Ok so at work today my car wouldn't start, I jumped it and drove it home, but was about to run out of gas. At the gas station I filled up, and again the car wouldn't start.

Both times I couldn't even get a click out of the starter and could barely role the windows up.

The car has been running fine for ever and just all of a sudden wouldn't start.

I thought it was possibly the alternator because I just replaced the battery like 6 months ago (just used some generic exide battery).

Anyways, I then thought, hey the car's alternator has to be ok because the car drives fine and jump starts fine.

Thus, I took the battery out, went to my local store and they tested it it was dead, 9 amps, supposed to be 360.

Then he said put it back in the car, jump it, and I'll test to see if it's charging. I don't know if this guy knew what he was doing, but he put a multimeter or something similar to both terminals while the car was running and said that it's charging fine.

I got a new battery, popped it in, and thus far it's been fine.

However, 10 miles later down the FWY my Service Engine Soon light came on. Irionically, the light came on a week ago, I reset the ECU and it never came back on. I can't remember if it came on right before or right after I installed my test pipe. At any rate, that was like last Wednesday morning that the SES light came on. It never came back on after that. Now the SES light was on again, and I tried to read the code, but screwed up and ended up just resetting it again. 20 miles later it hasn't turned on.

I don't know if the SES light will come on if it detects a messed up charging system, or is it just smog related junk. People have said their 4th gens SES has come on after installing a test pipe, but then others say it doesn't come on when you're SC'd.

What do you guys think? Could a battery only last 6 months (my stock one never went out and it lasted for 4+ years, I just changed it as a preventative measure). Someone told me perhaps the Texas heat screwed the battery's life up.

Any help is appreciated. I wish I felt more sure about that guy at the auto-store's opinion about it charging.

 

when i gutted my cat(i didn't really), my SES light came on for the rear o2 sensor shortly afterwards. i reset the light and it stayed off for a few days but then came back on. after it came back on i just left it alone and after a few weeks it went off by itself. the rear o2 sensor is just inconsistent in causing the SES light to go on.

as far as the battery is concerned, sometimes you just get unlucky. my stock battery died less than a year after i got the car. all the water in it just evaporated.

 

Your CEL will come on and off at times since you now have that straight pipe. I dont have one on my car but one of the members with a straight pipe told me that happens to his car all the time.

 

Ok can someone verify that the battery or charging system cannot trip the SES light?

Also, what about a 6 month battery life? It is hot as hell over here and I have been teaching my g/f how to drive stick (lots of stalls in parking lots).

My stock battery lasted 4 years and still hadn't died.

 

I'm not positive since you have a 4th gen, but usually the battery/charging system will trigger the battery light on the dash to come on. When my alternator belt broke, the battery light and brake lights came on. That's on a 3rd gen, but I would think it would be pretty similar

 

Batteries should last longer than 6 months. Most batteries have at a minmum of 12 month full replacemant warranty. I think someone owes you some money or a new battery. Exide is a well known and reputable Battery Company. You can also check to see if your alternator is charging properly. Just attach a DC Volt Meter to the battery terminals (negative to negative and positive to positive). Set the scale on 15 volts DC. The alternator is regulated to provide 13.6 volts to 13.8 volts dc. If you read 13.6 to 13.8 your alterator is probably okay. Piece of cake/
Be well!!!!

 

I have a suspicion your alternator is not charging. When you start your car, you draw juice from the battery. The alternator is supposed to supply power to the vehicle and recharge the battery. However, the battery will act as a reserve under heavy draw when the alternator output is not sufficient to support the vehicle requirements.

Get a voltmeter, measure the voltage on your battery when the car is NOT running. Should read 12+ volts.

When you start your car, the alternator comes on and the alternator output should be ... ummm, 14+ V and you should measure this at the battery as well.

If you don't measure a voltage increase once the car has started, alternator is most likely your problem.

By the way, my alternator died on my Ecost once and I managed to drive back 4 hours before my battery went dead. So even though your car runs after you start it, you could be simply draining your battery.

 

The SES light won't come on to directly indicate a problem witht he system, meaning there is no code for alternator failure or anything like that. What might have happened is that the fluctuating voltage wigged out one of the components that is connected to the SES light and that is what tripped a code.

If your battery really did last 6 months, assuming you can't find an alternator problem you got a defective battery and there should be some type of warranty on it. My best guess is that you still have a problem which started out as an intermittent one and has gotten progressively worse.