Even if your alternator is working fine, turning the car off for something as simple as stopping at the gas station will mean that the engine won’t crank and you’ll need The main component of your jump starter is the battery. Car batteries get old, and when they’re old, they stop working as they should. I’ve been having a lot of trouble with my 2001 Hyundai Elantra. Car batteries are no different — as batteries age, they lose their ability to hold a charge as long. Dealing with unpleasant people in conferences. With just the lights and heater, it was around 13.5V. Is there a way to force a reroll on a saving throw? I have a new batt. It only takes a minute to sign up. If you come out one morning and discover a dead battery, it could be a one-time quirk from leaving the interior or headlights on overnight, especially if the battery … Although I wouldn't hold much hope of this battery holding a charge for long now it has been nerfed. car battery that tests good but won't hold a charge. Inspect the battery. While the car is idling, you should read ~14,2-14,4VDC on the DVM, that's right. I drove around for 15 minutes and came back home and everything seemed OK. Sounds like you may have a short/drain of some sort. Car Battery Reconditioning – How to do it? Were kamikaze pilots an effective strategy for Japan? I'm guessing it would have been higher if I revved it. Minimum force needed for an air strike against a wind farm? But according to our research, that's exactly what most people do. Turn it to dc volts put your leads on your battery (with the car running), if your alternator is charging it should read from 13.5V-14.5V(thats a good charge). It had a steady 14.4V when idling, and around 12.5V with the car off. Thanks for contributing an answer to Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange! Do a battery voltage test. By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Why Your Car Battery Won’t Hold a Charge | Car Battery Help Are those voltages normal, or are they signs of a dying alternator? Sounds exactly like a battery with a dead cell. Had it happen to me before, fortunately it was less than two years old and still under warranty, so autozone gave me a new one for free. Do a battery drain test. If your not getting a Your local automotive shop is more than able to load test your battery for … This time I kept revving it high to keep it from dying. Outdoor Hub, LLC (d/b/a Carbon Media Group), 3290 W. Big Beaver Rd. If it stays relatively close to what it is before cranking, then you have a bad connection If your home defense plan involves shooting people over 100 yards away and spraying 30 rounds, you need to rethink the plan or learn more about prison life, anyhow. Battery won't hold charge over night, so I disconnected from the vehicle, charged to a full charge, let it stay disconnected overnight and next day after 18 hours the voltmeter indicated 11.7 volts. The current problem here is that my car will start with a jump but won’t hold a charge. ×. Faulty Alternator – Check the Alternator. Use your multimeter (if you don't have one get one). "Jesus died for your sins, right? For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Another faster but less preferable way to do this is to turn on the high-beam headlights for 15 seconds, turn them off, wait five to 10 minutes, then check the voltage. If it doesn't fix the issue, remove the alternator and have it rebuilt or get an other one that works. How would you play a normal song on an n-TET instrument? I did a few load tests (turned on heater, wipers, rear defrost, radio, seat warmers, fog lights, head lights) and it dipped back down to 12.2V-12.6V with all that on. About a minute later it died at a stop sign, and I had to get another boost. I was told there’s a miscommunication between the alternator & battery. on) it might take quite a bit more than 10 minutes driving to charge the battery from quite low. They run flat faster in the cold, not because they can’t hold their charge, but because the chemical reaction inside the battery is less efficient at lower temperatures reducing the time they can operate a device. Mine is a 2007 - they left the battery tray in the original location - drivers side corner all the way to the front - easy to get to - but they installed the battery on the passenger side all the way in the back of the engine compartment. Battery tested good but it keeps getting drained. Why did the L1011's direct lift control help make good landings? Connect the load tester to the positive battery terminal first and then to the … After work was over the car wouldn't start again just not having quite enough juice in the battery to start. Check for anything energized while the car is off. Little/no charging but alternator and battery test good, Trying to Figure all this out before I spend a lot of money. Yes, you could try to replace the battery in your jump starter, but it is usually cost-prohibitive to do so. Here is a quick easy way that I am able to get a 12v battery charger to start charging a completely dead car battery. It will test fine at autozone, you can slap it on a charger, and it still won't start the car. At its most basic, a car battery is constructed of alternating plates of dissimilar metals, usually lead and lead oxide (Pb and PbO 2 ), in an electrolyte bath, usually sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ) in water. Get your money's worth.". If your battery won’t hold a charge, it’s not safe to drive your car. On some models the central locking moidule can draw enough to make a decent dent in the battery charge; if the battery is only just OK, that can be enough to tip you over the edge. 1. What I usually suggest is try replacing the voltage regulator first, because it's dead cheap and can be done without removing the alternator. If your battery won’t hold a charge, it’s not safe to drive your car. Car battery death, for the purposes of this article, refers to the battery’s inability to hold a charge, usually caused by sulfation. Manga where the protagonist saves his two friends, but in doing so, winds up trapped in a cave fighting monsters for ten years. They had to completely recharge it just to test it and it tested good. