Won't start, with weird circumstance

2011 Tacoma
It wouldn't start about a week ago. I had left the key on (with lights on) for a couple of hours. I had a jumpstarter with me, but it would not jump off. I flagged a guy down in a new GMC truck to jump me off, but I couldn't even get the starter to turn over. On inspection, I noted that there was quite a lot of corrosion on the battery terminals. I called my wife to come get me.
While I was waiting, I got a Coca-Cola and poured in on the battery terminals. I took off most of the corrosion. On a whim, I put the jumpstarter on the battery and it started right up. I drove home, and when I got there, I stopped and started the engine several times.

It has operated normally until today. I went to start it this morning at around 10:00, after going to work at 8:00. It would not start. I noted a SLIGHT amount of corrosion on the terminal. I put the jumpstarter on the battery, and it would do nothing. Starter would not turn over.

Yes, I went and got a coke, and poured it over the terminals. I went to start it WITHOUT putting the jumpstarter on. The starter turned over, and after grumbling a little, the engine started. I drove home. When I got there, I tried to restart, and I got nothing. The starter does not turn over at all.

On the drive home, I noticed that at various times, I would hear a clicking noise, quite like what you hear when the turn signal is on. In addition, certain lights in the truck were dimming in cadence with the turn signal sound. (Stereo, clock, dash lights, AC dials, odometer light. Gauges, AC, everything else was normal.) As I look under the hood, I can hear the same clicking noise, and it sounds like it might be coming from the fuse panel. I feel each relay, and I can't feel anything than makes it seem that one is cycling. It sounds like the clicking is coming from beneath the fuse box. I also noted that the running lights a blinking at the same frequency as the the clicking under the fuse box. But I also notice that the clicking in the cab is at a different frequency than the clicking under the hood.

At this point I'm pretty sure that the battery is dead.

When my wife gets home, I take the battery to autoshack. They test it and it says that the battery is good, and 100% charged. I take it home, put it back in. I try to start it, and it does nothing. Starter does not turn over. I'm still getting the clicking and the dimming lights. I put the jumpstarter on it, and it does nothing. Starter does not turn over.

I'm tempted to go pour a coke over the battery terminals, but I don't have a coke.
I am open to the possibility that the autoshack guy tested the battery, but didn't load test it.

The coke part is really throwing me.

Editied for solution
OK, it seems like the new battery did fix my original problem.
Most all of the other issues that I saw, lights dimming in a slow frequency, along with a clicking sound that mimics the turn signal, and along with a slower clicking from underneath the hood, all appears to be from the security system in the car. The dimming of lights is what normally happens when the security system detects an intrusion. This was apparently kicked off when the battery failed/was changed.

You might be asking why i didn't realize it was the security system that had locked out the starting system. I certainly should have been able to hear the horn going off. (That was the horn relay clicking on and off under the hood.

I didn't hear the horn, because the horn is not working. (Different problem to be solved later.)

It was while cruising the internet in search of an answer, that I saw a mention of the security system, and how it can lock out the starting system. On a whim, I went out, hit the reset button for the security system, and the truck started up just fine.

Still don't know if the Coca-Cola part was a coincidence.

I would like to update the thread title to show that it was solved. If anyone knows how to do that, I would appreciate a word.
 
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Did you actually clean battery terminal and cable connectors with wire brush, get them good and clean when you reinstalled battery? What kind of battery tester did they use? The battery may show 12/13 volts but have dead cells and have no cranking power. If it is the coke that is truly doing the trick that would lead me to believe it needs a good cleaning, make sure top of battery is also clean, not just the terminals.
 
Yes, when I got it home, I took sandpaper to the terminals and to the posts. I cleaned the top of the battery and verified that all of the cells had water. This was all done before I took the battery to have it tested.
I don't know what kind of tester. I was surprised when they told me that it was OK, and I didn't ask.
After I try the coke in the morning (just because I have to know) I'm going to take the battery to a place where I can verify that it is being load tested.
 
OK, took the battery to a batttery distrubuter. He load tested, said that it had a bad cell. Got a new battery, brought it home and installed. Wouldn't crank. starter doesn't turn over. clicking sound and dimming lights continue.
 
OK, took the battery to a batttery distrubuter. He load tested, said that it had a bad cell. Got a new battery, brought it home and installed. Wouldn't crank. starter doesn't turn over. clicking sound and dimming lights continue.
I would start by replacing the battery cables. Both positive and ground.
 
Yeah, I was gonna say check the ground to engine and from body to frame. Don't just check that bolts are tight, clean connection and retighten.
 
Checked both grounds. They were perfect.
I feel like I should move on to the starter, but the weird lights and clicking keep me thinking electrical. (I did climb under the car and beat on the starter solenoid to see if it might have been sticking.)
 
Just a shot in the dark here, really tuff to tell without seeing it. I just looked at a positive battery cable for you're taco, the one I looked at has a second wire in the terminal lug. If yours is like that and you had the amount of corrosion that you stated it might still have internal corrosion and cables not making good contact with the lug. I think I'd go for a new positive cable and see what happens.
 
You were right about that positive terminal. It is built a little strange. The thing is actually hollow, and when I took it apart, (yes, you can take it apart) there was a massive amount of corrosion inside the terminal. But I cleaned it all out, including the top second wire. It is now pristine.
I'm going to go look for a replacement cable now.
 
You were right about that positive terminal. It is built a little strange. The thing is actually hollow, and when I took it apart, (yes, you can take it apart) there was a massive amount of corrosion inside the terminal. But I cleaned it all out, including the top second wire. It is now pristine.
I'm going to go look for a replacement cable now.
Ya, sometimes we forget the simplest things cause soooo much frustration.
 
OK, this is really going to piss me off.
I have done all kinds of snooping on the internet this morning, and done several things, including checking relays.
I got on a random web page about starting issues, and it mentioned about halfway down that security system issues might be a culprit. I remembered that the security light below the steering wheel was blinking, along with all of the other lights that were dimming in a slow pattern.
What the heck? What can it hurt? I go outside push the security light pushbutton, try to start the truck. Nothing. I push the security light pushbutton a couple of more times, try to start the truck, and it starts right up. Turned it off and started it 3 or 4 more times.
Now, I will say that I see that light blinking often.
Is it possible that, when I replaced the battery I needed to reset the security system?
I can tell you right now. I think that this was a coincidence. I don't think that I have solved my problem.
 
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