I was driving to work and nearly there i notice the int. lights are dimmed and I cant fix it. As I'm slowing down to park the low battery light comes on, I stop put it in P and when I press the gas the light goes out. After work, it starts little bit reluclantly. I stop at the store and as slowing down there to stop the light comes on again. I turn it off and when I try to start it next, it tries to turn over but not enough juice and dies. I've had corrosion problems in the past so I jiggled the cables and still nothing, so was going to try out the emegency car started while reading the manual the door which is open finally triggers the dinging sound and hey the car starts, reluctlantly. On my way home the light comes on every time i stop and rounding one corner the car stalls and then trying to start it only makes a click interior lights still working, never did stop. Used the emergency car starter and got enough to make it home. Battery is fairly new, alternator maybe? Any thoughts?
2007-03-16 05:52:51 · 17 answers · asked by Dan 3 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
It sounds like you have a bad connection in your starting system. Corrosion of the battery terminals/cables can cause an interupt in the power, causing you to randomly loose electricity.
I would visit a mechanic or garage and have them check out the charging system of your vehicle.
2007-03-16 06:01:03 · answer #1 · answered by DeSaxe 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Your description indicates a charging problem, not the starter. The starter "clicking" noise is a lack of current which causes the starter driver to pull in and out rapidly. Your can usually verify an engine cranking problem by turning on your headlights prior to starting the engine. If the lights go very dim or out when cranking the battery or connections are a problem, if the lights stay bright, but the engine does not crank the starter is a problem. Charge the battery and clean all connections and ensure that they are tight. Second check that the alternator belt is not slipping. With the engine off see if you can turn the alternator pulley by hand with the belt still in place. If you can "slip" the pulley in this manner the belt is loose, defective, stretched or has a bad tensioner. Third use a D.C. voltmeter accross the battery with the engine running and all accesories off and the R.P.M.s at 1500 then read the voltage. It should be at least 13.5 volts or higher.
2007-03-16 10:45:30 · answer #2 · answered by Lee 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sounds like a knacked alternator, a dodgy cable or a broken earth wire to the engine. Disconnecting the battery while the engine is running is a bad idea. Firstly, the contact will spark when you disconnect the terminal, and having a spark that close to the battery is dangerous, secondly, the battery is there to provide a large capacitance on the output of the alternator rectifier, smoothing the half wave rectified output to something close to D.C. Removing the battery will remove that capacitance and will cause your electrical system to be supplied by a half wave rectified supply, which could blow up your ECU. To check your alternator you need to have the engine running, switch the lights on to main beam, put a voltmeter to the battery terminals (black to -ve red to +ve) and check the voltage. If it is over 12V then the alternator is O.K. If it is slightly below 12V then rev the engine slightly and check that the voltage is greater than 12V. If it is then the alternator is O.K., if not then the alternator is knacked. With the engine switched off measure the resistance from the battery -ve terminal to a good chassis earth and then to a good body panel earth. These should be short circuits or just a few milliohms. Anything more than that and you have a knacked earth strap between the appropriate points.
2007-03-16 07:37:27 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Okay, this problem is not the starter...it is a typical example of a bad alternator.
How it works is this...the car starts by using the battery to spark the plugs and crank the starter. the alternator charges the battery once the car is started and runs all the electrical components within your vehicle.
If your alternator dies the car will be running on just the batteries own stored power. Just like anything that runs on batteries it will begin to wear down and eventually fizzle out and the car will stall.
The reason you can re-start your car is because of the reaction taking place inside the battery between the sulfuric acid and zinc, which creates and electrical charge while the car is off.
You can replace the alternator with one from a junkyard and will cost you around 30 -75 dollars depending on the make and model of your car.
A new alternator can cost up to 200 dollars so I would go with the aforementioned route seeing as your car is kind of old.
Good Luck
2007-03-16 06:08:20 · answer #4 · answered by truthseeker 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Well for some reason it is not charging the battery. As you drive it is running the battery down. It could be the alternator, it could be the rectifier, it could be a loose connection or a bad cable from the alternator. It could also be a simple as the belt slipping.
It is most likely your alternator. Just recharge your battery. Be careful that you don't leave your battery discharged in freezing weather or you WILL need a new battery also.
It would be a good idea to check the condition of your cables as your car is older. Old, oxidized cables do not have good conductive properties, and cause problems.
2007-03-16 06:12:10 · answer #5 · answered by wise1 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The first thing that I would do is to make sure your engine ground (the braided cable) is secure.
If I suspected the alternator I would start the car and then remove the negative cable from the battery and see if the car still runs under alternator control and without the battery.
Good Luck!!!
2007-03-16 06:32:03 · answer #6 · answered by dVille 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Hi
Check that the earth strap(s) are securely fitted before you do anything, including at the battery.
Grab a volt meter and start the engine. Switch on the head lights, the heated rear screen, and the heater blower on full blast.
Raise the engine revs to about 2300 rpm and check that the voltage across the battery is at around 13.5 to 13.9 volts. If not then you have an alternator problem.
Cheers
Geordie
2007-03-16 07:51:35 · answer #7 · answered by Grizz 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Been there, and car died in the middle of a busy street, Yikes.
I would say it is your alternator, only because your battery is newer, you battery will get drained and your car will die. You will just have to keep your battery fully charged until you put a new alternator in it. Although, it doesn't take long to drain a battery. I bought a battery the day my car died, and the next day my car died again. That was when i took it in and they had to replace the alternator(and in my case the timing belt) good luck, i hope you can afford it.
2007-03-16 06:07:50 · answer #8 · answered by casady96 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I'm having the same problem with mine..I think?When driving during the day the truck runs fine i turned on the turnsignal and the Gauge started to flicker back and forth.?When i drive at night the Gauge goes into the negative side, turn the lights off and then the gauge goes back to normal.? The battery and alternator were tested at Autozone and they tested fine but i showed the guy testing it and showed what happens when i turn the lights on and we both think its a problem with the built in voltage regulatoer and the diodes are going or went bad,
2016-03-29 01:45:32 · answer #9 · answered by Lori 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is most definitely the starter! I had the same exact car (a teal/green one to be exact) & the same EXACT problem......THREE TIMES!!! (The repair shop I originally went to turned out to have a bad rep. & that's why so many problems) Get a new starter ASAP cause yours is going bad. A click when you try to start the car is the clue right there....that's how I knew.
If lights & sounds still work then your battery is fine because that's what powers them.
(Btw, if you ever end up w/ the problem of no air coming out of your panel vents & only the floor then have fun & start saving money!!! I ended up w/ that & it was the defroster duct which is a Ford dealer part ONLY & cost me $500 to fix cause they practically had to take the entire engine & dashboard apart to get to it!)
2007-03-16 05:59:15 · answer #10 · answered by §uper ®ose 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