Put in a new Battery, got nothin' - I am not dumb, but maybe I'm not bright?

[Mtsoxfan]

I agree with finding the main fuse, inline, but visible. Had one blow on my nh tc29d once. I think a faulty starter relay was the culprit. Changed them both, after diagnosing faulty relay.

 

[CH4Ohio]

It was starting slowly which is why I changed it out - so ok is a good word but I could tell the battery/charge/power was waning.

Thanks.

Right. Sounds like your battery was weak but when you turned the key, things happened. You'd think a new battery would be in order and everything would work even better.

What did you mean when you said "you had a guy put in the plugs"??

Is it possible that the battery cables got put on the new battery backward? And then corrected? That might blow the "main fuse" or fusible link. Seems like something else must have happened. Did anything get shorted out during the battery swap? Like did a wrench get shorted across the battery posts and throw sparks or did the wrench touch the frame (ground) while tightening the positive cable (and cause a spark)?

We hate mysteries just as much as you do. Just brainstorming now. . .

 

[garry1p]

If the battery tray is really the ground source I would jumper a wire from the neg side of the battery to ground somewhere close to the battery and see if the dash or lights work.

Since you have lost "all" power the most likely culprit would be a bad ground from the battery = NO POWER or the positive main fuse is blown = NO POWER.

 

[CH4Ohio]

Ok so I read about that here (attached) but maybe it was snowing too hard or whatever but I couldnt find it - I was 100% traveling down this path of thoughtView attachment 4375403

Definitely need to find that fuse and test it with your new meter. Should be right there on the end of a modular plug as shown in the picture behing the alternator.

 

[SPYDERLK]

If the battery tray is really the ground source I would jumper a wire from the neg side of the battery to ground somewhere close to the battery and see if the dash or lights work.

Since you have lost "all" power the most likely culprit would be a bad ground from the battery = NO POWER or the positive main fuse is blown = NO POWER.

There is another possibility to explore. In my life I have had 2 new batteries that measured correct V with no load, but collapsed to virtually Zero with only a small load. Im talking about maybe a Watt or two -- fractional amp load.

I took them back of course. The only thing I can think of is there was a cracked internal buss conductor and acid sufficed to bridge the crack sufficient for a few milliamps - plenty for a voltmeter. If this condition exists it will behoove us to find the characteristic early and stop. I can imagine tiny sparks happening in a Hydrogen - Oxygen environ. (EEK)