'04 Saturn VUE V6 Auto won't start, lights flashing

[bradlecj]

The '04 VUE that my wife drives is having some very confusing electrical problems. I was mid-way through installing a trailer hitch and stopped work so she could use the car to run errands. The car wouldn't start--there were only rapid clicking noises. The interior lights were flashing on and off, but it appears that all other electrics are not working--radio, exterior lights, locks/windows/etc. Thinking that the battery might be dead, I tried jumpstarting to no avail. I also checked the battery connections and everything looked alright. I checked several of the fuses and none seem to be blown. While installing the trailer hitch, I clipped and exposed some wires in the trunk for the wiring harness, and maybe they shorted to something, but I can't see how it could destroy the whole electrical system. I've re-connected the wires but nothing changed. Can anyone tell me what's happening?

[BobbyP]

Bad (marginal) battery, or you just ran it down while wiring in the hitch...

It may be able to be charged back up. It's not wise to charge a depleted battery with your electrical system, the load could kill your alternator.

If it's an original battery? You may consider replaceing it.

[fdryer]

In addition to the above advice, use a plug-in wall charger greater than 10 amps for recharging a partially dead battery as its worth the investment. You may want to remove the battery cables to fully inspect the cable connectors underneath the bolt/heavy insulation especially side terminal types. The heavy insulation covers any corrosion under the bolt masking a ruined cable terminal unless you peel back the insulation to expose the wiring. If you find any part of the connector terminal wet this may be a sign that the side terminal of the battery cracked, whether under strain or overtightening the cable bolt resulting in battery acid leakage damaging the battery cable and ruining the battery. Both may need to be replaced. The damage is more likely to occur to the RED cable/battery terminal.

[bradlecj]

Thanks--it looks like it was the battery after all. I must not have given it enough time when I tried to jump start it the first time, because it started right up after jumping it the next morning. I did notice that there was some moisture around the negative battery terminal, though, and my plan is to replace that battery. Should I also be concerned about the body control module?

[mellissam]

Should I also be concerned about the body control module?

Naw. If your gauges, lights all work fine, you should be ok. Your BCM is behind a number of fuses (frightening difficult to figure out). IIRC, the trailer harness is tied into the rear light system, which is fused. I blew one screwing around with LED tailights; turned out I blew a fuse in the passenger footwell panel...I couldn't find it, but the dealer did. :hmm:

[fdryer]

Thanks--it looks like it was the battery after all. I must not have given it enough time when I tried to jump start it the first time, because it started right up after jumping it the next morning. I did notice that there was some moisture around the negative battery terminal, though, and my plan is to replace that battery. Should I also be concerned about the body control module?

Glad it was the battery needing more time from the boost. Actually, the battery rested and renews itself to an extent, coupled with the boost helped to start your Vue again. Here's a better tip for what its worth; buy quality battery cables if you find them useful for more occasions than you like. I "stole" my brothers Sears cables from him years ago (they sat in the garage?), they're at least 4-gauge and the vinyl insulation is very low temperature flexible making them the last booster cables I'll ever use. I hide them in the trunk because I know how valuable the instantaneous current flow from my car to the dead car is a direct result of LARGE gauge copperwires and not the usual $5 specials. I don't boost regularly but I know that my battery and booster cables will drain my battery very quickly because of the capability of these cables, a cut above the ordinary ones. I just had to boost my sister's car the other day and didn't have to wait at all for her to start-up since my battery became her battery via the cables ability to provide the large current demands of the starter motor.