Car Problems-Battery?

Question

I have a 96 Lumina Minivan. My daughter left the door open overnight and the battery went dead. We jumped it but it doesn't seem to hold a charge. It will run fine after we get it started but it has been a couple of weeks now and we have had to jump start it 3 times this weekend. When you try to start it we have power for about a minute then the lights go off and it is dead. Do we need a new battery? Someone suggested the alternater but we had a friend test that when this started and he said it was fine. Battery or something else?

The length of time we drive it doesn't seem to make a difference.

Already did the overnight battery charger.

Runs fine once we get it started, won't start after we turn it off

Answer 1

It sounds like the battery has dead cells and cannot hold a charge. You should change the battery for sure and then see what happens. Get a heavy duty on for winter. Be careful with the car doors : )

Answer 2

Does your friend know what he is doing? The way you describe it it does sound like the alternator. If it quits after a minute or so of running, that tells me the alternator is not putting out any current. Easy enough to check if you have a volt meter. Jump it, then check voltage while it is running with the jump cables off. If it doesn't read over 13 volts, the alternator is bad.

Or, if you have someone handy with tools, remove the alternator and take it to the parts store and have it tested. Then if you need a new one you can turn in the old one right then and there.

Do you also need a battery? Perhaps. Is it more than 3 years old? Again, put the volt meter on it. If it reads below 12 volts it is probably bad. As some have said, batteries have individual cells, and they run 2 volts each. For a 12 volt battery then, there are 6 cells. If one fails, you now have a 10 volt battery, which doesn't do much good.

If you can't do anything else, and it won't stay running, you may have to call your favorite mechanic and have him come look at the house or send out the tow truck.

Answer 3

Just to make sure, check the connections between the battery and the cables to make sure they are clean, but it is probably the battery. If the battery is completely drained (like leaving lights on for an extended period of time) it can be permanently damaged as a result. This is more likely if the battery is a few years old. What sometimes works is to leave the battery charging for at least half a day on either an automatic (or "smart") charger, or on a trickle charger (the kind that only supply 1 or 2 amps) for at least half a day. This may "refresh" the battery enough to make it usable, but it doesn't always work. If all else fails, you will need to replace the battery. Some batteries have plugs you can remove to access and test the acid (water, as some call it) in each cell (car batteries are made of 6 2volt cells), but if it is a sealed, or "maintenance free" battery it won't have them. Sometimes batteries fail in such a way that they can prevent the car from staying running after it is jumped. This can fool people, because it is usually an indication of a bad alternator, which is why people probably suggested that to you. This happened to my wife's car several years ago, and replacing the battery solved the problem completely. I hope this helps.

Answer 4

Could be that your battery has a defective (but not totally dead) cell. In that case, an alternator won't be able to charge it up but the car will still run. Get the battery tested at any garage. It only takes a minute or two. If it has a bad cell the specific gravity test on one cell will be way off. In that case, it's time to buy a new battery. The fact that it was completely drained may have been enough to trigger a failure if the battery that was already on its way out.

Answer 5

I would get the battery tested...most parts stores will do this for free. The alternator is less likely the issue but can become a problem if the battery is, in fact, bad. Keep in mind that the job of the alternator is to keep the car running after startup, not to recharge the battery. If the battery was totally dead, and you rely upon the alternator to build the charge, this could result in losing an alternator along with having a bad battery. Trust me, after working in parts for 12 years, you don't want to have to buy an alternator for a Lumina APV. Your best bet, like I said, is to hit your local parts house and get both the alternator and battery tested, this will eliminate the 'change it until I fix it' method of mechanics.

Answer 6

i left my door open on a jeep cheroke in the winter overnight and it still started the next morning the battery was an interstate megatron 34 there great ..............now back to your problem a battery takes 4 to10 hours to fully charce and a bad or weak battery can ruin an alternator have your charging system checked again look for a key off battery drain[can only be done with the alternator still in the car ] and have the battery tested ..........you will probally find the battery is gone when you buy a new one i never reccomend one built by exide they seam to have the highest fail rate

Answer 7

Hi cassie what you will have to do is put battery on a charger and leave it over night check water levels in battery (ask a friend if u not sure). charginging batterys is like bakeing a cake.. takes time. Clean terminials and posts on battery if you have any petrolium jelly a thin smear on posts and terminials and all good. If this dosent work, Sorry mate .... new battery then go and box daughters ears (only kiddn)
this should fix problem. [e-mail]

Answer 8

Well, it sure sounds like the battery is bad, but it's hard to tell for sure. Do you have a charger to recharge the battery? Maybe your trips are too short to sufficiently charge the battery with your alternator. You could also take your car to somewhere like Sears, where they can test the battery and alternator for free.

Answer 9

once a battery has been totally drain it is hard to get it to take a charge again specially if the battery in ? has any age on it at all. The best thing that you can do is just replace the battery with a good one.

Answer 10

do not mess with the idle. sounds like a loose alternator belt, if the belt is nice and tight, have the alternator examined - contained in the motorized vehicle - at a respected save - not at a parts save the position all they quite are there for is to promote parts, you'll ought to pay for the technique yet you're more effective in all chance to get the right answer the first time! in case you do not comprehend what save on your section has a good attractiveness ask your acquaintances or co/workers or their father and mom for ideas - even as various have cautioned an same position, that is the suitable position to commence.