[XterraTeddy]

So my battery just died out of nowhere…

I posted previously about replacing the camshaft/crankshaft sensors and now I’m seemingly having another electrical issue.

Last night randomly after being in the grocery store for about 15 minutes I came out and it wouldn’t start…

The battery is less than a year old and testing like it was a brand new battery…. did the alternator test where you remove the positive terminal lead, not the alternator…

Took it to try and get the dealership to look at it but they said it would take 7 hours…. The service tech didn’t feel like it was the starter because it has started fine several different times today…

I am at a loss for what could have caused a dead battery just for nothing to seemingly be wrong today….

Does the brain trust have any idea?

Thanks for your help.

 

[mikidymac]

You need to actually test the battery voltage and see if it is at least 12V.

A bad battery terminal or connection can cause exactly what you are experiencing.

 

[Tlrtucker]

When you say it "wouldn't start" what is it doing exactly? There's no way your battery died in just 15 minutes, even if you left all the lights and the stereo on. Like @mikidymac said, check your terminals and cables (actually flex the cables instead of just looking at them). A battery can have juice but have a dead cell, so you need to get it load tested at a parts store.

If it were your starter you would get maybe one click and then nothing, or irregular cranking, but usually just the one or no click thing. Bad terminals or cables can present all kinds of weird issues, so that's always where I recommend starting.

 

[Just a Hunter]

Sudden battery failures happens all the time.
As a matter of fact, AAA claims battery failure as the number one reason for roadside emergencies.

 

[XterraTeddy]

You need to actually test the battery voltage and see if it is at least 12V.

A bad battery terminal or connection can cause exactly what you are experiencing.

This morning I pulled the battery and took it to AutoZone and it tested at 12.5V.

 

[XterraTeddy]

It wasn’t turning over like the battery was dead, I tried to get it jumped but then I just got multiple clicks, not just one click.

Maybe I had shitty jumper cables because my friend came and bailed me out with some heavier gauge jumper cables and it started up right away.

I ran it over to the dealership and the service tech said it didn’t sound like any of the three (battery, starter, alternator) so he checked the cables and he said they all looked good.

I have been testing it all day and it has started every time.

I drove it around for an hour this evening with the lights on trying to duplicate last night:

I tried it at 15 mins: started
30 minutes later: started

That is where I am currently…

 

[Brunnie]

Check the tightness of the cable clamps on the posts, especially the negative post. If it is loose, you might need a battery post shim.

 

[XterraTeddy]

Check the tightness of the cable clamps on the posts, especially the negative post. If it is loose, you might need a battery post shim.

Terminal clamps are good and tight.

The service tech said it would take them 7 hours to try and diagnose the problem…

 

[05RedBrawn6Sp]

Check where the battery and starter are grounded to the frame.