battery/alternator troubleshooting

dcarrb · #1 06-21-2005, 10:16 AM

So my battery died without warning, last Friday afternoon. The car started on the first lick when I left work and when I went to re-start it at a service station 20 minutes later, it was as dead as could be. I put in a new battery that evening and drove it about 20 miles without trouble. Put a charger on it the next day and it almost immediately indicated a full charge.

My mechanic gave the car a once-over yesterday and declared the charging system healthy, but I didn't like the expression on his face. Said what I described seems odd, and I agree. No reluctant starts, no lights brightening with throttle, no warning light, nothing. "Sounds like a bad connection," he said, seconding the opinion of the guy who sold me the battery. A similar thing happened to me with a Legacy a few years ago: Stuck in standstill traffic, I shut-off engine to save fuel, turned the key five minutes later and got not even a click. No light that time, either, but the alternator was deemed toast by the same fellow who checked the car yesterday.

My mechanic knows his stuff and has never steered me wrong, so when he seems a bit troubled, I'm troubled. What do y'all think?

dcb

thundering02 · #2 06-21-2005, 11:28 AM

Me thinks..... Alternator wiring upgrade and call it a day.

Beav · #3 06-21-2005, 01:48 PM

When you say "dead as can be" do you mean you had no lights, radio, etc? Or just that it wouldn't crank?

dcarrb · #4 06-21-2005, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beav

When you say "dead as can be" do you mean you had no lights, radio, etc? Or just that it wouldn't crank?

Nothing. Not enough juice to honk the horn. Pressing the horn button caused the barely-lit dome light to go out. I had to depress the shift lock button to move the gear selector to neutral. Tried jump-starting, but even after several minutes the engine would barely turn over. The "donor" battery's terminals were pretty grungy, but still. This after a 20-minute drive and a couple of minutes at idle (AC and stereo blasting), waiting for a space at the gas pumps. With the new battery she fired on the first hit, as always. It's as if the battery (the age of which I did not know) suffered some bolt-from-the-blue, catastrophic failure while I was inside settling-up at the cash register.

No warning light nor any other hint of batt/alt troubles before or since.

dcb

Beav · #5 06-21-2005, 02:43 PM

I agree, it sounds like a bad connection or battery. Any problem since?

dcarrb · #6 06-21-2005, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beav

I agree, it sounds like a bad connection or battery. Any problem since?

None. (BTW, the old battery terminals were clean and corrosion-free.) What would cause a battery to fail this way?

I actually have 4 gauge cable, solder, and gold plated ring lugs for the alternator wiring upgrade; just one of 101 things I've never gotten around to doing. Seems I read it's wise to include a fusible link in the positive lead. Opinions?

Oh, and thanks for the feedback.

dcb