it seems that my battery does not hold charge for more than 1 day. what might it be. 2000 KIA sephia?

Question

It's a 2000 kia sephia. It has a new alternator it is only 3 months old. Had the battery and the alternator re-checked and they said it was all good and nothing was wrong with it. I have to charge the battery every night in order to get to work and back. What happens is my lights in the dash and my headlight both get really dim and it is really hard to see. My air bag light comes on and it doesnt make any shift changes. soemtimes it will last me a whole day and sometimes i can only last a few hours. it takes me 20 minutes to get to work, it stays in the parking lot for about 8 hours sometimes without being turned on and then when i turn it on to go home a few minutes later the car stalls a little my lights get really dim and my air bag light comes on. Please if you have any idea what i need to do please let me know as soon as possible. I have been having this problem for almost a month now. thanks

Answer 1

when did the concern start? also you got a draw or a possible short I wonder if the concern was there prior to the last alternator install It seems by your story though you've got a battery draw those have a few tsbs on them also some are safety issues go to www.recall.com for more info. hope this helps.p.s always disconnect the negative cable first.

Answer 2

sounds like something is draining the battery while the car is just sitting and once started it should be ok if the alternator is working. your lights should not be dimming, I would have to say the voltage regulator is bad and that is in the alternator. Try unhooking your positive terminal at night and see if that makes any difference the next morning and if it does you have something draining the battery. How old is the battery? it could also have a bad cell.

Answer 3

Take your car somewhere other than where you have been taking it.
Have them load test your car. It sounds as if your alternator is bad.
If not, you have a big time amp draw in your car. With the engine running, pull the positive battery cable off, the car should stay running. If it dies, the alternator, or charging system is not working properly. A bare wire from the alternator to the solenoid caused a similar problem in a car I was working on.

Answer 4

If the battery is the original then change it anyway. The average battery life is 4-5 yrs. It could be you have a drain or a short in the system. Take it to an electrical shop or the dealer to check for a drain in the electrical system.

Answer 5

you did not say how oldis battery replace batt it may test fine when fully charged but dose not hold charge for long .if lights are very dim possible defective alternator . most shops gave you 12/12 twelve months or twelve thousand miles which comes first alt could be draining batt

Answer 6

get rid of the kia thier P.O.S. and chances are its a bad ground. you can pay the shop 80 $ plus or minus an hour, chances are with an electrical problem it will take several. or find a wiring diagram and hunt it down with a multimeter and a test light.

Answer 7

For sure,,your charging system is faulty,,check the belt tension for the alternator.
and also check to see if there are any open circuits causing the battery to drain.
Could also be a bad diode pack or bad regulator.
I would definitely take it to a service station and have it looked at.

Answer 8

Sounds like you have a dead short in the electrical system.You can buy yuorself more time by disconecting your positive battery terminal while you are working.

No continuity = no short

Answer 9

It's a Kia!

Problem solved.

Answer 10

sounds like you got a bad cell in your battery.