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Old 12-11-2004, 07:15 PM   #1
NyChris2004
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Car battery wont hold charge with new alternator please help

Ok i have an 89 acura integra, (5 speed manual). now my battery is brand new and the alternator is brand new (both have also been tested while running). now if i get my car running, (usually have to jump it) it will stay on while in idle or while im going. but if i turn my lights or my wipers or anything on the lights all get dim and its like the alternator stops working..now i had the battery fully charged yesterday, and it got me through the whole day, i turned it on and off probably about 10 times, with hour periods in between..now when i went to start my car today, the battery was dead. i didnt leave anything on, i have the headlight motors disconnected, and no fuses are blown..everytime i jumpstart the car it starts up fine, but like when i go to come to a stop and apply the brakes, or just turn the car off period the battery will die out and the car will have to be jumped again, even with a full charge. Also, alot of times when the car is in idle, if i press on the brakes or something the battery will just die out even while the car is on. the battery somehow its not being charged or something..this is very annoying and i lost my job because i cant get my car to work, so any suggestions would be very appreciated. thank you
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Old 12-12-2004, 06:48 PM   #2
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Not sure on this car, but most cars have either a big fuse or a fusible wire section on the big wire from the alternator. I'd guess you have one of these and it's blown or broken and the alternator is not charging the battery. Time to call for help from some gearhead friends.
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Old 12-12-2004, 09:39 PM   #3
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Re: Car battery wont hold charge with new alternator please help

See if the trunk light is stuck on
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Yes, I am retarded.
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Old 12-12-2004, 10:35 PM   #4
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Re: Car battery wont hold charge with new alternator please help

Haha good suggestion public. May be his flux capicitor stopped fluxing?

Brain Dump: I would buy a voltmeter gauge, install it, and watch whats happening. You should be running 12+ volts. If you're running anything lower theres a drain on your system. Do you have a speaker systems with an amp/large subwoofers? Normal batteries aren't designed for the large fast drain a pounding amplifier will apply to it. (Thats why those deep cycle red top optima batteries are suggested) An easy way to test the alternator is to get the car running, then disconnect the positive on the battery. If the car cuts off, the alternator isn't working. A couple of other things I would do is check to make sure all wires have good contact and aren't shorting out. From the sounds of it, do you have electric window motors? May be one is stuck on? Also, may be you could charge your battery, to where it will start the car. Shut it off, disconnect the battery, let it sit overnight. In the morning, re-connect the battery and see if you can start it. Just a couple of suggestions on my thoughts and how I would tackle it. Let us know how goes... good luck
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Old 12-13-2004, 12:12 AM   #5
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Re: Car battery wont hold charge with new alternator please help

Quote:
Originally Posted by NyChris2004
my battery is brand new and the alternator is brand new (both have also been tested while running).
tested with the engine running? who the hell did that? the battery should be REMOVED from the vehicle then heavy load tested.

after you confirm the new battery is good(i wouldn't be surprized if it had a shorted cell), inspect the battery cables and ground connections
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Old 12-13-2004, 08:04 AM   #6
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Re: Car battery wont hold charge with new alternator please help

Yeah, you could just take your battery into any local autozone or advance auto and let them have it for a couple of hours so they can test it...
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Old 12-13-2004, 11:01 AM   #7
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Re: Car battery wont hold charge with new alternator please help

