I've got a 95 Montero SR with a weird electrical issue.

It started few months ago, I turned the ignition on and no lights came on the dashboard -- as if the battery was dead. Turning the ignition off and then on fixed the problem. This happened on a wet day after the car has been driven for a while. It was about a month after I installed a trailer harness.

Fast forward to yesterday, the car starts fine in the morning. A minute into idling, it almost stalls but somehow continues to run. I drive it 30 miles then turn off the engine. When I try to start it up again (a minute later), no lights come on as if the battery was completely drained. I connect jumper cables and it's as if everything is fine. The car starts right up (did not have to wait for the battery to charge). The engine almost shut off a time or two and the seat belt light has come on since.

Any ideas what might be wrong with the car? I'll double check the battery, but don't expect it to be the problem. Could it be a faulty main relay or a bad ignition switch?

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

I would start simple. Check the connections to the battery. make sure it's all clean and tight. Maybe your harness is affecting it somehow. I hate electrical issues.

Agreed, start simple. I'd suspect grounds first. Check all of them and resurface where they connect to body/engine/battery etc... You can often find cheap ground kits at auto parts stores, so it might be just as easy to replace them?

Electrical gremlins are definitely <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/evil.gif" alt="" /> .

Not saying it's the problem, but the electrical part of the ignition switch is also easy and relatively cheap (around $20) to replace. The copper contacts inside it can get worn over the years and cause intermittent issues. Once you take off the plastic cover around the steering column it's on the left side - just a couple screws and a plug to deal with.

this one is simple. You have corroded battery terminals. When you use the jumper cables, you bypass the corrosion. Go buy a 10buck terminal brush and clean them up...

Listen to FastEddy.

Rinse everything around the battery off first, sprinkle on a bunch of baking soda then rinse it all off again after a couple of minutes. Neutralizes any residual battery nastiness that might mess up your clothes while you're working near the battery.

John B.

Thanks everyone for your help. The suggestion to try simple things first was spot on.

fasteddy -- you're the man <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />. I've cleaned battery posts and terminals and the problem went away. I hope it stays this way.

Now, I need to fix the ignition switch as it is getting harder and harder to start her up. Does anyone know where I can find the part?

Thanks.

Does the engine do nothing when the key is turned, or spin but doesn't crank, or clicks but does not spin?

If the first, the problem in in the current path from battery to starter solenoid, which includes the ign sw. If the second, the problem is fuel or spark, if the third, the problem is the starter solenoid.