Car Help!

[Furtwangler]

So my car was perfectly fine yesterday, no problems at all, friend went and got something out of it last night but locked it and closed all doors etc. Go to use it today, and it's dead. By dead I mean, won't automatic unlock, absolutely nothing happens when I turn the key, no lights, no noises, it's completely dead. I quickly just touched the two leads of the battery with jumper cables and they sparked so that tells me it should be at least lighting some kind of stuff up on the car or doing something at all.

Any idea what this could be? I really really really need the car to be working by friday, have travel plans. Any help is really appreciated. I'll be calling a mechanic tomorrow to come look at it if I can't figure it out by then.

[SephYuyX]

Did you jump it? Could of been something was left on and it got completly drained. So jump it, and see if it starts, then turn it off, come back in an hour or so and see if it's still working.

Make sure the leads are secure on the battery, undo them and put them back on, and check all the fuses (not just the blade types, the bigger square ones too).

Other things could be that the alternator, solenoid or starter are shot, or the wires connected to them arent secure.

[jmc]

Did you jump it? Could of been something was left on and it got completly drained. So jump it, and see if it starts, then turn it off, come back in an hour or so and see if it's still working.

Make sure the leads are secure on the battery, undo them and put them back on, and check all the fuses (not just the blade types, the bigger square ones too).

Other things could be that the alternator, solenoid or starter are shot, or the wires connected to them arent secure.

^^ This

Either its completely drained, and a jump start will fix it.... or alternator went.

[zoobernut]

If the alternator is dead and the batter has charge the car would still try to turn over and lights would still come on and such. To me it sounds like the batter is too dead for anything to happen. Try jumping it.

[Cyn]

Try cleaning the terminals (with like a wire brush or something) and replacing the wires, making sure they're tight. Try jumping it, if everything is still dead after being hooked to another car for a couple minutes, check your fuse box.

Starter or solenoid would not prevent the alarm or lights from working, only the car from actually starting. Your problem is either the battery is dead, or the wires are not making proper contact with the battery most likely.

[Melchiah]

If this were a simple case of corroded terminals, there would still be enough amperage flowing to power the low-draw parts of the electrical system like dash/interior lights, the ECM, and the power locks/windows. Especially since the vehicle cranked yesterday without a problem.

If you got a spark by completing the circuit at the battery terminals, then the battery is live. First thing I would do is the cheapest, clean the terminals. Then proceed to the fuse box. If you can get hold of a test light, connect the clip end to the positive battery terminal and then touch the probe to each side of each fuse in the fuse panel. You should notice a tiny hole in the top of the plastic body of each fuse that leads to the metal filament, check for a complete circuit on both sides of each fuse.

Once you've eliminated the fuse panel as the source of the disconnect, attempt to have the car jumped off and measure the voltage at the battery with a multimeter. If you see less than 14 volts at the battery with the car running, then either the alternator is failing/failed or there is a disconnect between the alternator and the battery. With the vehicle still running, check for 14+ volts at the alternator output wire on both ends, to eliminate a faulty wire. If you get poor output at the alternator end of the wire, then the alternator or the voltage regulator is failing/failed. Regulator will usually come with a new alternator, its the plastic box on the back side.

From what I'm reading though, it sounds like your problem is a broken circut somewhere rather than a component failure like a battery or alternator.

Remember, always check the cheapest thing first, clean the terminals, check the fuses, charge the battery. Then you start checking major components.

Edit: Also, if you've had Bubba from down the street install any electronics like DVD players/screens or sound equipment that has it's own wiring system external to the vehicle's factory circuits, it's entirely within the realm of possibility that you have what is called a parasitic draw. Those can be a bitch to chase down.

[Furtwangler]

I'm pretty sure the battery is dead, although at this point I don't know what caused it. After a few more random seconds of touching the terminals the battery failed to spark. I have some neon lights installed on the inside of the car running off a lighted rocker switch, and the switch light would light up but the lights would not, so it seems it was just barely alive.

Because the car is parked front in to the lot I can't jump it. Removed the battery and hooked it up to a friends truck for like 5 minutes and it was enough to get the electronics on again and it cranked for about 4 seconds before dying again.

