Dead Electrical system

[Oldpathy]

92 2wd

 

I left my door open aand the dome light was on, for several hours. Went to go to work, NOTHING. Jumped it and it started right up. Drove about 5 miles shut it off and it was the same thing, NOTHING. The headlights work but no tail lights, side lights, brake lights ect..... The high beam light on the dash works and the clock works until I turn the key to start then the clock blanks out but the headlights don't dim at all. There are no other dash lights and the gauges are dead. I put a different battery in, that was half dead and it started. I put the charger on it and now I'm back to having nothing. My battery charger indicates that the battery has a full charge now.

 

 

Any ideas? I'm thinking ignition switch. But how would I test it? Why would only the headlights work?

 

This is my "new" pathfinder that I just started driving last week, 650 miles and it does this to me...........

 

Any help would be greaaatly appreciated.

[88pathoffroad]

Hmm.

 

That's a wierd one. Make sure the battery terminals are tight with no corrosion, then check the fusible links if there are any. I haven't checked any 90-up Pathies to see what the battery attachments are. It sounds like something's just plain loose and only letting a little bit of voltage through somehow.

[govols74n]

Check your alternator, had the same problem about 3 months ago....alternater was swamped with water and it got fried.....I replaced it and it works fine. Any auto parts store will test it 4 you for free.

[Oldpathy]

Found the problem. Battery cable was corroded about 3 inches inside the insulation and the small wire coming off the + terminal was corroded inside also. Weird that the headlights worked but nothing else............

[88pathoffroad]

It had juuuuuust enough voltage for the lights but not anything else, heh. The ECU won't operate below 8 volts, I think.