Failing Starts

boostjunkie333 · #1 07-29-2009, 09:26 PM

Ok..this is really starting to irk me...and i dont usually get irked.

I started a thread a while back about my car, and how it kept dying on me every few days of ont being driven. Dont crank ti for a few days, and then get in it, and its dead as a hammer.

Well, now it's almost doing it every day, I get in my car, and turn the key, and NOTHING. doesn't even TRY to turn over, lik eeither it turns over and cranks... or it doesnt at all. So its not like a weak batteyr, it doesnt struggle to crank, just, sometimes it decides to work, and sometimes not, in which case, i have to push start the heavy bastard...

Now, what could THAT be...

I have pulled every bulb, checked every connection...I have NOT however checked the alternator...

Could it be the alternator? doesnt sound like the symptoms...

SilvrEclipse · #2 07-29-2009, 10:19 PM

So the battery dies almost every day? And Im guessing you jump it off and never fully charge the battery. If thats the case then thats your problem. If not it could be a drain or the battery itself.

boostjunkie333 · #3 07-29-2009, 10:31 PM

so, alternator....hmm

hasnt ever been changed since i owned the car...

i was gonna take it in to an electrical diagnoses center tom. and see what it is, wonder if they will tell me the same thing

you think the fact that i have high hp that was never intended for this car could be the reason why my alternator would be running bad?

which leads me this question, do they make alternators for stressful conditions like running on the track a lot, if i buy another alternator, i want this one to be heavy duty

SilvrEclipse · #4 07-29-2009, 11:34 PM

No I never said anything about the alternator. Doesn't matter whether you have more power or not, doesn't effect the alternator.

Do you recharge your battery with a battery charger after it dies? If not then that is most likely your problem. The alternator is not made to charge the battery. Its simply there to maintain the charge that is on it. If you have a dead battery you need to charge it up as soon as you can. When you run a car like that it puts more stress on the alternator

boostjunkie333 · #5 07-30-2009, 01:33 AM

ok cool..

also, i have a turbo timer, which you know cuts my car off so many seconds after i take the key out, and it has a feature where u can switch the display to display battery voltage, and i noticed, when i get int he car and try to crank and it doesnt work, ill look down and itll be flashing that i have 11.8v or something like that, but if it does fire the car up, itll drive around and maintain about 13.4v or something im not sure but....

just a little more info to consider...

so the battery needs to be charged...which brings me back to, why does it need to be charged in the first place....(needle in a hay stack)

Thanks tho man

SilvrEclipse · #6 07-30-2009, 07:00 AM

Idk, battery could be going bad or the alternator. Or maybe you have a drain somewhere. I would charge the battery and see what happens. If it still dies then get it and the alternator checked out. If they both pass then you probably have a drain somewhere

boostjunkie333 · #7 07-30-2009, 11:18 PM

lol...i went to advance auto today bc i figure hey, they can check my battery and alternator, for free, and i wont have to do it, well the guy goes to do it, and im watching, closely, lol, and he says his machine wont regiter or osmehting with the battery i have, since its a dry cell, and it would read the battery, so i was foiled in my attempt to test the two...

i may just try and charge the battery on a charger but....for some reason i feel like thats not gonna do it haha...

SilvrEclipse · #8 07-31-2009, 07:13 AM

You should have done that in the beginning anyways. Like I said before the alternator is not made to recharge your battery. Go charge your battery and see what happens. You said your TT has a volt meter on it. Watch that while the car is running. You should be seeing over 13volts. If your not then the alternator is probably bad.

boostjunkie333 · #9 07-31-2009, 06:37 PM

went to an electrician specialist today, who had the tools i needed to check the battery..

when i started the car, b4 the start, the meter read like 11v or so, and when i cranked the car, the meter dipped real low, for a second, then started the car...

dying, weak battery, problem solved(for now)

boostjunkie333 · #10 08-09-2009, 12:18 PM

Ok just for those looking to buy an optima battery...heres a little review.

I bought a yellow top, so as to have a deep cycle heavy duty battery, and its packed a pretty hard punch ever since i bought it. good clean powerful starts...so no complaints yet, seems to be good stuff, although i havent really had it long enough to say it lasts longer than others

SilvrEclipse · #11 08-09-2009, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by boostjunkie333

went to an electrician specialist today, who had the tools i needed to check the battery..

when i started the car, b4 the start, the meter read like 11v or so, and when i cranked the car, the meter dipped real low, for a second, then started the car...

dying, weak battery, problem solved(for now)

I do believe this is what I told you the problem was in my first and second post. If you would have listened to me you would have saved a week and half trying to fix your problem. And possibly some money for the electrical guy

boostjunkie333 · #12 08-09-2009, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SilvrEclipse

I do believe this is what I told you the problem was in my first and second post. If you would have listened to me you would have saved a week and half trying to fix your problem. And possibly some money for the electrical guy

when your right your right...

i just knew though, with my luck, that it was probably a harder problem to fix than replacing the batt. but i did, and so far so good...

oh and the diagnosis fromt he electric guy was free...i wouldnt have spent money on this...lol

but yeah, from now on, ill just listen, apologies

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