I have a 2001 and in december I left the car (in the underground parking which is heated) for a month and the car wouldnt start after that. After 2 boosts (in 2 days) and almost 1 hour of continous driving it was fine.
I left the car again, but this time for only a week and it's again!! I have had to boost it almost 5-6 times today alone even after a good 1/2 hour highway driving.
My questions>>
1) How can I check if the battery is working fine? ( i.e how much current should it put put. it might not put out anything since it's not charged..so on to question #2)
2) How can I check if the alternator is working fine? Any tests to check this out?
3) How much would a dealer/independent shop charge for testing these two.

Thanks in advance..

 

It deffinately sound like a bad battery to me. It could be bad cells in the battery. Also check to make sure your cables are tight. If your alternator was bad the battery and brake lights should be on on your dash. You could also use a multimeter and hook it up to the battery. With the car running you should have around 13.5 volts to 14.2. If you only have 12 volts you need and alternator. Any good parts store will test you battery and charging system for you for free. Good luck

 

Im not sure if its a bad battery or if its the wire from the alternator that charges the battery. i just had to have my wire resodered and i had a probglem similar to yours. it would run fine but after awhile the car wouldnt start and the battery would be dead. So have your alternator checked out or check it out yourself. Also hook a voltmeter to the battery if you wanna check it i believe. Good luck man. Listen to the more experienced guys on the org. they know there ****.

 

Easy check, go to autozone or pepboys. They do it for free. Or measure the Batt voltage when it won't start.

IMO it sound like your battery.

 

The best answer you can get ....... it's FREE...

 

deeply discharged battery, have the free check done, and plan for a battery expense.

you might also call some battery shops in the area. ive found batteries for around $20