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no electrical - i mean nothing

i have a 1995 Geo Prizm that i haven't driven in several weeks, about a month or so. I went to start it & got nothing -- no lights, nothing electrical works.

i've even tried a jumper on the battery & get nothing. Any idea what the problem might be? someone suggested the battery cable since the boost should be bypassing the battery. The battery has water in it. I've looked thru the manual & cannot see that any blown fuse would cause a complete lack of response for the entire electrical system. The alternator is fairly new (~2 yrs.).

i'm thinking about carrying the battery to a store to have it checked, but given the jumping failure, is that even worthwhile?

thanks!

Reply to
anon
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did you clean the battery connections?

Reply to
dbu'

i've been doing that & put some wd40 on it also. They were pretty nasty, but so far it hasn't helped.

Reply to
anon

Your battery must be deader than a doornail. They get that way if left standing for a long time without charge or very old battery. There is also a fuseable link in the battery cable I think. That could be open or bad connection. You would need a voltmeter to check the circut. Get the battery charged first. Good luck.

Reply to
dbu'

Guesses will be just that - guesses.

To diagnose the problem properly, you will need at least a volt meter to check battery charge. If the battery cable connections are corroded, get a battery terminal brush and wearing protective goggles and old clothes, clean the battery terminal and cable clamps and then clean up the mess with a poultice made from baking soda and a little water, then hose everything down thoroughly. After the connections are good and clean and tight, try charging the battery for an hour or so at a trickle or hooking up the jumper vehicle for a good 5 ~ 10 minutes before attempting to start. With the volt meter, check battery voltage before and after charging.

If the battery terminals were badly corroded, then it may have been parked without a full charge, and the battery will discharge over time. If the battery is left in a discharged state, it will become sulfated and lose its ability to hold a charge. If the battery is over 4 years old, then the most likely cause of the problem is a bad battery.

Reply to
Ray O

Does the battery have voltage? Is the voltage about 14vDC? Does the voltage stay up as the key is turned ON? There is a Main Fuse in the vicinity of the battery, is the fuse good?

Sorry, but I get the impression that you are in over your head.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

If I were you I would take that old battery to the battery store and get buy a NEW battery ;)

mike

Reply to
Mike Hunter

Since jump starting didn't work and nothing worked while the jump battery was connected, I'd check the cables. Hold on to the cable and twist the cable clamp. A lot of times, corrosion will eat up the wires where they go into the clamp. If it turns real easy, or falls off in your hands, that is the problem. Check both clamps and the ground clamp and the main battery line clamp.

Reply to
Tom in Macon

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