Battery starting to die?
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 4,434
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From: Austin TX
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St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05
Battery starting to die?
I'd heard so many horror stories about Delco AGM batteries dying with no symptoms that I installed an Optima Yellow Top about 6 or 7 months ago. The yellow top had been running fine until the past day or two. Now it seems as if it is struggling a bit to turn the engine over when cranking. And twice today when I cranked it, it went back to default settings on the DIC and HUD, showing the odometer and coolant temp. Once it is cranked, it is good to go, and gets me fine to my destination. I think that the alternator is fine, but somehow the battery is starting to die. Are these the correct symptoms of a battery going bad? I have NOT seen any DIC message of "charging system fault" or others; just the dic resets itself after cranking, as if it lost power.
Thanks!
Edit: I forgot to mention that when monitoring the voltage just before cranking, it is around 11.2 V. Once it is running, it is around 13.8-14.0 V.
Thanks!
Edit: I forgot to mention that when monitoring the voltage just before cranking, it is around 11.2 V. Once it is running, it is around 13.8-14.0 V.
Last edited by GTC; Jul 10, 2004 at 07:58 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2002
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St. Jude Donor '17
any headlight dimming or actual power loss symptoms?
Or is it just hard on the crank? That could be wires? plugs? ignition? fuel pump?
Maybe try to push the gas pedal first to get gas in the lines and then crank it over turn the key to acc on position the pump will be on then finish the key turn?
Just some ideas to help troubleshoot. If your battery has a voltage prob then id say your dic would show the low voltage or you can easily have your alternator or battery tested. Is something possibly draining the battery while it is parked?
Sounds like a gremlin hunt to me
Or is it just hard on the crank? That could be wires? plugs? ignition? fuel pump?
Maybe try to push the gas pedal first to get gas in the lines and then crank it over turn the key to acc on position the pump will be on then finish the key turn?
Just some ideas to help troubleshoot. If your battery has a voltage prob then id say your dic would show the low voltage or you can easily have your alternator or battery tested. Is something possibly draining the battery while it is parked?
Sounds like a gremlin hunt to me
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
GTC
The OPTMA yellow top has a warrenty!! I would take the car back to the place that you purchased the battery and let them check out the charging system and the battery. If the battery is bad they should replace it!
PLEASE LET US KNOW HOW THIS PANS OUT!
BC
The OPTMA yellow top has a warrenty!! I would take the car back to the place that you purchased the battery and let them check out the charging system and the battery. If the battery is bad they should replace it!
PLEASE LET US KNOW HOW THIS PANS OUT!
BC
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 4,411
Likes: 1
From: Wilmington NC
Originally Posted by GTC
I'd heard so many horror stories about Delco AGM batteries dying with no symptoms that I installed an Optima Yellow Top about 6 or 7 months ago. The yellow top had been running fine until the past day or two. Now it seems as if it is struggling a bit to turn the engine over when cranking. And twice today when I cranked it, it went back to default settings on the DIC and HUD, showing the odometer and coolant temp. Once it is cranked, it is good to go, and gets me fine to my destination. I think that the alternator is fine, but somehow the battery is starting to die. Are these the correct symptoms of a battery going bad? I have NOT seen any DIC message of "charging system fault" or others; just the dic resets itself after cranking, as if it lost power.
Thanks!
Edit: I forgot to mention that when monitoring the voltage just before cranking, it is around 11.2 V. Once it is running, it is around 13.8-14.0 V.
Thanks!
Edit: I forgot to mention that when monitoring the voltage just before cranking, it is around 11.2 V. Once it is running, it is around 13.8-14.0 V.
The fact that the DIC and HUD went back to default meant that you are definitely at very low voltage when the car is starting. In fact you are only a few 10ths of a volt away from the car not starting. Because you are still showing 14 volts when the car is running suggests to me that the battery is the problem. Any chance you are taking such short trips that the battery just isn't recovering? You might try an overnight charge and see if you are back to normal. The Yellow is supposed to be able to take a lot of deep discharges. If that doesn't do it you might want to get another battery.
The only other thing I can think of is to look for corrosion on all of the connections but I think that may be remote.
Drifting
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 1,588
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From: las vegas nv
Originally Posted by Richin Chicago
Should be 12.6 before cranking.
The fact that the DIC and HUD went back to default meant that you are definitely at very low voltage when the car is starting. In fact you are only a few 10ths of a volt away from the car not starting. Because you are still showing 14 volts when the car is running suggests to me that the battery is the problem. Any chance you are taking such short trips that the battery just isn't recovering? You might try an overnight charge and see if you are back to normal. The Yellow is supposed to be able to take a lot of deep discharges. If that doesn't do it you might want to get another battery.
The only other thing I can think of is to look for corrosion on all of the connections but I think that may be remote.
The fact that the DIC and HUD went back to default meant that you are definitely at very low voltage when the car is starting. In fact you are only a few 10ths of a volt away from the car not starting. Because you are still showing 14 volts when the car is running suggests to me that the battery is the problem. Any chance you are taking such short trips that the battery just isn't recovering? You might try an overnight charge and see if you are back to normal. The Yellow is supposed to be able to take a lot of deep discharges. If that doesn't do it you might want to get another battery.
The only other thing I can think of is to look for corrosion on all of the connections but I think that may be remote.
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Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Oct 2002
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From: Austin TX
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St. Jude Donor '03-'04-'05
Thanks for the tips. Most of my recent trips have been of the 10 minute to-the-office variety this week. I'll take the scenic way a couple of times, and see if she recharges and holds a charge better. The times that I've cranked her up today, she hasn't lost so much power that the dic/hud/clock reset, but it still feels like a struggle to turn the engine over the first time. If that doesn't work, I'll get the battery checked.
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
Don
I got mine at Autozone for just over $100 bucks. They had a box full of adapters and plastic brackets next to the battery rack. Guess what? It contained the correct hold down brackets for for my Z and about any other car that you wanted to put the battery in!
I just took the one that fit my car. After I dropped the battery in, I found out that I purchased the red top that doesnt even need the adapter 
I got mine at Autozone for just over $100 bucks. They had a box full of adapters and plastic brackets next to the battery rack. Guess what? It contained the correct hold down brackets for for my Z and about any other car that you wanted to put the battery in!
I just took the one that fit my car. After I dropped the battery in, I found out that I purchased the red top that doesnt even need the adapter
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
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From: Dear Karma, I have a list of people you missed.
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
Originally Posted by Bill Curlee
...... After I dropped the battery in, I found out that I purchased the red top that doesnt even need the adapter
Robert
