Quick Question... Electrical

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Lincoln Jealous

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ok so when i went to plug back in the a/c compressor connector, the car acted like it has a dead battery, i unplugged the battery and plugged it back in, no luck, when hook up the negative the trunk light turns on like a good battery, when i click lock on the key fob, the trunk light turns off for a couple seconds then turns back on.. so i thought i hit a switch by pressing the key fob, so then i disconnect and reconnect and then check my head lights, they flicker a weak pulse untill finally gone, i think try to start the car once more, and i hear the starter clicking but doesnt fire, i can hear my relays clicking under the hood and in the trunk... is this just a sign of a dead battery, even though everytime i rehook the neg. cable, the trunk like comes back on as if a new battery? im going to have it tested but i would rather know if this is a sign of a dead battery? also when i put the key in the ignition the seat memory moves very slow and the dash gauges jump back and forth and bounce around. im thinking battery, but i just replaced it about 6 months ago so i might have a drain somewhere, but for right now im just wondering if its the dead battery, thanks in advance
 
Yes, those are all classic symptoms of a discharged battery. Why would you think it wasn't?
Why guess at it? Get a $10 voltmeter and you'll know this time and every time something like this happens later.
The battery (from your description) is not completely discharged, so it should still be okay. Connect a good battery charger and let it charge for several hours.
 
joegr said:
Yes, those are all classic symptoms of a discharged battery. Why would you think it wasn't?
Why guess at it? Get a $10 voltmeter and you'll know this time and every time something like this happens later.
The battery (from your description) is not completely discharged, so it should still be okay. Connect a good battery charger and let it charge for several hours.
Click to expand...

no i know, i feel like its the battery, but its just weird lol this just happened out of the blue when i disconnected the ac compressor connection, i guess its just that time again, i have a warranty on the battery with carquest, i replace my battery once a year lol, this time i think its not completely drained so i hope they will still just give me a replacement, everytime i replace the battery the problem is solved thanks joe ill give it a shot, its so nice outside, i would rather be detailing then this bs lol
 
Or jump start it, let it run for a while, shut it off and try to start it again.. If it doesn't start, you might want to check the charging system.. That is, of course, after you get the battery tested
 
FASTLLS said:
Or jump start it, let it run for a while, shut it off and try to start it again.. If it doesn't start, you might want to check the charging system.. That is, of course, after you get the battery tested
Click to expand...

yup!, gonna get it tested when i can get a ride down to the store, battery is to heavy to walk and carry, but it would show dedication lol
 
:confused: a trunk light is not a good indicator of a battery's residual charge...

like joe says, get a voltmeter, they're cheap and everyone who tinkers with their car should have one
 
ToeCutter said:
:confused: a trunk light is not a good indicator of a battery's residual charge...

like joe says, get a voltmeter, they're cheap and everyone who tinkers with their car should have one
Click to expand...

lol, i know, but just from past experience, everytime i had a dead battery, i would get no lights at all, when i kept seeing the trunk light come on first i though maybe i had a short somewhere or a fuse, but its always the battery for me, just gonna test it, but i will get a voltmeter thanks
 
Lincoln Jealous said:
ok so when i went to plug back in the a/c compressor connector, the car acted like it has a dead battery, i unplugged the battery and plugged it back in, no luck, when hook up the negative the trunk light turns on like a good battery
Click to expand...

I don't like you or your car but I just had this same thing happen on Friday, 1 day after I took it to the stealership for an oil change. Car sat at work for 8 hours and wouldn't turn over. Gave it a jump and all is fine, only ran for about 20 minutes, but no issues starting in the 3 days since it happened. Battery was tested and checked out OK the day before this happened.

It's gremlins imo.
 
pagluy said:
I don't like you or your car but I just had this same thing happen on Friday, 1 day after I took it to the stealership for an oil change. Car sat at work for 8 hours and wouldn't turn over. Gave it a jump and all is fine, only ran for about 20 minutes, but no issues starting in the 3 days since it happened. Battery was tested and checked out OK the day before this happened.

It's gremlins imo.
Click to expand...

