I replaced my battery terminals today. Everything was working fine until I tried to start it. When I turned the key everything died and will not come back on. Please help!

 

recheck the connection between them and battery

 

I tried that. Everything is tight. Everything was normal until I attempted to start it. My cb was on the radio was on and the gages were on (everything thats normally on when you turn the key to the on position). Once I turned to to the start position everything just died and now nothing works. I tried disconnecting ane reconnection the batter and still nothing. I tested the continuity between the negative terminal of the battery and some various parts like the starter and such and it was getting power. I just dont know what could've blown to kill every piece of electronics in the thing. Could I have blown my ECM?

 

Well #1 those painted terminal ends, in my opinion are the worst terminals weekend mechanics can use for replacements. Most people do not check the inside contact area for paint that gets sprayed on the terminal contact surface. There is also paint sometimes on the area where the wire is attached. This will cause a break in the electrical connection anytime after being hooked to the battery.

The other place to look, is there a fusable link that may have blown when you turned on the key. I'm not sure if a 2000 XJ has a wire link or a fuse. I know my 96 has the wire link. If the link is melted (blown) no power will get to the vehicle and everything will be dead when the key is turned.

 

Did you put the POS. on the NEG terminal?

 

I can undertand why you would ask but no, I didn't.

 

test for current in battery if its good it the then test for current in pdc connection from battery

 

Me neither....never evere never never never..........ever!
















except that one time.....

 

Ok, I fixed it. I think it was the paint issue. I jiggled the neg. leads that I bolted to the terminal ends and it started working. Must have scraped through any paint preventing the connection. I looked in the terminal end for excess paint but not under those little plates where the wires are connected. I feel kinda dumb about that since my expertise is in mobile electronics but oh well, at least it was nothing major. And as far as those terminals being the wost, my old ones were extremely corroded and disfigured and I needed a quick fix. Which ones would you recommend?

 

Thank you everyone for your quick reponses to this issue. I really appreciate it.

 

ones that make a good connection lol

 

Glad it was only a minor issue with the painted surfaces. Which ones would I recommend.... any terminal that is not painted!! Straight lead work great, there are some steel terminals on imports, there ok, but will rust over time.

If I replace terminal ends on customer vehicles with the lead style, I usually also add a nut to the screw holding the wire clip in place. The screw itself going into the lead block dosen't hold the wires tight enough and will strip the threads in the lead when tightened.

Also terminals with painted surfaces will not make a contact when jumping batteries, have to hook the cables to the bolts.

 

I plan on installing a remote jump system but that is a good thing to think aobut.