I went and bought a trickle charger and charged it up and I'm going to test it again tomorrow morning before i put it back in the car to see if its holding a charge, as the battery is quite old. (hoping this is the problem) If it does hold a charge ok, then something else seems to be drawing off the battery when the car is off.
All the doors are closed and lights off.
I have a sound system installed and the only thing I can think of is the power cap is draining too much to keep itself charged? I haven't had a problem since just now and I've had the system installed for almost a year now. It is installed properly.
Like I said, I hope its the battery because thats the most finite and fixable answer.

[Ramor]

I've had a lot of trouble with batteries in my car (my only problem with my car thank god), and I've learned you're supposed to replace the batteries about once every 2 years or so (preferably once/year, but that could just be AAA wanting more money)

Also, if you do jump your car you'll need to let it run for 30 minutes, not just idle but actually on and running for 30 and you should be ok, but I'd still drive it around after that.

[Xiona]

if your alternator is shot then all it takes is the car clock or anything else thats using power when its off to slowly drain the battery until its to the point of no return.

5 minutes wont exactly charge a car battery to full again. the idea of jumping a car is that you charge your battery enough to get a small amount of power, then you use the run off from the other cars alternator to essentially start your system. then you let the car idle for 15 minutes+ to charge your battery enough to get another start out of it.

if the battery is completely dead dont just get it jumped and drive somewhere etc. your battery charges less under a load meaning the higher the rpms your engine revs the less run off goes to the battery as its needed back in the system.

i wouldnt be surprised if it was the battery being shot, if there is a sudden drop in temp or the water level in the battery is low they hold less of a charge. if you get the car charged enough to get it running then goto autozone or one of those places. they have a free battery / alternator machine they can use on your system.

if its the battery you can just buy it right there haha, if its not and its your alternator then youll need to unplug the fuses for the radio, clock and anything else that drains your battery over night to buy time.

[Cyn]

I'm pretty sure the battery is dead, although at this point I don't know what caused it. After a few more random seconds of touching the terminals the battery failed to spark. I have some neon lights installed on the inside of the car running off a lighted rocker switch, and the switch light would light up but the lights would not, so it seems it was just barely alive.

Because the car is parked front in to the lot I can't jump it. Removed the battery and hooked it up to a friends truck for like 5 minutes and it was enough to get the electronics on again and it cranked for about 4 seconds before dying again.

I went and bought a trickle charger and charged it up and I'm going to test it again tomorrow morning before i put it back in the car to see if its holding a charge, as the battery is quite old. (hoping this is the problem) If it does hold a charge ok, then something else seems to be drawing off the battery when the car is off.
All the doors are closed and lights off.
I have a sound system installed and the only thing I can think of is the power cap is draining too much to keep itself charged? I haven't had a problem since just now and I've had the system installed for almost a year now. It is installed properly.
Like I said, I hope its the battery because thats the most finite and fixable answer.

....a twelve year old could push a car far enough to get jumped.

I've had a lot of trouble with batteries in my car (my only problem with my car thank god), and I've learned you're supposed to replace the batteries about once every 2 years or so (preferably once/year, but that could just be AAA wanting more money)

Also, if you do jump your car you'll need to let it run for 30 minutes, not just idle but actually on and running for 30 and you should be ok, but I'd still drive it around after that.

Not even every two years. I've had cars 5+ years old with the original battery and had no problems.

OP: DO NOT SET YOUR BATTERY ON THE GROUND.

[Melchiah]

If it does hold a charge ok, then something else seems to be drawing off the battery when the car is off.

That is a parasitic draw, and like I said, they can be a bitch and a half to chase down.

You need to get a multimeter(inexpensive ones can be had from parts houses or radio shack) and check the voltage on the starting/charging system with the car running.

Step 1) Charge the battery at about a 2-amp charge for about 4 hours

Step 2) Attempt to start the vehicle; if successful proceed to 3)

Step 3) a) check the voltage across the battery terminals(place the negative lead on the negative terminal and the positive on the positive). If you get over between 13.0 and 15.0 volts at the battery, then the alternator is functioning properly AND is successfully supplying charging voltage back to the battery.

b) If you get less than 13.0 volts, check the voltage across the alternator/battery circuit by moving the positive lead to the output terminal on the alternator(it will be the node attached to the smaller wire that attaches to the positive battery cable). If you get 13-15 volts at the alternator, then it is the wire.

c) If you get less than 13 or more than 15 volts at the alternator, then the alternator is faulty. Overcharging is just as detrimental as undercharging, though much less likely.