It's bad car karma. :shifty:
 
sounds like the battery had enough power to move the seat and turn on a light (very small amount of power required) and not enough to turn the starter (very high amount of power required)


very low battery vs. dead battery
 
thank you , it may be low because i jumped it for 3 minutes then it started, unplugged and still started but a little slow, not gonna start it again until i get gas because its to low now, but if its low or needs to be recharged....could someone explain how the alternator charges the battery to its fullest potential?? what i want to know is how many hours or miles you would need to drive a week to charge the battery so it doesnt lose more power and would charge it? thanks


p.s. i forgot what the ac compressor sounded like, man its ugly:eek:
 
Lincoln Jealous said:
thank you , it may be low because i jumped it for 3 minutes then it started, unplugged and still started but a little slow, not gonna start it again until i get gas because its to low now, but if its low or needs to be recharged....could someone explain how the alternator charges the battery to its fullest potential?? what i want to know is how many hours or miles you would need to drive a week to charge the battery so it doesnt lose more power and would charge it? thanks


p.s. i forgot what the ac compressor sounded like, man its ugly:eek:
Click to expand...

There's no sure-fire, simple answer to that question. Generally, if you shut the car down and the battery holds about 13 volts for a few minutes, then it's fully charged. (Even fully charged it will go down to 12.6 and stay there pretty quickly.)
If you're not driving it long enough to keep the battery charged, then you might want to look into a battery tender.
You might want to check the battery voltage while the car is running. It should be between 13.8 and 14.5 volts. If it's outside of that, then you have a charging system problem (could be the alternator, could be something else.) Once you get the battery to fully charged, then you should only have to run the car for ten minutes or so per start to keep it fully charged. It shouldn't discharge until the car has sat for close to a month.
 
Lincoln Jealous said:
..could someone explain how the alternator charges the battery to its fullest potential?? what i want to know is how many hours or miles you would need to drive a week to charge the battery so it doesnt lose more power and would charge it? thanks:
Click to expand...

That is the #1 way to KILL your alternator.
Charge the battery, Fully Charged... dont try to make your alternator do double duty by "running the car" AND "charging a dead battery".

you've been warned.....
 
joegr said:
There's no sure-fire, simple answer to that question. Generally, if you shut the car down and the battery holds about 13 volts for a few minutes, then it's fully charged. (Even fully charged it will go down to 12.6 and stay there pretty quickly.)
If you're not driving it long enough to keep the battery charged, then you might want to look into a battery tender.
You might want to check the battery voltage while the car is running. It should be between 13.8 and 14.5 volts. If it's outside of that, then you have a charging system problem (could be the alternator, could be something else.) Once you get the battery to fully charged, then you should only have to run the car for ten minutes or so per start to keep it fully charged. It shouldn't discharge until the car has sat for close to a month.
Click to expand...

thanks joe you are full of great information, youve been a big help
 
joegr said:
Yes, those are all classic symptoms of a discharged battery. Why would you think it wasn't?
Why guess at it? Get a $10 voltmeter and you'll know this time and every time something like this happens later.
The battery (from your description) is not completely discharged, so it should still be okay. Connect a good battery charger and let it charge for several hours.
Click to expand...

can you recommend any good voltmeters, ive been searching online but i cant find any cheap ones, either just for the car battery, or for other electricals too like fuses,solenoids thanks
 
Lincoln Jealous said:
can you recommend any good voltmeters, ive been searching online but i cant find any cheap ones, either just for the car battery, or for other electricals too like fuses,solenoids thanks
Click to expand...

dont just get a voltmeter, get a digital multi-meter, DMM will do a lot more like voltage, amperage, resistance, and continuity, which you may need for different jobs, some will even do temp, and hertz.

i have a basic craftsman at home that is auto ranging for like $25-$30

if your new to using a digital multi-meter, i would definitely look into spending a few extra bucks for an auto ranging meter

it does a good job at home, but it no where near the fluke 179 i have at the shop
 
1LoudLS said:
...it does a good job at home, but it no where near the fluke 179 i have at the shop
Click to expand...

We use 189s. They're okay, but my bench meter at home is better. Of course, I preferred the Tektronix multi-meters, but they stopped making them years ago.
 
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