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. With this car the regulator is built into the alternator. A good battery will normally hold about 12.8 volts when fully charged. Here is a great Popular Mechanics article on How to Stop Car Battery Drains with step by step instructions. Luckily, newer smart car battery chargers will handle the charging themselves and you can focus on other things. So after all that testing, what I'd like to know is if my alternator is on its way out, or is it the fact that I hardly drive the car that's causing it to not start? To search for these, you need to measure amperage, not voltage. If your car battery keeps losing its charge, don't ignore it. “Those who beat their rifles into plowshares will plow for those who do not.”, Speed has never killed anyone. More if let the engine has just been running and charging the battery. When it’s time is up it will no longer hold a charge. Also, make sure the battery fluid covers the lead in each cell by at least 1/8 inch. People often did not like it but I honestly always felt like it gave a slightly better connection. If the battery's state-of-charge is at 75 percent or higher or has a "good" built-in hydrometer indication, then you can load test a car battery by one of the following methods: With a battery load tester, apply a load equal to one-half of the CCA rating of the battery for 15 seconds. What could be the problem? For years they used the side terminal ones. My battery won't hold a charge.. battery is new. By clicking “Accept all cookies”, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. JavaScript is disabled. Please don’t cloud the issue with facts. I did a few load tests (turned on heater, wipers, rear defrost, radio, seat warmers, fog lights, head lights) and it dipped back down to 12.2V-12.6V with all that on. Faster charges will damage the battery over time. I heard that might not be good, but a friend told me with a car as old as mine it should be OK. Then I decided to test with a multi-meter on the battery terminals. When seconds count Law Enforcement take minutes! Come join the discussion about optics, gunsmithing, styles, reviews, troubleshooting, accessories, classifieds, and more! You could disconnect the battery to check the running of older cars which used. Just some simple checks I would suggest to further check out your vehicle... Don't follow me you won't make it, Glocks, Black Rifles, Hunting rifles and Mathews Bows, The GM truck I bought in 1998 had top terminals -. The alarm is sometimes Car batteries can die for a huge range of different reasons, and there’s always the chance that whatever went wrong won’t go wrong again. rev 2021.4.23.39140. Alternately, you can disconnect the fully charged battery during the week and see if it holds its charge. Why Won’t Your Replaced the alternator and the voltage was still good under load. I was told there’s a miscommunication between the alternator & battery. Hold the connection in place for 30 seconds to a minute and then try to charge the battery again. 1 . Because of the way lead-acid batteries discharge, it's important that you test the battery after it's been sitting for a period of time to get what's called the 'resting If it is dead by the time you try to use it a week later, the battery is not actually good. I have a 2007 Mazda 3 2.3L. What can the ISS do that a SpaceX Starship could not? serpentine belt or alternator or battery? If voltage drops under load, that's usually a sign of a dying alternator. If it stays charged, then it is good and you need to go back the the previous paragraph to find the drain. Do an alternator diode test. The day your car won't start isn't the best time to shop for a new car battery. What happens if I disconnect the battery while the car is running? I'd like to avoid getting another alternator and having the same thing happen, but I'd also like to avoid being stuck on the side of the road with a dead alternator. That was the problem. A forum community dedicated to Glock firearm owners and enthusiasts. car keeps dying? With that being said, a battery that has been drained by leaving the headlights or interior lights on can be recharged by having it jump-started. Using a 12V Car Battery If you don’t have a spare 18V battery, then try using your car battery. The day your car won't start isn't the best time to shop for a new car battery. I bought it new - had a Silverado pick up the same body style - its battery was in the other tray. For the last 15 years we have been using more involved test equipment for warranty requirements from the vehicle manufacture and Interstate Batteries. Should a 2004 Mazda 3 run after jumping when battery has a dead cell? But when your car battery keeps dying over and over again, it’s a pretty safe bet that there’s A problem with your battery is causing it to not hold a charge.