Jeep will not start

I put in a new battery to my jeep. The next day I try to start it nothing happens. No interior lights or sound coming from the engine. I checked all the fuses and relays but they all checked out. If I jump it it will work but the next day its dead again. Do I have a bad alternator or is there something else I should look at?

 

Welcome from Oklahoma.

When you installed the new battery did you clean the battery cables? Sounds like there is a poor connection.
When you are jumping it there is enough juice to overcome the poor connection but the one battery on it's own can't.
Just an idea.

 

The cables look good, but its worth a try.

 

Once you jump it, you can put a multimeter across the battery and see if you are getting 13.8-14.3 volts.
If so the alternator is likely ok.

 

sounds like cause and affect A new battery and a no start with new battery - check new battery, and connections.

WHY did you put a new battery in jeep?

Prerunner1982 suggested testing voltage at battery, to add then start and recheck voltage with it running... post before and after V.

 

Welcome! Nice TJ!! Some of the auto parts stores like Advance or Autozone will check the condition of the alternator, battery, starter etc. Introducing a new battery should be a positive not a negative upgrade (pun intended). Assuming the new battery is fully charged and in working order the connections seem suspect. Assuming the connections check out the new battery could be defective or there is an overnight parasitic drain as the issue happens the next day. Following a jump start the Jeep has no problem restarting on its own throughout the day?

 

Agree with @aggrex on the parasitic drain as well, if you jump it and it runs fine all day but is dead the next morning.

 

@Prerunner1982 should I monitor any Increase or drop in voltage when I start it or just check the reading once its running? I am very new to this but from what I have been reading my battery needs a certen amount of cold cranking amps in order to start the car. But lacking CCA does not seem to be the case because no interior lights radio or etc light up when I turn the key.

When I checked the voltage yesterday after jumping it my multimeter read basically what you said the voltage should be.

 

@Awrench put a new battery in because I thought it needed a new battery. That turned out not to be the case.

 

@aggrex @Prerunner1982 There are no lights or any thing left on in the car to the best of my knowledge. I bought the car from a friend of mine. It came with a subwoofer which was the original reason I thought my car died the first time but I was unable to find any reason to believe it was still on (no lights or noise coming from it) I should do some research on the specific brand and try to find out if it could still be on with out my knowledge.

 

When you go to start it and put the key in the ignition and turn the key what happens? If lights come on with the key and it gives you one click when you turn it to the start position then an all the lights go off it will be a battery terminal or battery cable. If it gives you multiple clicks it will be a dead battery.

~Jeff

 

To test for parasitic drain remove the negative battery cable from the battery.
Place the leads to the multimeter between the battery terminal and the battery cable.
With the vehicle off (and the doors closed) you should see very little amperage. Some items like the radio pull a a few milliamps to maintain memory. 20-50 milliamps should be ok. Over that and you may have a problem.
You can now start pulling fuses to see if the amperage drop. You will want to pull the interior light fuse first as it will give a false reading as you have the door open while trying to access the fuse box.
Once you locate the fuse that causes the amps to drop you can research that circuit to find out what all is on it.

You will be surprised sometimes what are on the same circuit. Interior lights on an S10 blazer my wife use to own would come on at random times. I finally traced it to the driver seat lumbar switch.

 

@Southeast Overland when I turn the key nothing happens

 

@Prerunner1982 Thanks a lot, you have been very helpful I will try this method.

 

There should be a small trigger wire for the amp that should be connected to a keyed power source. Perhaps it is on an always hot power source and the amp is on all the time. I am not sure how much power it would pull just being on without playing any music but it may be worth looking at since it was something someone else added.

 

Do you have a multi meter or a way to test battery voltage? If voltage is 11.5+ the battery should be good enough to at least get the ignition on. If you have that voltage I would start with two new terminals.

~Jeff