No electrisity after connecting batteries. (stood on carrage for 2 months)

[Janne Huovinen]

My prado is allmost dead. I had car standing on garrage for few months without batteries. Now when I put batteries back, my car do not do almost anything.
Horn, Brake lights, lights on the door and drivers side window works, but blinks green on knob. what is not working: all meters, central locking, ecu (no odb2 connection possible), driving lights.. etc. What could have been happened?? All the fuses are ok and batteries are charged up.

Please help me.

 

[Bueff]

Hi Janne,

To start off, I have no idea why this could happen. However I find this very strange too. First thing that comes to mind is potentially damage from rodents. Could it be possible that a rat or the like made themselves at home under your bonnet and chewed on your wiring while the car was parked. My neighbor had his Hilux control unit and wiring loom completely destroyed by a rat. He was able to drive it so he didn't notice until something shorted out and he was stuck on the side of the road.
So my suggestion would be to check your wiring for evidence of potential rodent issues.
I am sure just taking the battery out of a car doesn't effect it this badly. But then, mine doesn't have all the electrical gimmicks either.
Good luck and let us know how you go.

 

[Janne Huovinen]

Hopefully rats are out of the question because I have not seen one in my garrage. But rust is next to the rat.. I am affraid that power does not find its way. I tried to put extra ground from battery, but it did not work out.

 

[Chris]

Janne, I have to ask, were the batteries connected to a charger during this time? You say they are charged up, I can see that, but may I ask how you know they are fully charged? When there are two batteries together, it is a common fault for one of them to be damaged which will not allow correct starting of the engine. However, outwardly the batteries MAY appear to be good

 

[Janne Huovinen]

Hi,

Batteries actually went empty, and I had to even add liquid on both of them ... Voltage was ok.. 12.8 volts. Do you mean, that ecu is not happy with elecrisity it is getting and "refuses" to wake up??

 

[Chris]

No not quite Janne. The batteries may well show 12.8 volts but not actually have any real AMPs there. A good battery tester will check how much 'push' the batteries have in them. Volts is not a good indicator on it's own. Also if one battery is damaged inside then it acts as a load in addition to the starter motor making starting the engine very difficult. I don't think the problem is electronic.

 

[Janne Huovinen]

well.. I am not sure, but the ECU do not need that much power.. does it. I have the keyless entry, so if there is no green light on start button nor it do not do anything if i press it without pressing brake pedal. ... But as I said I am not sure. Batteries are done anyway, so I might go ahead an change those anyway.

 

[Tractionman]

Janne, hi and welcome. Chris is absolutely spot on, my recently purchased 120 had starting issues.
Volts in both batteries were good, as yours, and both magic eyes were showing correct colour, but it would not start. After much deliberation and input from guys on here, I bought 2 new batteries, - result, starts 1st every time now. As Chris says it is that 'push', - cranking amps you need to start.

 

[Tractionman]

Afterthought, can you try jump starting from another vehicle, if it starts that way, everything points to batteries

 

[Janne Huovinen]

Oh, yes I understand, mut meter lights does not take that much power at all.. Normaly lights on the console Works and the starting is an another case.. that needs power.

 

[Janne Huovinen]

well.. How I start the car? start button does not do anythintg…. not even light any lights on console.. First I need power to the ecu.

 

[Janne Huovinen]

when the green light is on and you press start button, It is the same when you turn you key to the position 1. all warning lights comes up and so on... radio starts to play... but I do not get the green light on the button not even when I had the charger plugged on the batteries. That worries me the most...

 

[Tractionman]

Mine was exactly the same, all lights worked, radio, etc, but not enough 'grunt' to turn engine. Try to power from another source with jump leads

 

[AdventureWagon]

Yeah just to echo it's definitely possible to have a battery with a decent voltage but as soon as you put any load on it the voltage will drop to almost nothing. Even just the accessory mode will draw several amps before you even turn on the ignition. Given the state of your batteries as you describe it's almost certainly time for new ones. Horn, brake lights, etc., are low loads that aren't particularly sensitive to voltage drop. Add another 10A of ECU, 60A of glowplugs (if a diesel) and it'll drop like a stone, and that's before 300A of cranking from the starter.

 

[Juddian]

I lost an almost new Varta battery on my ageing Merc, the CTEC smart charger had gone on the blink (not the first one either) unbeknown to me, and a several weeks without charge saw it scrap.

As said above, connecting a good known vehicle via jump leads will soon tell you if the batteries have stood too long without charge.