I had the O2 sensor replaced in my car today and the mechanic ran across a bare wire in one of the wiring harnesses. He said blew a fuse link on the starter. He fixed it, the car started and made it home, etc. My boyfriend went to replace the spark plugs and wires when he got home and only replaced 3 of the 6 since he couldn't get to the 3 on the far side of the engine. We took the car for a ride, it died before we got back home. We got a jump and within a mile, it died. We let it charge and barely made it home. What could be the causes of my car not starting? I recall with another vehicle of mine, when it needed a tune up, it did almost the similar thing. Our mechanic said he would look at it tomorrow to make sure he didn't pop any other fuses, but I am worried he screwed up the alternator or starter. The battery is only about a year or so old and was fine until today.
2007-05-15 15:01:13 · 14 answers · asked by Julie 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
i own a shop,and any battery can go bad in less than a second,i have seen brand new ones on the shelf at parts stores that were bad,so i wouldn't rule the battery out just yet on it,have it checked,and see if there is a draw on the battery or the battery its self went bad,anything is possible with today's cars,but any good repair shop can check it for a draw ,and tell you if its something pulling the battery down,or if its something else that's happened to it,until then i wouldn't buy any parts until i knew for sure what was wrong with it,good luck hope this helps.
2007-05-15 15:09:44 · answer #1 · answered by dodge man 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
A diode in the Alternator very well could have "popped too" Or the belt tensonor isn't holding your belt tight and providing enough revolutions to keep the Alt running to supply power to the car. Just grab hold of the belt and if it feels taut, OK ! If not then ya may need a new tensioner or belt or both. A loose tensioner and sloppy belt can give a reading that the Alt is bad( had a garage in Indy try to pull this on me and when I stood to the side I saw the belt was loose)It very well could be the other wire going to the starter, but the only way I have seen these "pop" is if someone crossed the pos and neg wires while either jumping or repairing the in line fusable links
2007-05-15 15:18:16 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Alternator is probably fried...when running, your car runs off the alternator which also charges the battery for the next time you start it...if the alternator goes bad, the battery will only supply power for a short time to run the car. Remember, an alternator is only a battery maintainer not a high boost charger in the usual sense and power for operating the car comes from the alternator putting out enough amps so the battery does not get drawn down too much.
2007-05-15 15:11:09 · answer #3 · answered by paul h 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You can get most repair shops to test the battery and charging circuit for free -- obviously with the hopes that you will buy a new battery, alternator or other parts from them.
You can bring the battery in separately if you can't get the car started, but it's best if you can get the whole car there so they can check to see if the charging system is at fault in addition to checkign the battery.
2007-05-15 15:12:55 · answer #4 · answered by HyperDog 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
if you have a volt meter put it on the batery and see if it has the right amount of charge then start it up and verify it is charging between 13.5v and 14.5 if it is below 12.5 running it may be either the fusable link between the alternator or the alternator itself turn the car off and watch if it drops suddenly if it does then you may have a short somewhere or an open diode in the alternator disconect the batery from the car charge it and see if it drops again if it does have the batery replaced if not look for a drain in the car
2007-05-15 15:11:11 · answer #5 · answered by yodamandemonoid 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If there was a bare wire, chances are there's a dead short to ground somewhere in your harness. Just replacing the wire might not be enough. You'll have to find WHERE it's grounding, and fix the actual problem.
2007-05-15 15:06:44 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
sounds like you need an alternator or a new battery!!! try the battery first!!! sometimes you can get the alternators rebuilt instead of having to buy a new one!!! good luck!!
2007-05-15 15:11:02 · answer #7 · answered by babygirl41_7 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
it sounds more like the alternator,then the battery.take the alternator to auto zone and have them to check it out,it might not be keeping the battery charged.
2007-05-15 16:33:36 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
the bare wire might have burned out the alternator more likely the solenoid
2007-05-15 15:17:28 · answer #9 · answered by Jimmie 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You either have a damage battery or a defective alternator.
2007-05-15 15:18:21 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