my car battery is only two months old and was working fine, my car was not used for a week and when i went to use it today the battery was dead! any ideas as to what is wrong with it?
2006-12-07 03:35:18 · 19 answers · asked by jiam264 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Your battery is not holding a charge...you probably need a new one or have another electrical problem. If the battery is old, replace it. If not, see your mechanic.
2006-12-07 03:38:56 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
There's an easy way to test it.
It's easy to test if you know someone with a voltmeter. Here's how:
1) charge your battery, if you don't you'll get conflicting answers in the next parts.
2) Pop the hood with the engine off and connect the voltmeter across the battery terminals. A good battery will read about 13 volts. Any less and the battery is knackered.
3) With the voltmeter connected, start the car and see what the voltmeter reads. It should say somewhere between14 and 15 volts. Any less than this and you alternator is up the spout and not charging your battery. It's normally an easy job to change for anyone with basic mechanic skills.Not more than an hour for most cars.
Bear in mind, if the alternator is not charging enough, when you turn the car off, the battery will be dead already.
If you're battery reads 13 volts, and the voltmeter reads 14/15 volts when the engines on, then you have a bad earth somewhere which is shorting the battery. If it isn't one of the above, take a look at your fusebox, see if anything has gone.
Failing that, did you leave the stereo / interior light on?
Hope that helps.
2006-12-08 00:28:07 · answer #2 · answered by Steven N 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Yes, you have a parasitic load somewhere, the current is draining off somewhere, you can only systematically go through all possible causes until you find it. To see if it is the case that you have a load, try this, with the key out of the ignition, take the positive terminal off the battery, and if you have a multimeter or ammeter, earth it to a point on the car (not the battery) and put the positive lead onto the terminal, if you get a reading of about 2 amps or more then you have something taking more current than it should, using this method, disconnect some of the obvious stuff such as stereos, interior lights, alarms, clocks, etc. in turn until you see the amperage drop, something like 0.8 amps or so is acceptable, this is all radio memory, clocks, etc should be drawing. Another possibility is you could have an earth leakage through the alternator, the easiest thing to do here is simply get another and see if that helps. It is a common electrical glitch on cars, and is usually nothing more than a corroded terminal somewhere giving a high resistance, or possibly faulty electronics in a stereo or alarm box, good luck anyway.
2006-12-07 04:16:59 · answer #3 · answered by Mr Sarcastic 3 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Two months old? Ithink you ave a problem with the alternator. It probably hasnt been charging the battery properly for the two months you bought it. The car takes a lot of current when starting thats why usually it is recommended to swicth off everything that feeds from the battery when starting your engine to get as much power from the battery as possible to iniate engine start withuot any problems. So imagine if you keep drawing power from your battery and not recharging it,soon it is bound to give up even if you leave it for some time without using it. Check the altenator and the battery itself( water and acid) it may stiil be useful and can be recharged but i bet my money on the alternator, it definately has a problem.
2006-12-07 19:34:33 · answer #4 · answered by kronix 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Have the connection between your alternator and your battery checked! The alternator is designed to charge your battery as you are driving and if it has a faulty connector this will not charge correctly so the output from your battery will be weak - not providing you enough power to start your vehicle. The connector does not always have to be replaced it could be loose - especially if you have had some work done on your car in the area of the connector. Should this not be the case - you may need a new alternator - I hope this helps!
2006-12-07 05:14:36 · answer #5 · answered by Velvet Kitten 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Don't mean to sound funny. but are you sure no-one has swapped it. If so check the alternator is working as it may mean you battery is not being charged and it only take 12 starts to flatten a battery. If your alternator is working you could have an electrical fault on the car this can cause the car to take power from the battery, hence flat bat.
2006-12-07 06:24:49 · answer #6 · answered by Tazman 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Could be one of these 3 things:
1) Your battery is old & dead and needs replacing (it has lost charge, sometimes there will be white stuff around the top if this is the case)
2) You are leaving your lights (interior, exterior) or some sort of charger on
3) There is an appliance in the car, like a stereo, that drains the power supply and doesn't properly disconnect when the car is off
New batteries cost about £50-£60 and are available from shops like Halfords / Kwik Fit.....
2006-12-07 03:42:11 · answer #7 · answered by Monkeyboy 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
There are a lot of possible answers, but here are the most likely
1) The most obvious is that your battery is dying. Batteries have a practical life of about 3 to 5 years depending upon their quality and usage. One of the first signs of failure is a battery that does not provide consistent performance (low power, dies quickly, etc..). Many auto stores will test your battery for free if you bring it in to them. That will answer that possibility easily and quickly.
2) Human Error: You left something on (lights, radio, flashers, etc..). Make sure everything is turned off. Don't forget to check under the hood and in the trunk too - there are often manual lights in there. Check your cig. lighter too.. It may be stuck 'IN'.
3) Mechanical Error: Something failed that you have not noticed, like a trunk or glove box light, electric fan, etc... This can also include a short that leaves a tail light on. Check your car twice. Once in the day time and once at night.
4) Power users: Some things NEVER turn off. Clocks, car alarms, stereos, other electronic appliances often have TWO power leads. One turns on with the key, but one is ALWAYS on to provide a trickle charge to support memory and other fuctions. If everything else checks out it is likely going to be one of these. Disconnect them one at a time for a few days and see if your battery survives longer.
personally, my vote goes to the bad battery, but then again.. who knows.....
good luck
2006-12-07 04:02:53 · answer #8 · answered by ca_surveyor 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You may have a "parasitic draw." Which is when one of the circuits in your car still draws power even when the car and everything is turned off. I would take it to a shop and have them check for a draw. But first you do need to make sure you have a good battery so go to a parts store or shop and have them do a battery test. If the battery is good then it's a draw which will eventually kill your battery completely.
2006-12-07 03:47:16 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Was it a new battery? Maybe it wasn't charged properley when you got it.
Easy one, you left your lights on when you last used your car.
Alternatively, it could be a cracked plate in your battery, which will mean that it is not holding a charge. Or you need your alternator/electrics checking as the battery is not being charged when the car is in use.
2006-12-07 03:51:59 · answer #10 · answered by SILVER DRAGON 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
May be the battery or something draining it while the car is off (a light in the trunk that stays on for example or a solenoid that stays energized). Go to autozone and have them charge and test the battery (make sure it is charged befor ethe test). If the car is under warranty - skip Autozone and go to the dealer.
Good luck!
2006-12-07 03:44:35 · answer #11 · answered by BlankProfile 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