Trailblazer appeared to have a dead battery but then slowly turned over but now won't start again?

Question

When I went to start my trailblazer it would not turn over or anything, however, my dome lights were coming on. 15 min later I tried again and it slowly turned over and started. Dome lights still came on but I did notice my closck was reset to midnight. Went to work and now it will not start or turnover again?

Answer 1

The battery is discharged.
1) It could be a number of reasons, any of which caused the Battery to run down.
2) Check the Battery connections , are they clean tight, and no corrosion.
3) Check that a light or some other electrical device was not left on and run down your battery charge.
Big 4) If you have access to a battery charger, recharge the battery and start the car.

5) If you don't have a battery charger, get someone with "jumper cables" to give you a jump start.
6) After you get the engine started, remove the jump cables, and check the voltage on the meter on the dash. Is it reading 12 volts or less volts while running? If yes, you have an Alternator or other charging problem.
If the meter reads 13.5 - 14.8Volts your charging system is working.

7) If you run your engine for 15 to 20 minutes and after that time the battery will still not start your car. The Battery is defective and needs to be replaced.

8) After you have jump started the car, you may want to drive to an auto parts store like an Auto-Zone or a auto service center and ask them to check the battery with an analyzer. They can easily determine your battery and charging systems condition.


I hope it was just a light left on, however, the summer heat really stresses the vehicles battery. extreme heat or extreme cold are battery killers.


HTH

Yours: Grumpy

Answer 2

Alternator?

Answer 3

It sounds like the battery to me. If you can get it started you can drive to an auto parts store and they can check it for you. If you have trouble while driving and your vehicle dies then it is likely the alternator. There is also an outside chance you could have a problem with the starter but the battery seems more likely.

Answer 4

Sounds like the alternator to me. Your battery is not being charged fully while it sits after you have driven it. or it is not holding the charge. If it is your battery it would just sit and click. Or Check your terminals to your battery they may need cleaning or tightening sometimes they can work loose and then you only get a half connection. They should be sitting firmly on the battery and be clean of rust and corrosion.

Answer 5

Also check out the starter motor. Sometimes they wear out enough to cause a direct short and drain the battery. To avoid a dead cell in the meantime disconnect and charge the battery.

Answer 6

From the info you gave, I'd say you need to test and charge the battery if it is good. If not, replace it. There could be a couple other things going on, but start with the simplest and most likely thing first.

Answer 7

If you're fairly certain it couldn't be the battery, check your alternator. Everytime I've had one go out, it presents as a possible battery issue, but when I check the battery charge, it's good.

Answer 8

It could be a dead battery. But have your alternator checked. It is what recharges your battery. If you buy another battery it will just drain down again.

Answer 9

I agree that it probably is alternator but you will want to make sure nothing is shorting it out.

Answer 10

start with the simple stuff...have your charging system checked....at sears or pep boys or somewhere. they can tell you if the battery is holding a charge or not.