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2004 Malibu won't start, how do I check which fuse is bad
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twk3
User
Feb 20, 2009, 8:18 AM
Post #1 of 16
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2004 Malibu won't start, how do I check which fuse is bad
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2004
Chevy
Malibu
(Can't even check the kms on it)
Purchased the car in October, and did a 24hr road trip, moving from a cold dry climate to an island on the coast.
Car was working absolutely fine, but I left it in it's stall for two weeks without driving it. And when I went to go use it again, I couldn't even use my remote to unlock the doors.
No lights, no check engine light, no response at all to the key in the ignition. No security light flashing. And I have tried jumping the battery, but there is no change. Jumping it does not appear to power anything, leading me to believe that the battery is probably fine.
My best guess is that it's a fuse, but how do I check which fuse/s it needs?
The lights were not left on, but a laptop power adapter has been left plugged in to the 12V DC outlet since November.
I can take a picture of the fuse layout with the fuse diagram if anyone needs it.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Feb 20, 2009, 8:46 AM
Post #2 of 16
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Re: 2004 Malibu won't start, how do I check which fuse is bad
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Laptop thingy killed it (car's battery) almost without doubt and especially if.... battery is older and it was cold out - done, game over for that one. Test it directly to see if there's any voltage and will take a charge directly with a charger. If over 3 years old (bat) toss it anyway even it it works a little it's junk now.
I don't know why you didn't get some reaction from jumping it. The GM terminals are so difficult you may not have had a connection at all or terminal ends on the car are NG which isn't uncommon either.
Note: The adaptor things for house current (inverters) or to convert to USB power usually have some passive cooling device that draws current while NOT in use unless removed. Some will shut down when car is close to dead for you and some won't.
The lead acid car battery won't take being left dead for long new or not - know that,
T
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twk3
User
Feb 20, 2009, 7:03 PM
Post #3 of 16
(4329 views)
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Re: 2004 Malibu won't start, how do I check which fuse is bad
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The jump cables I am using have a polarity check, and they are checking okay while I attempt the jump.
Positive terminal runs to the fuse box. I am assuming that it's not NG, but I could be wrong? Both the pos and the neg terminals run to the chasis, but the pos run through the fuse box first.
I really think that I should be able to jump this thing.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Feb 20, 2009, 8:13 PM
Post #4 of 16
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Re: 2004 Malibu won't start, how do I check which fuse is bad
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>>I really think that I should be able to jump this thing.<<
I agree you should be able to jump it. It's possible they use one huge amp fuse to isolate the battery from doing anything at all for the vehicle. Chase that down with a test light. A cable connection could make the same disconnect unseen even with it looking ok - use the test light on them to follow the path.
It needs to ground as well. Use test light back powered to test for proper ground. You could get something from the car is hooked up to power properly.
BTW - when a battery does short out dead the last connection with jumper cables USUALLY will react like you are crossed up with polarity.
As said - GM battery cables are a trouble spot. The bolt may show bat voltage but the cable act as if disconnected - they need to be tested, cleaned or replaced as needed,
T
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twk3
User
Feb 21, 2009, 11:47 AM
Post #5 of 16
(4318 views)
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Re: 2004 Malibu won't start, how do I check which fuse is bad
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I went to jump it again today, and it honked at me and flashed lights for a second when I hooked it up... and that was it. Still no lights on the dash, no response to the key, except my security light attempted to flicker when I tried the remote a few times, but then it couldn't do that.
I changed my jumper cables so that instead of putting a charge across the battery (that is, as you said, really dead and can't hold a charge), I instead just hooked the two batteries together. This gave me lights, locks, radio, everything to make me hopeful, but the starter just clicks. I gave it some time, tried it every 5 minutes, but after about 20 minutes of attempting this, I lost all my lights and power.
The vehicle I am using to jump it has a 300A battery.
I disconnected the jumper cables for about 10 minutes, then placed them back on, and I got my lights again, still couldn't start.
It might be as you say, that there is a fuse isolating the battery, and in order to power it at all, the battery requires a certain amount of charge.
Anyways, the soloution appears to be easy.: get a new battery.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Feb 21, 2009, 3:20 PM
Post #6 of 16
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Re: 2004 Malibu won't start, how do I check which fuse is bad
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When you just got the clicks - if like a rapid fire machine gun it's just low amps available for the starter. The donor car's amps only count some with jumping. Your original (low/dead) battery is gaining or supposed to gain amps as well. Also you really don't get a high % from the donor car unless you are broke from the cost of the cables used! Two issues with cables is the connections themselves and the amp loss thru cheaper wire. Solid copper (1 gauge) is wicked expensive - no shoot - mine cost me $100 bucks over 20 years ago - hard to lift the weight of copper and takes two hands on the claws!
Know that a trickle of a wire would charge the orig to full given enough time so you don't have to go nuts on equipment.
Cool things to have for any car owner:
1-3 amp battery maintainer/charger - floating such that it shuts down 100% when done! Under $20 today at Wally World!
Simple 6-12v test light - LED shows either red or green for polarity - $3.96 - Wally World.
Multimeter: The cheapo $9.96 on up for better - better is worth it as the scale is hard to read on the dinky little one.
When bucks allow: Get a jumper box so you don't need another vehicle. Look for amps rating and deduct as the lie! Usually come with 12v power ports too which if you leave in a running car with special port to power port/lighter will charge it back up again for the next use or has a "home" charger too.
