Bad Alt or Dead Batt Cell?

[postalUT]

So last night as I was coming home, the check charging system light came on ('02 V8 LSE). I drove it home fine although the light stayed on for my whole trip (10 miles or so). Tonight, I started the car just fine and left it running for maybe 5 minutes or so to warm up while I put the dog in her crate. When I get in the car, the radio goes immediately dead. I turned off the car and tried it again however all I got was a machine gun click-click-click. After a while of letting it sit, I tried again and it almost started but could not quite get there.

I'm of the opinion that either the alternator has died or failed in some way, causing the car to run all electrical components strictly off of the battery for a few days, or there is a dead cell in the battery causing the battery to not give enough juice in conjunction with the alternator.

Regardless, it's going in the shop tomorrow morning, but it would be nice to avoid paying dealership battery prices if it turns out to be a dead cell. I can just run over to Sears or Autozone and get a replacement and spend an hour installing it myself.

What do you guys think?

 

[gcwimmer]

You will know better after it has been tested, I would rather replace a battery than the alternator. If your battery is original on your 2002 it doesn’t owe you anything and says a lot for OEM.

Lincoln LS requires a vented battery; you may have trouble finding one at Sears or AutoZone. Take the cost of OEM over 6 years and that is a deal.

 

[dudez_link]

id get both the alt and the battery checked. they may tell you you have a bad battery but that more than likely led to some strain on the alt. my battery went bad and the alt was trying so hard to keep it charged that it strained itself out and went bad (not bad enough to be dead though....its was just putting out a super low amount of power). get both checked. alt should be putting out like 110 i believe.

 

[postalUT]

Thanks for the help. It's going into the dealership today as soon as AAA can get a truck out to tow it. Hopefully it will be covered under my extended warranty so I'll only have the $200 deductible.

 

[lseguy]

Two things:
Warming up your car by letting it idle for 5 mins wastes a fair amount of fuel (engine stays colder longer than it would warming up at load, like the manual directs us to do), puts out higher emissions for a longer period of time, and depending on where you live, is a theft risk. (In certain parts of Maryland, it's now against the law to leave an unattended vehicle running..regardless of remote start anti theft devices). Thieves around here have been riding around in mornings in stolen cars, looking for the tell tale vapors from exhaust pipes on cars in streets and driveways, then one guy will hop out of the stolen car, steal the one warming up, and be on their merry way.

All that aside? If its the alternator, do yourself a favor and avoid cheap Duralast or Palladium or whatever rebuilt units Autozone/Advance have. I tried that..it lasted about 11 months.

 

[postalUT]

Well I just got the diagnostic from the shop. It turns out there was a section of wire harness burned, melted, and shorted out near the shifter (wtf?). Battery and alt checked fine. Damndest thing I've ever heard of.

$262 initial estimate.

In response to the car warm up comments:
I actually take the key physically off of the key ring and leave it in the car. The remote stays with me and the car gets locked. I know it burns fuel like crazy, but I don't have a block warmer (was bought originally in Florida, no need for one there) and even if I did I do not have outside connections to plug it into (I live in a student apartment complex). Its really the only way. I've heard its better for the tranny to let the fluid warm up a little and I know its better for my fanny to get the seat warmers going. I just hate driving and ice cold car with frost all over the windshield. Often times if I don't warm it up a few minutes before I leave, I will be late for class de-icing the windshield by hand (I hate that spray de icer)