Battery Problem?

Question

About a week ago i replaced my battery because the car lights were extremly low and the radio wasnt powering on and the car wouldnt ignite at all .. figured it was the battery being dead

Went to pep boys and bought a brand new enegizer

Worked fine for about 5 days .. now i was hooking up the tach and after i was complete with it about 6 mins later the lights in the car are once again really dim and the radio only powers on if no lights are on and such .. it cant need a new battery because this battery is only 5 days old .. i dont understand?

right now i disconnected the battery and im going to let it rest for a 1/2 hour and see if it does any good ...

Answer 1

go get your charging system checked,,sounds like your alt is weak,,needs to be overhauled.
most garages will check charging system for free.

Answer 2

Once the car starts are the lights still dim and the radio not working? If so the problem is not with your battery, but most likely with your alternator. After the car starts, the battery switches over from the supplier of energy to the receiver of energy from the alternator (if working correctly) which also begins to supply other electrical devices such as the radio, the fuel pump and the ignition. If the alternator is not producing enough energy, the battery supplies it until it goes dead. Many places can test your alternator just to make sure.

Answer 3

That would be your alternator, Batteries only hold a charge, they don't create power. The alternator runs off the engine to create an electrical charge to power the battery and the eintire car. To test the alternator, dissconnect the battery while the car is running, and if it dies or doesn't run all the electrics then most likely it is BAD. it could be in the process of the diodes buring out also but give out a partial charge.

Go to a web forum about your specific car and you can find info on how to change parts about your car easy to save the extortionate mechanic bills. They charge you based off a book that tells how many hours it should take, often more then it does, which they pocket the extra labor time even thought they didn't do anything.

I did my alternator, wasn't that hard.

Answer 4

It sound like your alternator probably died or is at least very sick.
Your charging system isn't charging your battery.
The most common problems are a bad battery (you changed it), a bad alternator(my guess), or a bad voltage regulator(It's often inside the alternator), in that order. Sometimes corroded or dirty battery cable terminals or the cables themselves may be corroded inside the insulation enough to keep a battery from charging, sometimes toher wiring.

Call up a car parts store, find out if they have an alternator for your car. If they do, ask if they do free charging system checks. If it's free, get them to check your charging system. If not, call up another one and ask the same things. It's usually free, and bring any tools you need ot change your alternator there, or take it out and carry it in for testing. It'll save you the core charge.

Answer 5

Check to see if your alternator is putting out about 15 volts. That is average to keep a battery charged.Or you could have a dead short in one or more of your wires causing it to drain your battery.

Answer 6

I think your alternator is bad.Sometimes they can drain your battery.It also could be a bad voltage regulator than can do the same.

Answer 7

IT COULD BE THE ALTERNATOR I KNOW SOME STORES CHECK YOUR ELECTRICAL FOR FREE