Car keeps dying while off, won't start HELP!

30

Asked by Marisolkeys Oct 28, 2017 at 07:32 PM about the 2002 Dodge Caravan

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

OK. Battery is new and good. No accessories
pulling power. Starter is fine. Mechanic checked all
these things. No melted wires. Slightly corroded
battery cables. Jump starts immediately. Makes a
very rapid thumping noise when the car has been
off for a few hours, but not after a predictable
amount of time, then no power. No lights, no noise,
no starting! To make the thumping stop the key
has to be in the ignition. What the hell I'm at my
wits end!

14 Answers

59,805

Well the corroded battery terminal wires may the starting issue (inside insulation may be corroded bad). I have heard car thump, make alot of weird noises because of a bad alternator and since your having issues with electrical I would have the alternator tested and change those terminal wires too they will only corrode worse and cause issues in the future if they are not the issue at all now.

2 people found this helpful.
59,805

Solenoids & relays can make weird noises. If its running rich or fuel vapor is getting stuck in EVAP canister or EVAP system may cause some weird stuff but not related to no power. Check for fuses around alternator too. Anymore info you have may help figure it out.

30

The thumping noise came from the fuse for the front wiper on relay, pulled it and the noise stopped. So what circuit is this related to that would drain my battery or prevent my car from starting?

30

Do I have to do anything else beyond replacing the fuse and battery cables, and jumping the battery?

1 people found this helpful.
59,805

If the wiper is doing this when the its off then I think there is a short or ground issue there on that circuit, May be on a hot wire or ground may be getting power from another hot wire touching ground which is frame/body metal or engine metal. Even switch may be bad and but to be getting power while off it would be ignition switch or short to frame/body/engine somewhere. I would test for parasitic drain first. You can use multi-meter (DC voltage setting) put negative to negative battery terminal and probe frame/body/engine with positive side of multi-meter looking for voltage (may need to reinstall that relay or fuse for wipers.

3 people found this helpful.
59,805

See Battery terminals have good connections on both ends and positive (bare wire) touching metal even down at engine/trans or starter solenoid wires bad or touching somewhere.

1 people found this helpful.
59,805

If wipers on relay and ignition switch is on then it may just be you wiper switch but if its not when key is on then there is power getting to circuit from somewhere.

1 people found this helpful.
30

Going to charge it up and keep working on it. Thank you for your help I'll keep posting my progress till solution.

50

I wish ppl would continue w these posts and actually answer what was wrong. I'm really looking for sum help!

1 people found this helpful.

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