Twice in the last two months smy battery has quit on me and I’ve needed a jump. The first time the jump kept me for about 6 weeks. It can’t be the alternator as it is happening too infrequently.
Any thoughts?
Thanks in advance
Have you checked the water in the battery? I wouldn’t rule the alternator out, yet. It could be getting weak or failing intermittently… If you go to your local auto zone they’ll test the alternator for proper charging and load test the battery for free.
Also, what was happening when the thing went dead on you? You’re sure nothing was left plugged in or turned on? Was anything on that should not have been once you got started? Maybe some clown was being funny and turning your lights on or something?
Do you have any big fancy stereos or anything like that?
You can also have someone check to be sure there are no slow drains… It’s easy enough to determine that. They can be tough to hunt down, but you’re generally looking for anything that might be getting warm or making a tiny little noise.
If I’m reading it right, the first time you kept a charge six weeks… the second time one week… sounds like something is ready to give up
I’d Disconnect Battery Cables And Thorougly Clean Them And The Battey Terminals Before Reconnecting.
If possible I’d do the cables’ other ends, too. Next look for a faulty engine to body ground strap or other grounds in the system. Be careful around the battery. For safety, the negative (-) cable should be disconnected first and reconnected last.
You didn’t say what symptoms the dead battery has. Is everything completely dead including no lights, nothing ? Do you still have electrical when this happens, just no start ?
CSA
For safety, the negative (-) cable should be disconnected first and reconnected last.
It really makes no difference, other than which is easier to connect. In order for current to flow, it needs a complete circuit, so if one terminal/cable is not connected, nothing is happening until that last cable is connected. (Note: many cars had positive earths (grounds) and there was never a problem.)
Just make sure that you are connecting the ground to ground and positive to positive. The order is not important.
“For safety, the negative (-) cable should be disconnected first and reconnected last.”
The reason for doing the cables in that order is so that there is no possiblility of completing a circuit to ground with the wrench being used. If the negative cable has been reconected first, then the wrench will create quite a spark if it comes into contact with anything metal in the area of the battery. Of course if the battery is completely dead when it is being removed, then the order doesn’t matter as there is nothing to create the spark, but it’s best to do it the same way every time. A spark in the area of a battery has the possibility of igniting the hydrogen given off by the battery causing the battery to explode. I’ve been in the presence of two that have done that. (I was watching, not wrenching.) The first could have blinded the guy that did it as he got splashed with battery acid. He had presence of mind to scoop up snow near the car and apply it to the affected area, as they say.
Joseph, The Reason For This Advice Is Because Too Often A Wrench Handle Accidently Contacts A Body Part Of The Car During Work With Cables. My Advice Minimizes Chances Of Burns And Explosions.
CSA
Beat ya by 50 seconds…