Remove the battery then heavy load test it. Right.
I realize that I don't know what kind of experience you have, and I don't want to insult you. It just sounds so wrong (to me) to do something like that to a car, a surefire way to nuke the alternator.
My dad (yay family business) has a load tester for such symptoms, and all ya have to do is hook it up to the battery, look at the voltage, then start it up and look at the voltage again.
I know I'm just a wrench-turner. What do I know?
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Old 12-13-2004, 05:29 PM   #8
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Sorry guys thats actually what i meant. the battery was fully charged and tested up at autozone, and their machine said it was a good battery..the alternator was tested while the car was running...ok so far weve figure dout that the wire from the alt. to the battery wasnt good, so it wasnt charging right, i boiught new connectors and stuff and its been working fine..the only time the battery has died out is when i stalled the car out,(thought it was in neutral when i stopped but it was in first) and the car stalled out asnd the battery went dead.
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Old 12-13-2004, 05:48 PM   #9
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Re: Car battery wont hold charge with new alternator please help

it sure sounds like a charging problem although removing the battery cable when the car is running will tell you if the alternator is charging iwould not recommend that because it can cause all sorts of computer problems! does the car have a battery light? is it on when the car is running? if yes alternator is not charging. If no battery is either not getting charge from alternator (broken wire) or it can not hold a charge. If you have access to a digital volt meter hook it up to the battery when the car is running voltage should be somewhere between 13.5-15 voltsfor a properly operating alternator. good luck!!
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Old 12-13-2004, 09:44 PM   #10
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Re: Car battery wont hold charge with new alternator please help

ok when i unhook the power wire yes the car stays on.. the battery light only comes on when i first start the car, now the thing is sometimes it charges, sometimes it doesnt..actually, i changed the power cable ends today and i actually have been having a bit more success, the car was running fine, charging fine..then i stalled the car out, and the battery went dead..i got it jumped, and drove home, then when i tried to start it up again it was doing the same thing....im gonna take it to autozone tomorrow and have it fully charged again, hopefully i fixed the problem and the battery just needs to be fully recharged again. but any other suggestions will definitely be appreciated, and i really appreciate all your guys inputs, and i think ive found a forum that ill actually stay in and learn. thanks alot guys
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Old 12-14-2004, 02:40 AM   #11
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Re: Car battery wont hold charge with new alternator please help

take replacing the cables one step farther if you want - check the mounting area for all the bolts, expecilly the ground connection to the frame, repair any corrosion and/or rust.
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Old 12-15-2004, 10:43 AM   #12
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Re: Re: Car battery wont hold charge with new alternator please help

Quote:
Originally Posted by psychorallyfreak
Remove the battery then heavy load test it. Right.
I realize that I don't know what kind of experience you have, and I don't want to insult you. It just sounds so wrong (to me) to do something like that to a car, a surefire way to nuke the alternator.
My dad (yay family business) has a load tester for such symptoms, and all ya have to do is hook it up to the battery, look at the voltage, then start it up and look at the voltage again.
I know I'm just a wrench-turner. What do I know?

You're Case: (correct me if I'm wrong) The car basically uses the battery as a capacitor. When the alternator can't do the charge, it just sucks it out of the battery. This is why they have deep cycle batteries for those huge stereo systems, they can take the punishment of huge drains and quick recharging. (Batteries weren't designed to have a constant drain and recharge on them)
My Case: Imagine you are trying to get a car with a low battery started and it barely turns over. Not only does the alternator now have to power the car but charge the battery as well. As long as you are just running the car, the alternator will be fine. Just my thought process...
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Old 12-15-2004, 09:52 PM   #13
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heh.....found out that when i got my alternator tested at autozone their tester machine wasnt charged all the way..took it to a real mechanic. and yep, the alternator wasnt doin its job...pickin my car up from tha shop tomorrow, (alternator is under the car, have to remove driveshaft and other fun stuff -_- so i jus paid 4 it), and ill let evry21 know if its workin or not. thanks alot
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Old 12-24-2015, 11:26 AM   #14
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Re: Car battery wont hold charge with new alternator please help

I have a 99 civic 5 speed doing the exact same thing I'm goin nuts to figure out what's wrong SOMEONE HELPPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!
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Old 12-24-2015, 12:30 PM   #15
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Re: Car battery wont hold charge with new alternator please help

Welcome to the forum!

Did you read through the post and try any/all of the things mentioned, including having a professional confirm the operation of the charging system?

-Rod
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