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No power at all?

Tiny
BHAMDOC1973
  • MEMBER
  • 2010 ACURA MDX
  • V6
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 257,000 MILES
Bought it non-runner. Battery dead and measures close to 0. With a jump box nothing, removed cables and attached to jump box still nothing, no lights on dash, remote does not work, no signs of life. If I am not mistaken, the box next to the battery has a fusible link or more. I removed one and I think it looks good if I am not mistaken. If I try to connect a wire from battery positive to one side of the fuse it sparks, the other side does nothing. There are 2 other ling ones but am not sure where to look first.
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Wednesday, January 11th, 2023 AT 7:41 AM

34 Replies

Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
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Hi,

Have you checked the fuse for continuity? There is a main 120-amp fuse under the hood. I attached a portion of the power distribution circuit below for you to reference.

Take a look at the schematic and see if that is what you are seeing. Show me which terminal sparks when you attach the battery jumper.

Let me know.

Joe
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Wednesday, January 11th, 2023 AT 3:19 PM
Tiny
BHAMDOC1973
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Thanks. Can you tell me how to check for continuity if the fuse?
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Wednesday, January 11th, 2023 AT 3:33 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
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You will need a multimeter to perform this. When you check continuity, basically you are checking to see if power goes from one place to another. The measurement is done in Ohms of resistance. In a perfect world, you want no resistance.

If you look at the last test of the following link, it shows a wire being tested for resistance/continuity. You will be doing the same thing with a fuse from one end to the other.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-wiring

Let me know if this helps.

Joe
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Wednesday, January 11th, 2023 AT 3:42 PM
Tiny
BHAMDOC1973
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Yes, the picture I sent you is for the 120 amp. I tested it with multimeter, nothing happens when I touch the 2 ends, whether it's on ohm resistance or continuity. It sparks when I touch the right side if the fuse.
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Wednesday, January 11th, 2023 AT 3:49 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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If you are not getting power through the fuse, it needs to be replaced. The thing is, what caused a 120 amp fuse to fail? WHen you say it sparks, what sparks in the pic above?

Joe
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Wednesday, January 11th, 2023 AT 3:52 PM
Tiny
BHAMDOC1973
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Using a probe, one side is 12v the other is ground. I think it sparked cause I was attaching a wire from positive to that side which the probe indicated as ground.
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Wednesday, January 11th, 2023 AT 3:56 PM
Tiny
BHAMDOC1973
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Even when connecting a jumper box, after attaching positive terminal then trying to attach the ground to the battery's negative post it sparks a bit more than it should.
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Wednesday, January 11th, 2023 AT 3:57 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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Hi,

I would have to see the extent of the sparking. Some can be considered normal from low voltage draws at all times.

I watched your video. If the fuse between those two points is good, you would have power on each side and not ground on one of the sides. Remove the fuse and confirm continuity, which I feel won't exist. If there isn't continuity within the fuse, the next step is to replace it and see if it fails again. If it does, then we have a short which could be anywhere. If that is the case, let me know and together we will start eliminating possible issues. Also, if the fuse does fail again, disconnect the battery and remove the fuse box to see if there is anything damaged under it where the connectors are located.

Take care and let me know what you find.

Joe
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Thursday, January 12th, 2023 AT 6:38 PM
Tiny
BHAMDOC1973
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Yes, I am hoping there is not a short because this like you said could be anything and hard to diagnose. I ordered another one. Will see how it goes.
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Friday, January 13th, 2023 AT 2:51 AM
Tiny
BHAMDOC1973
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Got another fuse, connected battery ground slowly and it sparked more than it would when installing a new battery, there is definitely a short somewhere. I only touched it twice and removed it so the fuse won't blow again.
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Friday, January 13th, 2023 AT 2:41 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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Hi,

What I would suggest is this. Remove the fuse. Using a multimeter, check for continuity to ground between the return side where the fuse goes (not the power supply side).

If there is continuity, remove one fuse in the box at a time to see if there is a specific fuse that eliminates the ground.

Try that and let me know what you find.

Joe
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Friday, January 13th, 2023 AT 8:46 PM
Tiny
BHAMDOC1973
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Hmm, that makes sense. So, continuity would be to check between where it is grounding at the fuse and the chassis or battery terminal and once a fuse is removed and ground is out that is where the issue is.
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Saturday, January 14th, 2023 AT 5:09 AM
Tiny
BHAMDOC1973
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So, with a voltmeter turn it to volts and touch on battery and other end to the end if the fuse that was coming as ground? I did but nothing was reading. I could not understand from the link how to do it as far as removing a fuse by one to see if it eliminates the ground from the fuse end.
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Saturday, January 14th, 2023 AT 9:59 AM
Tiny
BHAMDOC1973
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Sorry read it wrong, with a connector to ground and other end to the fuse end where it sparks it reads about 25, sometimes more or so when the voltmeter is on continuity test.
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Saturday, January 14th, 2023 AT 10:03 AM
Tiny
BHAMDOC1973
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I removed each fuse in the box while voltmeter on continuity and one end to round and the other to the fuse end in the box, while fuse is off, but none of the fuses resulted in the numbers to go to zero.
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Saturday, January 14th, 2023 AT 10:17 AM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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Hi,

If that is the case and there is no continuity, I have to ask how badly does it spark when you connect things?

I don't like doing this because not being there makes it difficult to be confident, but if you record how badly it sparks and upload it for me to see, I may be able if it is excessive.

Let me know.

Joe
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Saturday, January 14th, 2023 AT 8:54 PM
Tiny
BHAMDOC1973
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So, this video shows what I have done. In the video I meant the voltmeter was at continuity not resistance.
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Monday, January 16th, 2023 AT 1:23 PM
Tiny
BHAMDOC1973
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Here it shows the amount of spark. It almost feels like what happens if you switch the jumper around say if you connect the negative to positive.
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Monday, January 16th, 2023 AT 1:27 PM
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
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Hi,

when you installed the negative cable, I didn't see any spark. It did spark with the jumper. That is excessive. Does that happen if all fuses other than the 120amp fuse is removed?

At this point, you could either remove the box and inspect the connectors or remove all fuses but the 120 amp and see if it still sparks.

Let me know.

Joe
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Monday, January 16th, 2023 AT 5:01 PM
Tiny
BHAMDOC1973
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Let me try. But there are other fuses inside the car or is it most likely something within the box? Yes, it didn't spark with just the battery because its drained.
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Monday, January 16th, 2023 AT 5:03 PM

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