It might be a minor issue, not sure right now. A couple of days ago, my car wouldn't run, it sounded like the battery was dead, but I had my suspicions since the battery was relatively new (only 2 years old). So, I remove the battery, take it to my local autozone and get it recharged, they tell me the battery is still good and they also check the alternator, and tell me that checks out as well. Once the battery was charged, I hook it back up and the car runs just fine and I am able to drive it around for a little while. Fast forward to this morning, same exact problem again (weak battery and car won't start). There is enough left to operate the keyless entry/alarm and the rest, but not enough oomph to start the ignition. My dilemma: Autozone says the battery is fine (I believe this part), and they also tell me my alternator is fine (not so sure). The fact that the battery seems to have been drained once again and I am now dealing with the same problem makes me suspect the alternator. But how can I make sure that's the real culprit? Could anything else be the culprit besides the battery/alternator? At this point, I am pretty confident it is not the battery. The vehicle seems to run perfectly normal otherwise. Appreciate any feedback...
Hard to say. You can do your own alternator test though Start the car (hopefully) and let it run for about 5 minutes. Disconnect the battery or at least the Red (positive) terminal. If the car turns off then your alternator is bad and could be draining your battery. I would just make sure.
Do you by any chance a have a an aftermarket sound system in your car?(Amp?) Sounds like someting isn't turning off and pulling current while your car is off. Your alarm could also be the culprit. Also check your terminals for corrotion or a bad connection, sometimes the simplest things can cause headaches.
Yes, aftermarket sound system/in-dash DVD player. But when I turn off the ignition the system signs off, I also made sure no lights or anything else was on. Good tip though, I will have them check the sound system to see if it's pulling current when the car is off. My vehicle is designed so that power is automatically disconnected from all auxiliary devices (GPS, radar, etc) once I turn off the ignition, I am aware not all vehicles are designed this way (my GM car isn't).
This. One time my neg battery cable was corroded inside the insulated area with no corrosion at the end of the cable or on the terminal. This corrosion caused the car to do nothing (as though the battery was dead) or struggle its way into starting (as though the battery was dying/not charged enough). As far as your alternator, it's a pretty simple test to determine whether it is putting out the necessary charging capacity, so if they said it was fine, it most likely is. But you could always take it to another AutoZone if you like. And year, make, and model of your vehicle are always good to include in car threads. Best of luck to you.
Hey I work at autozone and ill tell u that disconnecting the battery cable wont tell if the alternator is good or bad. Take it to a shop because it might have a short somewhere draining your battery. Most reputable shops have the proper equipment to check it out.
Yup, red to positive(+) and black to negative(-)on battery. Voltage should be over 12 at idle and go up with RPM's. Anything below 12 and dropping your alternator is not charging.
Thanks Cheetah I got a more thorough checkup at a shop not far from here, and they informed me the alternator was not providing enough oomph to charge the battery with the car running (11.6 I think was the reading), they used that AC Delco device to check on them. They said the battery tested out fine, and that I need to change the alternator. Frankly, I am not so sure at this point. A guy friend of mine told me that you can't drive the car if you have a bad alternator, so he's not too sure that's an accurate diagnosis, and he says the numbers may be misleading. The battery does get charged to full, and it 'tests out' fine (not sure what that means), but I have my suspicion that it is not holding a charge once it does, it seems to get drained really quickly once fully charged, basically I can use it to start the car only once and thereafter it is of no use. I am not sure if the typical battery tests actually determine whether or not the battery holds a charge. I am of the mind right now to just change BOTH the battery and alternator and not have to spend any more time 'analyzing' the situation and dealing with the headaches associated with car trouble. Thanks for the advice, ev1...
