87 Dakota battery good, no power to interior and won't start

DMSSEYJ

MEMBER
1987 DODGE DAKOTA

87 Dakota 2wd, AT, 132k miles
Truck was running fine until fri. Tried to start and engine just barely turned then had no power at all. No lights, horn, ignition. Tried to jump it-same results. Battery is six mos. Old and tests out at specified voltage. Terminals are clean and tight and all grounds off of the battery test ok. Replaced the fusible links for the a/c and alternator. Still no power at all. On a whim, tried to jump it again. Fired right up and ran fine for a day and started several times. Sun aft. I was right back where I started. No power to anything. Jumped it again, had power back to everything. Started up fine but was idling very erratically. When I put it it gear, it died with no power to anything again. Let it sit for a while jumped it and let the other car run for a while without starting the truck. Had interior lights and everything but when I tried to start. Back to no power to anything. Am stumped!

1 Reply

2CARPRO JACK

MECHANIC
11,533 POSTS

Grab a test light, when there is no powere to anything go to underhood fuse/relay center and check for power at the fuses to see if it is even making it to the inside fuse panel and ignition switch. Also might want to see if it is getting anything to the trigger for the starter(small wire)