Good battery with dead battery symptoms

I literally was just given an abandoned 1995 4runner with 47k miles. Its 2wd, the paint is rough, but the interior is clean. It had been sitting for about 14 years, before the previous owner dropped it off at the shop, and the shop notes say" Will not start even with a new battery." This morning I put a new battery in it and tooted the horn, to make sure it was getting good juice, and when I went to turn the key, nothing happened. It was as if the battery was dead. No life on the dash, no noise from the fuel pump, nada. So I went out and got a test light and today when I get home from work, I am going to start testing fuses.

So far I saw an aftermarket LED bulb, but no alarm "box brain". There is a momentary switch under the dash against the firewall, between the brake and the accelerator, it could be a kill switch, but that seems unlikely since nothing happens when you turn the key, or press it.

The ignition key does turn as it should normally. No major or minor resistance, no grinding, or grabbing from the tumblers. I'll be sure to take it apart and test the wires going to it.

Where should I start when I get home? At the fuse block passenger side next to the battery? Under the driver side kick panel?

I used the search function, and everything I've found so far is loss of power once the vehicle is running, and mainly starter related, nothing as far as total ignition failure. I know the battery is good, I tested it and charged it last night.

 

I'd look for anything obvious wiring-wise in the engine bay then go ham on the engine bay fusebox. Anything could have happened a this point so folk's experience with that model might not even apply.

 

Instead of it being a usual clamp battery post, its a bolt style. Which has me thinking someone forgot a line, or it has a wire thats supposed to be connected and isnt. But trust me, I am going to go full blown spiral honey glazed ham when I get home.

 

I see that you get power to the horn so you've obviously got some power there. I would check voltage to the starter motor. Check for power to the fuse box itself before checking the individual fuses. (Test the hot side of the fuse for 12v)

 

So I have power to the fuse block, I found a blown "Dome" fuse. When the key is in the ignition, i hear a buzzer, and the dome/door lights do turn on now. We're getting there!

 

So I'm getting power to the top left 1st and the top 4th pins. This is the ignition connection that goes straight to the key ignition.

 

When you turn the key just to the RUN position you don't even get the idiot lights?

 

Nope. No lights, no radio, no HVAC, nothing. I think I've narrowed it down to tbe ignition switch selector.

 

But you get your door and over head lights? And headlights? Just no lights that are ignition based?

 

No headlights or tail lights. I have hazards, and dome lights as well as door lights. I replaced the Dome fuse and got the key indicator/ buzzer to work. I removed the ignition selector switch, and am going to try to clean/ potentially swap it out for a new switch.

 

Sounds plausible. Also the alarm may have some wires just not connected from being removed. So make sure that was rectified when removed also. Especially if it was one of those old viper or code alarms that have 9 million wires to splice.

 

The only wires I saw that had been tapped into looked like powerlock wires. I searched for something to be tapped into the thicker ignition wires, and it all looked factory.

If there was an old Viper (I completely forgot about that brand btw) they id an immaculate job at hiding any sort of evidence. But now I want to go get an old Viper alarm.

 

It talked to you. It was the thing to have in the 90s. Lol

 

The weird looking dark blue remotes, or the sweet LCD remotes we could only dream of affording.

 

Chasing electrical gremlins is a chore. But step by step. Update when you get the switch swapped.

 

That's the plan. I found two other posts that had the same symptoms from years ago that had no solution. It drives me crazy. Also, I found out my rear differential is shot. So looking forward to swapping that out!

When we unloaded it from the tow truck, it wouldn't stay put. It just rolled forward, amd when we flat towed it the 100 ft arojnd to the back of the property so I could work on it more, the rear diff was clacking as if the gears had exploded.

First things first. Get the ol gal running.

 

Did you check the main ground wire from the battery to the frame?

 

I didnt. I figured since the horn a a few lights work, it would have been fine. I am goi g to do that first thing when I get home and report back.

 

Since the truck has been parked for so long, I would recommend removing the ground cable and clean both cable ends and the frame point with sand paper. If you see any signs of corrosion on the cable, replace it.

 

Because the horn works it doesn't necessarily mean the ground to the IP (instrument panel) is good. Check the continuity between IP and battery ground.

When you clean that ground cable do not use any grease or dielectric grease between the body and the cable terminal. After you clean and attach to the body then you can cover with dielectric or any grease to prevent rust. Dielectric is non-conductive.