Dead Car...need help
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2000
Posts: 130
Likes: 0
From: Indianapolis, IN USA
Dead Car...need help
OK....put a new alternator on about 1K miles ago and it cooked and left me stranded. Got a new one today and had them test it at the parts store to make sure it was good.
Put it on and jump started the car. Ran it about 10 minutes and was going to drive around the block. Died in the driveway. Dead...turn the key and nothing...no clicking or anything. Jumped it again and let it run in the driveway...ran for about 15 minutes and same thing....dead as a door nail.
Any idea what is going on? Battery was bought over the summer. It got drained when the first alternator bit the dust and then drained again when the 2nd alternator bit it.
Thanks
Put it on and jump started the car. Ran it about 10 minutes and was going to drive around the block. Died in the driveway. Dead...turn the key and nothing...no clicking or anything. Jumped it again and let it run in the driveway...ran for about 15 minutes and same thing....dead as a door nail.
Any idea what is going on? Battery was bought over the summer. It got drained when the first alternator bit the dust and then drained again when the 2nd alternator bit it.
Thanks
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 12,109
Likes: 50
From: SW Michigan
Re: Dead Car...need help (tharte)
The battery might be totaly dead but I had a problem with mine recently the red ire broke and I lost my voltage so i had to trouble shoot it, you might have a break in the system somewhere
Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 8,540
Likes: 1
From: And on the fifth day, subpoenas were served to Obama senior staff
Re: Dead Car...need help (tharte)
I would charge up the battery for a couple of days, it is always best to avoid putting a dead battery on the alternator. See if battery takes charge or if it's dead. If dead get new.
While charging remove battery terminals and remove bolts from wires. Clean every surface, be careful not to remove plating. Go to NAPA and buy new bolts if they are corroided badly.
Good Luck,
Pete
While charging remove battery terminals and remove bolts from wires. Clean every surface, be careful not to remove plating. Go to NAPA and buy new bolts if they are corroided badly.
Good Luck,
Pete
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
Re: Dead Car...need help (tharte)
Sounds like you have a battery with a shorted cell, making it a 10volt battery which draws all the current the alternator can deliver which eats the alternator. Disconnect the battery and clean the cables and batt posts like PeteL says, then charge the battery with the cables disconnected for 24 hours. Remove the charger and after an hour rest, measure the battery voltage. It should be 12.0 to 13.2 volts, if lower, replace your defective battery. Another test is to connect one batt cable and place an ammeter in series with the other cable to its batt post and measure the current drain. Start the ammeter out on its highest scale and when the courtesy lights go out, reduce the ammeter full scale reading to see what the leakage current is. It should be less than 10 to 20 milliamps. If not, start looking for what is drawing excessive current.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 14,130
Likes: 7
Cruise-In II Veteran
Re: Dead Car...need help (tharte)
Hey TH,
Hows it going then the dead battery?
Good I hope.
I agree with everyone for now...however if your battery still has a warranty,get another replacement.Sometimes when the battery discharges due to a bad alternator,its never the same again.
Its always been suggested to replace the battery when the alternator craps out especially if it completely died.
If the battery was still good but a little low on juice,and you got a new alternator,then you can sometimes charge it back up to full power then put the alternator in and go driving.
Also,Im curious if you started to have a power drain since the stereo work you had done.
I cant remember exactly when you told me you had something done but if it was around the same time and the next battery drains out fast,Id look into that as a possible short somewhere.
Any odd noise in the stereo/speakers when its on?
Let us know what happens.
TTYL.
:)
Hows it going then the dead battery?
Good I hope.
I agree with everyone for now...however if your battery still has a warranty,get another replacement.Sometimes when the battery discharges due to a bad alternator,its never the same again.
Its always been suggested to replace the battery when the alternator craps out especially if it completely died.
If the battery was still good but a little low on juice,and you got a new alternator,then you can sometimes charge it back up to full power then put the alternator in and go driving.
Also,Im curious if you started to have a power drain since the stereo work you had done.
I cant remember exactly when you told me you had something done but if it was around the same time and the next battery drains out fast,Id look into that as a possible short somewhere.
Any odd noise in the stereo/speakers when its on?
Let us know what happens.
TTYL.
:)
