Changed battery now car says low voltage
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6th Gear
Joined: Apr 2011
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Changed battery now car says low voltage
I had my battery changed 2 weeks ago and now the car is slow to start and says low voltage. I checked the connection the negative was loose but even after tightening it the car is slow (it takes 3-5 times) to start it. Any ideas? The wires all look good.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 10,962
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From: Van Buren Arkansas
Wounded Warrior Escort '11
Its also possible that you got a bad battery. So you might want to get it load tested. As stated though, if its low due to the bad connection, then it might just need a full charge. Note that your alternator, battery and fuse boxes all come together at the starter solenoid so its a good idea to verify those connections as well.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
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From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
As simple as they look,, the battery cable terminals are actually pretty complex. They are designed to make proper connection when properly torqued at 11 ft/lbs. (97-to early 2003. Late 2003 to 04, used a C6 style top post battery that uses a different style terminal.
They need to be clean and in good working order for a proper connection with the battery. The terminal is crimped on to the wire. That crimp connection can and does go bad. Seen a few that were corroded and burnt.
The next place that needs attention is the battery connection at the starter solenoid. Another area that causes battery and charging system faults.
I would fully charge the battery with a charger and have it tested.
BC
They need to be clean and in good working order for a proper connection with the battery. The terminal is crimped on to the wire. That crimp connection can and does go bad. Seen a few that were corroded and burnt.
The next place that needs attention is the battery connection at the starter solenoid. Another area that causes battery and charging system faults.
I would fully charge the battery with a charger and have it tested.
BC
Team Owner
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 34,873
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From: Lacey WA RVN 68-69
NCM Sinkhole Donor
There could very well be a current drain somewhere in the car that is draining the battery down. You can do a search in this section for something like "battery drain" or "current drain" to find out how to check for a drain on the battery.
Are there any lights being left on in the car? Is there some aftermarket item you may have that is not shut off?
Do you know How old the battery really is? Sometimes, even a battery that is 6 months old can fail after sitting on the shelf at a store. Just because it was installed 2 weeks ago doesn't always mean that the battery is "new". Have the battery load tested.
If there is a "Low Voltage" message displayed, the battery should not really be able to spin the engine for long, if at all. When you say "3-5 times" is that engine revolutions or you tried to actually start the car that many times?
Are there any lights being left on in the car? Is there some aftermarket item you may have that is not shut off?
Do you know How old the battery really is? Sometimes, even a battery that is 6 months old can fail after sitting on the shelf at a store. Just because it was installed 2 weeks ago doesn't always mean that the battery is "new". Have the battery load tested.
If there is a "Low Voltage" message displayed, the battery should not really be able to spin the engine for long, if at all. When you say "3-5 times" is that engine revolutions or you tried to actually start the car that many times?
