1996 Chevy S-10 batory replacement

Tiny
WKLY
  • MEMBER
  • 1996 CHEVROLET S-10
  • 6 CYL
  • 4WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 130,000 MILES
I put a new battory in my s-10. When I went to start it I had power to all electrol systems, but when I went to crank it over I loss power to everything in the truck? I think it has to with the ant-thift system not letting me start the truck? I tryed the instructions in the repar manul to deactivate the ant-thift system, but the radio did not fllow the way the repar manul said it would? I can not start my truck?
Monday, December 8th, 2008 AT 1:12 PM

12 Replies

Tiny
BUDDYCRAIGG
  • MECHANIC
  • 2,262 POSTS
Is the dome light out too?
GM trucks have a problem with corrosion on the battery cables.
Especially if there are two positive cables, there is a thick spacer between the two cables that gets coated with a hard green deposit that blocks the flow of electricity.
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Monday, December 8th, 2008 AT 4:09 PM
Tiny
WKLY
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Yea I did notice alot of crosion on batery termanl. I cleaned alot of it off, but did not help. I get planty of power to all electrical sytems, but when I try to crank it over all power is cut. When I trun the key back to where I had power before I tryed cranking it, all power is gone. I take off the batery cables and conect them and I have power again untill I try cranking it over?
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Monday, December 8th, 2008 AT 7:01 PM
Tiny
BUDDYCRAIGG
  • MECHANIC
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I'm sorry to trouble you to check something else.

When the power is dead, do you still have brake lights?

I still feel that it is a poor connection, or possibly a bad battery.

What made you want to replace the old battery?
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Monday, December 8th, 2008 AT 7:20 PM
Tiny
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  • 6 POSTS
No I do not have brake lights every thing is dead untill I take off and reconect the batery cables. The reasion I replaced the battery is I had trouble with the alarm box under the stearing collum and had it repalced. When I repaced it the auto shop said my battery was bad.
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Wednesday, December 10th, 2008 AT 10:02 AM
Tiny
BUDDYCRAIGG
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I'm going to have to look through the electrical schematics for your truck. I need to find something that is directly hardwired to your battery and then have you test again to see if it goes dead when the problem happens.
It will positively prove if you have connection / battery problem.

In the meantime, if you still have your old battery, you might try putting it back in.

And please post if you solve the problem before I get back to you.
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Wednesday, December 10th, 2008 AT 10:56 AM
Tiny
WKLY
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
Ok that is defently going the extra mile. Thank you very much. I will defently let you know if I find any thing eles out again thank you very much
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Wednesday, December 10th, 2008 AT 10:00 PM
Tiny
BUDDYCRAIGG
  • MECHANIC
  • 2,262 POSTS
I'm having technical issues delaying me from accessing the resource information I need to further assist you.
I'll respond back as soon as I can.
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Thursday, December 11th, 2008 AT 6:34 PM
Tiny
WKLY
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I got some good news and bad news. The good is I tore out my starter and batery and had them checked. They both tested fine no problems. The bad is I split a wire to the starter trying to get it out. I tryed to reconect it but when I finaly got the starter in, the cnection fell apart. I now have to take out and put back in the starter all over agian.
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Friday, December 12th, 2008 AT 6:02 PM
Tiny
BUDDYCRAIGG
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Is the connector that fell apart going on to the big stud on the starter?

That could have been your problem all along.

But finally got my login to work and I have verified that the brake lights are hot all the time.
They do not go through any type of control module or relays.
The horns are also hot at all times.

So if these items stop working then the problem is somewhere in the main power from the battery to the fuse box there is a corroded wire or connector that is jut barely allowing enough amps to flow through it to run the lights and little stuff, but when you try to start the engine the amp draw is too much and an "open circuit" happens at the point where the corrosion is.

Good luck
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Friday, December 12th, 2008 AT 6:43 PM
Tiny
WKLY
  • MEMBER
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So what you are saying is thire is a bad whire some where betwen the battery and the fuse box? Whould I have been blowing fues? I checked all fues and they are fine. Do you think it might be the anti-theft system? The cnection that split was on the small stud on the stater.
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Sunday, December 14th, 2008 AT 8:33 AM
Tiny
BUDDYCRAIGG
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I think it's more likely a bad connection.
Somewhere between the battery and the wire going to the fuse box.
But since this problem only started after you replaced the battery, I would expect it to be a problem at the battery, make sure the ground cable is clean too.

No, you wouldn't be blowing any fuses.

No, the antitheft system doesn't have anything to do with the brake lights or the horn.
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Sunday, December 14th, 2008 AT 4:45 PM
Tiny
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Thank you very much for all the help. I think I might have solved the problem. When I put back the starter, I noteced some minor crosion on the small termnal of the starter. I cleaned it off and I cut off the old conection and replaced it. The truck started right up. I hope that was the problem. Thanks again.
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Monday, December 15th, 2008 AT 7:46 PM

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