charger this morning to put on the battery when I get home.

Side note: it's usually parked inside but during this time period it was parked outside, could cold weather be a factor. Surely not cause its a brand new battery.

Charge the battery, pull the positive cable off of the battery terminal, connect a test light. If you don't have one you could fashion one using an old tailight or turn signal. Connect the test light to the positive battery terminal and the the other end to the cable, you are basically putting a light in series from the battery terminal to the cable. You should have no power being drawn through the light, there should be no light. If the light lights up, go to your fuses and pull them one by one and see if the light goes out. if it does, that is the circuit that is draining your battery, you have to track down what is causing it. If everything checks out then you may have a charging issue.

^ that was a nice write up.
KC

Thanks guys I'll definitely do that tomorrow after work.

ASBug wrote:^ that was a nice write up.
KC

Thanks, I do the wiring where I work. My 73 beetle is 90 % led. I just need to do the front turn signals. I home etched a pcb and soldered leds for my tailights. I have green leds over the engine and wheel wells and gauges. It also has an alarm with power door locks. My emergency flasher died, so I wired up 4 relays to take the place of it. so I'm very comfortable around 12 volts.

Just wondering what going on with your electrical problem?

Haven't had a chance to try your write up, my sons second birthday was first at hand. I was able to check all my fuses and none were blown. I've had the trickle charger on it since then and it finally charged it completely. I ran up to the store for some things about a mile away and when I got back I hooked the charger back up to it and it read that it wasnt complete. But shortly after that it did say complete. Maybe the radio? Before all this ever happened I never had a problem with it. It always cranked. That's why I'm confused. I should have time tomorrow to fool with it.