You can PM me tomorrow if you're still having trouble and I'll see if I can help you some more.

[Mistress Stowastiq]

If the alternator is dead and the batter has charge the car would still try to turn over and lights would still come on and such. To me it sounds like the batter is too dead for anything to happen. Try jumping it.

If you want more help, putting the make, model and year of your car here on the forum will help.

Alternator on its last legs can wipe a battery out also. Repeated charges will further demonstrate and locate the problem being the alternator, even if you temporarily get the car running after a jump. If you let the car idle (15/20 minutes running) AFTER charging it and it misfires or stalls, it can be the alternator.

The mechanic you are calling can test the alternator.

The lingering spark on the battery is also not necessarily an indication of it being charged enough to run the car.

1. Check main fuses. (find an online or aftermarket manual for your car and inside you will find the specs on fuse types and where to locate them as well as how to tell what a dead fuse looks like).

2. Test battery and alternator (clear of deposits on battery terminals & terminal leads). (Look online for baking soda and water with toothbrush to remove acid but be aware of the precautions needed first.)

If it is the alternator, you do not want to drive it, because it can stall out in the middle of driving (dangerous) so be sure to let it run long enough after charge to make sure it is not the alternator.

[Brill Weave]

Before you try to jump it make sure you take a look at the battery terminals. If there's some rust or corrosion make sure you clean it off as this can affect the battery holding the charge. If you have AAA, most of our affiliates offer mobile battery service. Call them up if you're a member and if they have service in the area, the battery tech can come out and test the battery as well as your starter and alternator. If there's a drain on the battery they will find it. But do not buy a battery off of them. Our batteries are total shit. Before, we used Exide and we've now "upgraded" to using Deca batteries. Plus you'll be paying about forty dollars more for our batteries since we're delivering it to you.

[Furtwangler]

Ok so I had the battery inside last night, and charged it until it was about full. I put it back on the charger again this morning to see and it's almost empty again it seems (according to the manual the battery is charged when the charger shows <1 amps) and it's up to 2 1/2. Seems to tell me that it just isn't holding a charge anymore and I should probably get another battery. I'm gonna charge it for another half hour and get over to the autozone by me and get a new battery.

[Norelco]

Got AAA? They'll bring a battery to you and install it for you.

[Furtwangler]

Nope, I'll just charge so it starts the car and drive over to get one myself.

[Bunnykillah]

That is a parasitic draw, and like I said, they can be a bitch and a half to chase down.

Yeah, I have one of them. Had my car in the shop multiple times and they cannot find it. In the summer if I don't run my car for like 6 or so days the battery will not be able to turn it over. In the winter I am lucky to get 2 days.

What I ended up doing was installing an automatic battery disconnect device. If the battery voltage drops low enough it will sever the connection. Even has a remote control to reset the connection so I don't have to pop the hood every time and do it. Not only is it great for parasitic draws, but I never have to worry about leaving a dome light on and not being able to start my car in the morning. They need to make something like that standard in all vehicles. Really no reason not to.

[zoobernut]

....a twelve year old could push a car far enough to get jumped.



Not even every two years. I've had cars 5+ years old with the original battery and had no problems.

OP: DO NOT SET YOUR BATTERY ON THE GROUND.

Huh forgive my ignorance but why not set the battery on the ground?

Also sometimes batteries just die. I have seen it before, even new batteries will sometimes have an internal problem and just die OR sometimes certain batteries if they are reduced in charge too far they get to a point where they cannot be recharged.

New batter sounds like the best answer.

[Brill Weave]

Got AAA? They'll bring a battery to you and install it for you.

Scroll up nigga I just covered that. I work for AAA, the batteries we sell are not the best. And they are overpriced

[Furtwangler]

New battery, started fine. Hopefully after a day or two its still working and then I'll know for sure it was just the battery. I have to drive 2 hours over the weekend so as long as I can get it started both ways I'm happy for the moment haha