Boy am I mad! My 93 montero was giving me problems and I associated them with bad plug wires. They have white burn marks from arching (I'm guessing). But now here's the kicker. It wont start. Sears checked the corrosion covered battery and said "its fine", (I did say Sears right, I'll take their answer with a grain of salt). No lights, not a click when you turn the key. D-e-a-d. So I jump it. Eventually it starts and will idle forever. Put it in gear. Dead. Not a light or anything. The alarm may make a dying chicken sound and the parking lights will flash along with the interior lights but dead. But all of a sudden you'll get the dome light nice and bright!! Still not turning over. Jump it again. Turn the key, get a quick bang sound and smoke from the positive terminal of the montero?????? Wait and it starts. I revved it up to 3K and when it came down it shut down totally with not a light or anything. As if there is no battery at all. I tried to call donation centers but they wont take it because its a 93. I was selling it to a friend but stopped because I dont want to stick her with a problem. What could this be???? I really dont want to spend money on something I was going to donate.

Maybe the culprit? Aftermarket or OE?

Clean the battery terminals and any other connections at the battery...

Including the ground wires (both ends)

the alarm is oem I'm pretty sure. I removed the neg batt calbe end and replaced it with a better fitting piece the old one wouldnt get any tighter around the post. The positive side looks good. Are the ground wires just the negative from the battery to wherever the other end goes??
If you open the door, the dome light goes on and all sems well. Its just wierd the way I get one banging crank and then the whole electrical system shuts completely down. If I keep my foot on the gas and brake I can probably put it in gear and move it to where I need to get it to.

Does the postitive one just "look" good, or did you clean it? And not just the outside where you can see.

Man, if you were closer I'm come and remove it for you...free of charge. I have 6 kids, maybe I qualify as a "charity"?

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

Use one side of a booster cable as a ground if that will help narrow it down. Corroded grounds wires can do funny things...

And there you have it, I should have checked with Sparkem....
The donation guy comes an asks whats wrong. He tries wiggling the positive. I said I tried that and made it tighter and it still didnt work. He says thats a problem area all the time. He then goes to his truck (mind you, at this point not a light is on in the car) and comes back with channel lock pliers. He grabs the edge of the positive connector and the center top of the post and squeezes. Dome light comes on. He lets off, dome light goes off " see, go try it". he squeezes, I turn the key and it starts and runs and drives like it always used to. He drives the car onto the trailer, gives me a crappy "gas card donation thing" and drives away. Un-f***in'-real!!!!
p.s. thanks for the help anyway guys. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />