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bushmimjb · Aug 15, 2007, 09:54 AM

I have no turn signals, no lights on rear of car, battery goes completely dead when just sitting. Car will jump start, but after few minutes of idling it dies and battery is completely dead again. What is my prob.

JohnSnownw · Aug 15, 2007, 10:01 AM

It sounds like a blown fuse, except for the battery draining issue. You have an older car, so there could be multiple reasons. Possibilities:

1. A short in the electrical wiring.
2. Blown Fuse.
3. Bad alternator.

It could be one of these, or a combination of several. Anyway, you should have it looked at by a professional. Good Luck.

TxGreaseMonkey · Aug 15, 2007, 10:17 AM

. Check all under-dash and under-hood fuses with a test light or multimeter. Here's how to do it:

https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/cars-t...tml#post252145

. Clean battery terminals and cable connections.
. Have alternator and battery tested.

bushmimjb · Aug 15, 2007, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by JohnSnownw

It sounds like a blown fuse, except for the battery draining issue. You have an older car, so there could be multiple reasons. Possibilities:

1. A short in the electrical wiring.
2. Blown Fuse.
3. Bad alternator.

It could be one of these, or a combination of several. Anyway, you should have it looked at by a professional. Good Luck.

Fuses are all good. Could be alternator. If battery is completely dead and alternator is good, wouldn't it still run after being jumped off, or could a bad batery cause this also? I'm sure the lights are due to electrical prob. Only headlights and interior lights work.

JohnSnownw · Aug 15, 2007, 12:05 PM

Originally Posted by bushmimjb

Fuses are all good. Could be alternator. If battery is completely dead and alternator is good, wouldn't it still run after being jumped off, or could a bad batery cause this also? I'm sure the lights are due to electrical prob. Only headlights and interior lights work.

Well, if the battery is bad (won't hold a charge), then it doesn't matter if your alternator is working properly. Txgreasemonkey also mentioned checking the wires that connect to the battery. There could be poor contact there due to corrosion or just a loose connection at the battery terminals.

Anyway, your problem cannot be just the battery or just the alternator. Your battery being poor would have nothing to do with certain lights or signals not working while others function properly. Same goes for the alternator. My guess is a wiring issue. Try taking the fuse out that controls the non-working signals/lights. Then try to jump-start the car again, if the car does not die... then more than likely the problem is associated with the wiring controlling those functions.

If your battery and alternator are both working properly, then the drain on power is more likely due to a short circuit or some other wiring issue.