Bad Battery....
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,249
i had my battery check and autozone confirmed that it was a bad battery....i got the battery replaced....the guy who tested my battery said that my old battery was extremely drained of it's power.....he said that my alternator could be the cause....my question is:
1. what else other then the alternator could cause my battery to go bad?
2. how can i check if my alternator is good or bad?
3. can i check my alternator while it's on the car or does it have to be off the car?
thanx to anyone who attempts to help a brotha out....
1. what else other then the alternator could cause my battery to go bad?
2. how can i check if my alternator is good or bad?
3. can i check my alternator while it's on the car or does it have to be off the car?
thanx to anyone who attempts to help a brotha out....
Was the battery prematurely drained of its power, or was it new/newish?
As far as alternators go, I don't think there's any way to know of when your alternator is getting close to crapping out from inside the car. Basically, when mine went out in an older car, I got a warning earlier that day in that the battery light was coming on. The next time I went to leave, 10 min into the drive, I stalled at a light and lost functionality to any power accessories + the car. I asked a shop owner I know about it and he said you wouldn't notice gradual differences (ie, windows rolling up/down slower, stereo not drawing as much power, etc) with the alternator - that despite gradual wear on the alt itself, it still puts out power at an all or nothing rate.
Just going with what he told me (he's a friends dad, it was just a casual chat). Dunno what else could be draining your battery....lots of stereo/accessory use/overall power draw with the engine off?
As far as alternators go, I don't think there's any way to know of when your alternator is getting close to crapping out from inside the car. Basically, when mine went out in an older car, I got a warning earlier that day in that the battery light was coming on. The next time I went to leave, 10 min into the drive, I stalled at a light and lost functionality to any power accessories + the car. I asked a shop owner I know about it and he said you wouldn't notice gradual differences (ie, windows rolling up/down slower, stereo not drawing as much power, etc) with the alternator - that despite gradual wear on the alt itself, it still puts out power at an all or nothing rate.
Just going with what he told me (he's a friends dad, it was just a casual chat). Dunno what else could be draining your battery....lots of stereo/accessory use/overall power draw with the engine off?
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,249
Originally posted by blizz20oma
Was the battery prematurely drained of its power, or was it new/newish?
As far as alternators go, I don't think there's any way to know of when your alternator is getting close to crapping out from inside the car. Basically, when mine went out in an older car, I got a warning earlier that day in that the battery light was coming on. The next time I went to leave, 10 min into the drive, I stalled at a light and lost functionality to any power accessories + the car. I asked a shop owner I know about it and he said you wouldn't notice gradual differences (ie, windows rolling up/down slower, stereo not drawing as much power, etc) with the alternator - that despite gradual wear on the alt itself, it still puts out power at an all or nothing rate.
Just going with what he told me (he's a friends dad, it was just a casual chat). Dunno what else could be draining your battery....lots of stereo/accessory use/overall power draw with the engine off?
Was the battery prematurely drained of its power, or was it new/newish?
As far as alternators go, I don't think there's any way to know of when your alternator is getting close to crapping out from inside the car. Basically, when mine went out in an older car, I got a warning earlier that day in that the battery light was coming on. The next time I went to leave, 10 min into the drive, I stalled at a light and lost functionality to any power accessories + the car. I asked a shop owner I know about it and he said you wouldn't notice gradual differences (ie, windows rolling up/down slower, stereo not drawing as much power, etc) with the alternator - that despite gradual wear on the alt itself, it still puts out power at an all or nothing rate.
Just going with what he told me (he's a friends dad, it was just a casual chat). Dunno what else could be draining your battery....lots of stereo/accessory use/overall power draw with the engine off?
Pusssseeeehhhh
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,001
Have your car check for shorts, there could be a short circut somewhere draining unecessary power, and as far as systems if your amp is underpowered you can kill a battery regardless if the car is on, this has happend to me, if when you sit at a stoplight blasting your music and your lights dim or the RPMs nudge down a little its drawing too much power get a bigger amp or a power capacator.....
Thread Starter
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,249
Originally posted by maxse91
Have your car check for shorts, there could be a short circut somewhere draining unecessary power, and as far as systems if your amp is underpowered you can kill a battery regardless if the car is on, this has happend to me, if when you sit at a stoplight blasting your music and your lights dim or the RPMs nudge down a little its drawing too much power get a bigger amp or a power capacator.....
Have your car check for shorts, there could be a short circut somewhere draining unecessary power, and as far as systems if your amp is underpowered you can kill a battery regardless if the car is on, this has happend to me, if when you sit at a stoplight blasting your music and your lights dim or the RPMs nudge down a little its drawing too much power get a bigger amp or a power capacator.....
Senior Member
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,601
Originally posted by Yellowbrother
1. what else other then the alternator could cause my battery to go bad?
1. what else other then the alternator could cause my battery to go bad?
These are some causes of battery failure.
- physical defect inside the battery (broken plates, broken inter-cell connectors, etc.)
- physical defect in the battery case (crack which allows electrolyte to escape)
- parasitic current drain (such as a trunk light which stays on even when the trunk is closed)
- age and frequent cycling (charge, discharge, charge, discharge ultimately kills a battery)
- lack of maintenance (owner failed to replenish electrolyte as needed)
The physical defects could arise from collision damage or driving the car without having the battery secured.
... 2. how can i check if my alternator is good or bad?
3. can i check my alternator while it's on the car or does it have to be off the car?
... thanx to anyone who attempts to help a brotha out....
Thread Starter
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,249
Originally posted by Daniel B. Martin It's not clear what is "bad" about your battery. If it is merely discharged, you should have it charged. If it is not capable of holding a charge, you must replace it.
Some auto parts stores offer a no-cost charging system test. This is done with an electronic tester and takes only two minutes. Please have this test done. This test evaluates the entire charging system: battery, alternator, and regulator. The regulator is inside the alternator housing.
I'm troubled by this line. Maybe you mean well but it has the odor of racism. What would you make of a forum post which said "thanx to anyone who attempts to help a white guy"? "... help a Chinese?" "... help a Native American?" "... help a fascist hatemonger bigot?" ... etc.
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Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 7,530
Lucky I guess
I was lucky enough that the previous owner ended up killing the battery with a radar detector a few days before i bought it. So he went ahead and bought a new battery for me for it. Nice way to save 70 bucks on a battery.
SuDZ
SuDZ
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