Q: New battery and alternator but there is still no power in my 204 Xterra onve I turn it off.
Instilled a new battery after my 04 3.3L Xterra would not start in the morning. The old battery was to small for it and did not look in good shape.
Drove it for a week then went to start it one day put the key in the ignition , dash lights lit up car was dinging like normal, turn the key and the car dies instantly. It was like I hit the off swich to the power.
Replaced the alternator, the ground wire from the battery, and had the new battery checked (the battery was good but they still gave me another new one). Installed new one and it started right up. Drove it for a day then went in to a store came out and turned the key and again died instantly! Put my multimeter on the battery and it reads 12.68v. Checked the fuses by eye under the hood, but it well start if it's jumped.
Im completely at a lose on what to do next? Any help would be awesome!
My car has 170000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
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Hi there. It sounds like you either have a defective alternator or there is another issue within the circuit for the charging system. I usually start by checking the output of the alternator. If it is not putting out the right voltage or amperage then it needs to be replaced. I would then check to see if the alternator is getting the correct signal to turn on. These would tell me if the output if correct. If the alternator is putting out the right voltage then the positive battery cable may have failed and may have high internal resistance. If you need to have this checked out, consider YourMechanic, as a certified mechanic can come to you to [diagnose why the vehicle is losing electrical power] https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/electric-problems-inspection
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