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Zero Power, As If There's No Battery

12K views 20 replies 5 participants last post by  co2011x 
#1 ·
Wife came home, dropped in for 10 minutes, got back out to our 2000 Xterra, turned the key and nothing. No clicking like a dead battery. No horn, no lights. I don't mean a faint horn or dim lights I mean NOTHING.
It's like it doesn't have battery. Nothing leading up to this.
I thought it was the security system and I find all kinds of "remedies." Turn the key counter clockwise, clockwise, door key entry, hatchback entry, disconnect the battery, etc. etc.
I even disconnected the battery and left it off about 3 minutes. Nothing.
I do NOT have a key fob.
The red security light doesn't even blink.
I put it on a trickle charge and there's immediate power (didn't try to start it while it was connected.)
As soon as I disconnect the charger, there's still power (lights etc) but I insert the ignition key and it dead again.

Like I said, there's not even a red security light.
What the #@%! is going on?
 
#3 ·
I haven't tried jumping it. Didn't seem right. No decrease in power, no faint or fading lights, just suddenly nothing.
Multimeter showed 12.49 volts prior to charging.
Have not tested it since. I had to walk away.
 
#4 ·
Do the hazard lights work? If not and the battery shows a charge, sounds like a relay. I would check your fuse box and go over the main fuses and relays. Sounds like you have a multimeter so shouldn't be hard to test. I would try jumping it first. It if cant run by itself after disconnecting the jumper cables may be the alternator and the battery is drained.
 
#5 ·
I'll check it out tomorrow after work.
I appreciate the help.
 
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#6 ·
Also it could be something as simple as a security feature. Search "security no power"
and that will lead you to a few good articles. But it does sound electrical related. My money is on a relay or fuse. But possible bad battery as well. Good luck bud...
 
#7 ·
So I came home, put the jumper cables on. Again, had power. Put the key in the ignition, everything dies. Never starts.
Pulled the cable off, put it back on, same thing. Multimeter (with cables on) say 13+V.
Pull the battery, check it at the parts house, 5 year old battery, tests says bad battery.
$100 on a new battery.
Doesn't change a damn thing.
Wth...
 
#10 ·
Yes, and have not checked that fuse yet.
 
#12 ·
Thanks! Going to replace that today! I hope that's it.
 
#14 ·
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#15 ·
I bought an ignition relay but damned if I can find where it goes.
Nissan service center said it can't be the ignition switch nor the starter. He said he's never heard anything like it before. Said maybe a ground wire but so far I've not seen anything loose.
 
#16 ·
#18 ·
I checked them, they were fine.
But I threw in the towel. My wife didn't want to get up at 3:45 am, drive me to work, come home and go back to sleep then get back up for work.
It rained this morning, then ice, then snow. Tonight it's 18 degrees and we desperately need a second car. Not like I have the money for car work but the alternative is worse.
 
#20 ·
Turns out it was the damn positive battery terminal! Well, not the terminal itself. So the previous owners had some odd contraption set up. Even had a screw going in the middle of the old term. So I had replaced the old one. They did have two thick cables coming to the + term with a metal plate combining them. I made sure it was connected well, added the new term, dielectric grease, wire brushed the connections, yadda-yadda.
That was maybe a year ago? He said he removed the whole deal, put everything new and it works. I feel like there had to be something else. It doesn't make sense to me. Insert a key and the whole thing is dead'er n' a door nail?
I don't care, it's fixed and he didn't charge me a dime!
At least it's done.

I thank everybody for helping me try to run this down!
 
#21 ·
This thread saved my ass yesterday.
I just bought my dad's '11 X. He hadn't been driving for a couple of years, and to save the battery a local shop had installed a physical cutout switch on the positive terminal, so that accessories didn't kill the battery when it didn't get driven for a month or so.
I was running errands, shut off the X, went to turn it back on and zero power at all.
Googled frantically, found this thread, removed that cutout, reattached the positive lead, and poof, power's there.
 
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