....I am getting no power to panel/console.
Battery had gone dead because I left it one for a couple days, stupid me. Put it on the charger and let it sit for a week after charging and still holding 12.8 v. Connected it and nothing. Have continuity from neg post to frame. Also have 12.8v at the starter grounding to the frame. All fuses to the lower left of panel are checking good. no lights, no beeps, no nothing at the panel. Where do I go next from here?
Thanks
Welcome to the forum. You would not believe how many folks think they have a good battery, cable contacts, switches and such, but don't know exactly how and what to test in order to be 100% certain of eliminating uncertainty and isolating a problem. I don't know if this will make sense but here goes. These few tests will only eliminate two variables; the battery and both battery-clamp connections.
1) You can not proceed without a voltmeter of some kind, imho. 1st test; put your negative test lead on the negative battery post. NOT on the clamp, but actually on the post. Do the same with the positive meter lead and the positive battery POST. Make sure you read a positive voltage. I have never reverse-charged a battery so I don't know what it would do/read.
2) RCW nailed it with his statement that a battery can have a shallow or surface charge but will fail under load. So, while holding the meter leads on the battery POSTS have a helper turn on the lights, mash the breaks, turn the radio up loud, turn the ac blower to full speed then try to start the motor. Point being that you want to load the battery as much as possible to make sure the meter does not drop below 10Vdc or so while engaging the starter. If the battery voltage drops to half then the battery is where you start. Re-charge or replace the battery. If the battery voltage does not change at all, then at least you have all but ruled out a bad battery. Not quite but almost.
3) Next, if battery voltage check is solid, then take your meter lead off the positive post and, with your negative lead still on the negative post, put your positive lead on the NGATIVE battery clamp; and yes, your meter leads will only be about a half inch from each other. What you are eliminating here is a bad connection between the post and the clamp. If you try to start the motor again and you get a voltage reading, then the contact is bad. Clean the clamp and screw then reattach. If you do not read a voltage, then the post-to-clamp contact is good. Now follow the same procedure and check the positive post to positive clamp contact. You have at least all but eliminated battery and cable clamps as the problem. That said, if you still get no starter activity, no lights will come on and all circuits are still dead, then we will have to look elsewhere.
Do these tests or not; it is easier to do when familiar with the voltmeter than it is to actually explain. Further more, continuity checks on these types of problem solving are not reliable because the amperage is what really tests a connection. If you have a weak contact between any two points and you try to push a heavy current through it, as is the case with a starter circuit, then you will generate a voltage drop where the weak contact opens up.