Note: Batteries should be measured by their CCA = Cold Cranking Amps. Look for that. That power is needed for the starter - the other crap in a car doesn't use diddle compared to the starter. I just toss out a rule of thumb - for each liter of engine displacement you want 100 CCA and add at least 100. A common V6 migh be 4ish liters or less so 550 CCA or better is nice. No need to way overdo it. There's a wide range of qualites too AND look for the date it was made! If not clear ask! All batteries have at least a month and year dated code and that's its birthday whether in a car or not!
The honking and any other issues may have been some alarm thing you need to find out how each car behaves for that. When a battery is disconnected or goes low enough it will usually set off alarms (if equipped) when proper power is again available,
T
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twk3
User
Feb 21, 2009, 6:05 PM
Post #7 of 16
(4306 views)
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Re: 2004 Malibu won't start, how do I check which fuse is bad
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That would probably explain it.
Thanks for the suggestions.
I actually have a jump-starter box, I usually only bring it along when I go on a road trip, because I was told that it shouldn't stay in the car, cause it's too cold or something. And the thing needs to be recharged every month, which I never do. It's charging at the moment, because I want to try it tomorrow, see if I can at least start the car... so I can drive it to get a new battery.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Feb 21, 2009, 6:23 PM
Post #8 of 16
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Re: 2004 Malibu won't start, how do I check which fuse is bad
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The jumper box things are great and true - we forget to charge them to full all the time. Also - cold if it is where you are they won't have the power as they do when ~room temps. That CCA thing is real - the power available at 32F might be 1/2 of what you'd see at higher temps.
You can tell about how powerful your jumper box is by how much it weighs. The heavier the better it is. They are also "gel cell" type so can tolerate being tipped over and bumped around a bit whereas regular car batteries won't take much or any of that crap.
Side topic: I put a power port in the trunk of the car I use for road calls if needed and with a "double ended male" extention it will self charge port to port while in the trunk but you have to unplug the thing when it's done and not forget.
They are awesome for newer cars and prevent causing an issue with a donor car. If you attempt to jump a car that has totally shorted out - hell - let the jumper box take the hit not a car! It's nice of folks to offer to give a jump but they can end up with troubles for trying - bummer.
The newer and more high tech a car is the more important the battery and its condition is - know that,
T
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twk3
User
Jun 7, 2009, 8:14 PM
Post #9 of 16
(4219 views)
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Re: 2004 Malibu won't start, how do I check which fuse is bad
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Well, I thought that was it, the new battery seemed to work fine. Until now. Exact same problem with the new battery, luckily this time the battery still takes a charge.
Some sort of intermittent drain somewhere. After replacing the battery, I drove it for a month, then let it sit for a month, then drove it just fine for several weeks. Then left it for a week... came back to it... and it didn't have enough power to unlock the doors, and jumping it doesn't give it enough to start.
Obviously I'm just gonna have to take it in and get it checked out. Just doing a followup here.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jun 8, 2009, 4:49 AM
Post #10 of 16
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Re: 2004 Malibu won't start, how do I check which fuse is bad
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When jumping doesn't work just what happens? Most jumper cables stink - real good ones would start a car with not battery in it so the jump didn't work out or the battery so shorted dead that it is taking up all the current.
Use chargers and jumper boxes higher rated ones are expensive but will start a car with NO battery!
We need to sometimes but when there are choices use a charger instead of jumping,
T
Ps: When batteries go dead it takes life out of them. A few times of that a new battery can be junk!
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twk3
User
Jun 8, 2009, 5:36 PM
Post #11 of 16
(4205 views)
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Re: 2004 Malibu won't start, how do I check which fuse is bad
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Well, when we went to jump it, we would get lights, everything fine, cept the starter just grinds and doesn't turn over. Picked up a better battery charger today and an extra battery for those times when I really have to get to work... and my battery is dead.
The jumper cables I have cost me about $100 two years ago, but to tell the honest truth, I don't know how good they are.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Jun 8, 2009, 7:12 PM
Post #12 of 16
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Re: 2004 Malibu won't start, how do I check which fuse is bad
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Jumper cables: ONE gauge fine stranded real copper with claws that are so strong they are hard the compress!
Grinding noises are not generally associated with low battery amps available - are you sure you meant "grinding" or did you mean the machine gun sound of a solenoid fluttering with low amps available?
T
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twk3
User
Jun 8, 2009, 9:25 PM
Post #13 of 16
(4192 views)
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Re: 2004 Malibu won't start, how do I check which fuse is bad
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Aye, just the solenoid.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
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Jun 8, 2009, 10:04 PM
Post #14 of 16
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Re: 2004 Malibu won't start, how do I check which fuse is bad
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Fluttering solenoid usually mean inadequate amps and single clicks mean bad connections - just FYI.
That's all better than a grinding starter!
If found low with new battery just from reasonably short time (weeks) there's a drain. Let's find it or blame the battery - not sure yet.
There's a trick - connect a test light between neg battery and disconnected cable. It will light it something is on or draining. Take bulbs out of hood lights, pull fuses one at a time and the one that makes that test light go out is the circuit in question - the fix still a chase but you've narrowed it down to one circuit if that all works,
T
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twk3
User
Mar 18, 2010, 8:59 PM
Post #15 of 16
(4079 views)
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Re: 2004 Malibu won't start, how do I check which fuse is bad
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So I ended up having to get it safetied so I went ahead and paid to have it diagnosed, which resulted in them changing my trunk light. And putting in yet another battery.
And here I am again with the same problem, guess it's time to diagnose it myself. I'll try your suggestion to narrow down the circuit.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Mar 18, 2010, 11:25 PM
Post #16 of 16
(4074 views)
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Re: 2004 Malibu won't start, how do I check which fuse is bad
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This situation began over a year ago. I suggest starting a new thread on recent events,
T
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