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From your initial description of the issue with the lights going black, it sounds like you have a poor battery cable connection somewhere. Since you disconnected and reconnected the battery, does everything still go black when you turn the key to Start? If so, I suggest following the link below to check all of the battery cable connections. Check the large eyelet/nut connection at the power distribution center (fuse box) under the hood. Verify both battery terminals are clean and tight. Follow the large negative battery cable to it's connection points. One should be located on the body to the rear of the battery and the other attached to the front right area of the engine block (see attached pictures).
https://www.2carpros.com/articles/everything-goes-dead-when-engine-is-cranked
Let me know what you find!
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Wednesday, September 11th, 2019 AT 4:49 AM