About a week or 2 ago my car wouldnt start. So i jump started it and i thought that was all there was gonna be with that. I ran to a couple of stores and everytime after each store it started just fine. I go to get up the next mornin and start my car…does not wanna start. so i put a new battery in it. the van started right up after i put the new battery in. I ran to my moms and some other places and after everyone of those places it started up just fine. I accidently left the interior lights on the other night and did need a jump yesterday but i went a few places again yesterday and shut my car off and never needed a jump all day everytime i went to restart my car…and then i go to get in it this mornin and it does not want to start…i have taken the positive cable of the battery off while its runnin and it doesnt stop and sumone told me that if it doesnt stop runnin its not the alternator…is this true? and can someone please help me figure out what might be wrong my van!!!
Disconnecting the cable and if it runs may be true, but not recommended for many cars. It sounds like a power drain is occurring, here is a link to help you track it down.
ok so i went to the website and this could be the reason why but i wasnt sure if this was the reason or not. I read in this link that even though you shut the dome light switch to off when you have a door that wont shut all the way sometimes is not the cure. I do have my passenger sliding door that sucks in to far when shut…and then it spits it back out just far enough to where my interior lights stay on…so i flip my switch for my interior lights off…but as i read on that link shutting the lights off is not always the cure…so maybe thats my problem
Are you sure the new battery was fully charged? Use a real battery charger, don’t just count on the alternator to charge up a weak battery.
You’d think Honda could engineer interior lights that automatically turn off after XX minutes if the ignition is off. I don’t know how many times we’ve left interior lights on in our Odyssey.
It seems obvious that you do have something draining the battery. It doesn’t have to remain a mystery because you can find out whether or not this is the case, and what is draining it. This might be helpful: http://www.aa1car.com/library/battery_runs_down.htm
Never - ever (did I say ever yet?) remove the cable with the car running.
I have an 05 that had a similar problem and the solution may be the same depending on the answer to this question: Do you have a Honda stock battery in it? If you do these things are way too weak for all the demands made on them. The previous owners of my 05 replaced Honda batteries 5 times and by the time it got to me it started leaving me high and dry. I went to Sams Club and bought the biggest one they could put in it 4 months ago and it hasn’t acted up since.
AND I DIDN’T TELL HIM TO TAKE OFF THE CABLE EITHER…LOL
Are you sure that no light is remaining on in the vehicle? Glove box or under hood light if so equipped? The only other item I can think of is the Alternator itself as a USUAL suspect… DO THIS>… Before you shutdown the prev night…are you able to remove the HOT wire from the Alternator without too much difficulty? If so…take the hot wire off the alternator and tape up the end or make sure it cant arc out anywhere…wait overnight and the next day…see if you can start the van…you don’t need the wire hooked up to test… What do you get? Start OK? If so…its the Alternator…if not…Time for a parasitic loss test
Blackbird
"I do have my passenger sliding door that sucks in to far when shut…and then it spits it back out just far enough to where my interior lights stay on…so i flip my switch for my interior lights off…but as i read on that link shutting the lights off is not always the cure…so maybe thats my problem "
Chances are that is the source of your problem. If you don’t mind pulling a fuse and switching to manual operation as a test…
@ fuzzball…i do not have a honda battery in my car…@ honda blackbird…i tried that…i was able to get my slinding side door shut to the point that u culd hear the motor on the door suck in the door and then as soon as it sucked in the door i pulled out the fuse for the motor for the door…grant it the door is stuck in further than what it shuld be…but i dont care…LOL its shut and my interior lights are not on anymore and i can even lock my doors now…SO EXCITING!! but what will be even more exciting is if my car starts in the morning…if not im back to square one tryin to figure out what is drainin my battery,UGH!
Did you disconnect the hot wire to the alternator…That was the test I was talking about. No?