| Forum Home | ||||
| PC World Chat | ||||
| Thread ID: 106879 | 2010-01-26 20:34:00 | Car Question | Bozo (8540) | PC World Chat |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 852296 | 2010-01-27 15:20:00 | To test battery: AFTER having driven the car a while after getting it jump started next time (or alternately, getting a charge in the battery) then disconnect the battery during the night . Re-attach it next AM and try to start it then . DO NOT DISCONNECT THE BATTERY WHILE THE ENGINE IS RUNNING!!! You MIGHT get away with it - but usually not . IF it (the engine) starts normally, then you have a draw on the battery overnight (all the time really - the alternator just covers the problem whilst it's running) and by now if the battery has gotten below a basic voltage of about 10 . 6 volts or so, it is suspect and will not provide decent service any more . The newer style calcium matrix batteries do NOT recover from being severely discharged and must stay about 11 . 0 volts to be usable in the future, even if it appears to be able to take and hold a charge for a while . It will fail - I don't care what your previous experiences with batteries are or what your neighbors did or their great-grandmothers did to their batteries . Today's batteries are not made like they were in the 1920s . If you've not got an accessory taking the battery to it's knees overnight, then there are few options . FIRST - Insure that the battery cables are clean, bright and dry with no grease, Coke or lemon rinds or whatever old wive's tales you've heard about as connection security for your battery - and if the lights work, then there's some voltage in the battery as a beginning of diagnosing this problem . One object that may draw the battery down, especially overnight - is the alternator itself . Think about it - the battery is a repository of a lot of potential amperage, and as such it will likely smoke something that is taking the charge out of the battery - and there are very few items that can absorb that sort of power . One is the starter - and the other is the alternator if it has a SHORTED diode . The starter - although it possibly starts the engine after a jump start - may also be a problem as it can draw the battery down too if the switching solenoid is not opening up all the way after the starter has started the engine - but that is kinda rare . . Back to the alternator: you should test the DC output lug on the alternator (while the engine's running) and test for AC on the output . If you see more than about 0 . 013 VAC on the DC side, then you likely have a bad alternator diode . This can be the whole problem . Just make sure that the brake lights, radio or CD-player or amplifier or an interior light are not on all the time and killing the battery on you . Anyway - if the battery's gone flat - it's not gonna be a good bet on working for much longer . Usually your problem is just a three+ year old battery - that's the expected lifespan for them now . |
SurferJoe46 (51) | ||
| 852297 | 2010-01-27 23:28:00 | <snip> Usually your problem is just a three+ year old battery - that's the expected lifespan for them now. Interesting. The battery in my Honda CRV (which I have had from new and maintained annually, whether it needed it or not :)) is now 6 years old and going strong... I'm averaging approximately 12000km a year in it (that's about 7456.454306848 or so miles) |
johcar (6283) | ||
| 852298 | 2010-01-28 01:01:00 | Cheers for the advice - got a new battery to pick up on the way home today and fingers crossed all should be fine :) If not I guess I'll take the starter motor out and give that a good clean/replace and take it from there. The alternator was tested and the guy said it was running fine so yea... fingers crossed. |
Bozo (8540) | ||
| 852299 | 2010-01-28 01:27:00 | Pretty sure it isn't the alternator as the guy did test the current/charge it was giving Get a second opinion on it. It won't be the starter motor but is possible it's the laternator. |
pctek (84) | ||
| 852300 | 2010-01-28 05:22:00 | Interesting . The battery in my Honda CRV (which I have had from new and maintained annually, whether it needed it or not :)) is now 6 years old and going strong . . . I'm averaging approximately 12000km a year in it (that's about 7456 . 454306848 or so miles) Yeah - three years is where the pro-rata free replacement insurance ends on most US battery sales and that's for a good reason . The older lead/acid batteries could take a lot of abuse, high discharge rates and extended periods of low charge as long as they didn't freeze, and they could bounce back . But there's no money in that so the new technology dictated that the new -service-free and sealed units usually die a sudden death at about 36-40 months of age under normal wear and tear . All that technology goes out the window when they get deeply discharged . Then all bets are off and they are not trustworthy from that point . |
SurferJoe46 (51) | ||
| 852301 | 2010-01-28 09:18:00 | Sweet, I'm happy as - replaced battery - and ba-zing, working sweet as now - best it has started in weeks :) Cheers again for the advise - glad it was such an easy solution :) |
Bozo (8540) | ||
| 852302 | 2010-01-29 05:21:00 | Interesting that nobody seems to have suggested checking the fluid level in the battery, unless I missed it. Six months ago I helped my kids buy a car and it was not starting well, bit like this case. I checked the battery fluid level, which was low, topped it up and gave it a charge and it hasn't faltered since. A 4 year old battery should not be failing unless running dry (often goes with overcharging). Cheers Billy 8-{) |
Billy T (70) | ||
| 1 2 | |||||