Battery issues

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Promark

Promark

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Hey guys

My problem Is that I'm going thru batteries quick. 2 batteries in 2 weeks!!!
I don't know what the problem is. I have to jump the car to get going. Big time waster

Any input?
 
More specific symptoms would be helpful. Does the brand new battery twirl the starter right over, and slowly get worse and worse? What brand and WHAT RATINGS of battery (cold crank amps/ amp-hour rating) and what is your engine build? A slant six needs far less starter than a 10:1 compression 440. Do you live on a really rough road? Are the batteries properly strapped down?




Either you have real bad luck with batteries, or you have an electrical problem

Some of them could be:

You have a drain in the car causing discharge when parked.

You have a charging system problem, and the alternator is not charging the battery

You have some wiring/ connection/ starter issue which is using way too much juice to start the car, or a cable/ bad starter that is masking the true problem

To start, first disconnect the ground cable of the battery with EVERYTHING shut off in the car. You might spend some time thinking and looking---is there some courtesy/ map/ trunk lamp "stuck on?"

Take a parts store 12V test lamp and put it in series with the disconnected battery cable. If it lights and stays lit, you have a drain you'll have to find.

IF that is OK, take the battery somewhere "who knows what they are doing" and have it charged and "load tested."

If that is OK, next check your charging system. Buy, beg, borrow or (other) get a multimeter. Run the car long enough to charge the battery after starting, and with all accessories off, check RIGHT AT the battery terminals with your meter. With the engine simulating low/ medium cruise RPM, you should measure somewhere around 13.5 -- 14.5 volts. Anything under this figure (13.5) you need to check out the charging system.

If that seems OK, time to look seriously at the battery cables. Are they clean, do they look deformed, as if chemical action (corrosion) has been going on inside? Clean and tighten all connections.

Then find someone to check "starter draw" This will require the same instrument used to "load test" the battery. It's a great big huge resistor known as a "carbon pile" You may have to pay someone to do this.
 
I agree with 67dart273, all good advice

I just want to mention that I have on occasion had to go through 2 or 3 "new" batteries until I found one that was any good, this problem usually occurs with store brand batteries like walmart or pepboys to name a few, not saying they are all bad as some of them lasted for years, just that I have much better luck with name brand batteries like DEKA or INTERSTATE for example
 
Well the batterie is interstate
And it doesn't even crank
I had just been driving it too
I parked for like 10mins came back and it was dead
 
Promark said:
Well the batterie is interstate
And it doesn't even crank
I had just been driving it too
I parked for like 10mins came back and it was dead
Click to expand...

I guess we'll have to get out the crowbar to get more information out of you

Define "it was dead." Did you have any lights/ dome/ radio?

If it was that "dead," either you bought it from a low-volume store and it's been sitting a long while (discharged) or you have something like a bad cable connection.

Does it click? does the solenoid "buzz?"

A battery that "went dead" in 10 minutes is almost impossible. If it simply went dead, that would be an incredibly large drain, and something should be smokin'

Last I knew, Interstate had a pretty good reputation. I would not be hasty to blame the battery
 
What sort of work as been done on the car? Are you sure the battery is dead? I had a bad starter that would click but not turn over...

Any aftermarket accessories such as stereo, amp, etc?

How about neutral safety switch?
 
No headlights. The car doesn't have a radio// the dash lights work but that's it.. It's all starter noise. My mechanic checked out both my alternator and my starter and said there still ok?
 
What a neutral safety switch?

The car looks like it has been wired for aftermatket radio and sub but there's none in the car...
Both interstate batterys have survived like a week each. At first headlights would dim then the car won't start
 
Promark said:
What a neutral safety switch?

The car looks like it has been wired for aftermatket radio and sub but there's none in the car...
Both interstate batterys have survived like a week each. At first headlights would dim then the car won't start
Click to expand...

Neutral safety won't cause what is happening here. That is the switch that only allows the car to start (if auto) in park or neutral

OK---if the mechanic has "cleared" your starter and alternator the most probable thing wrong is

SOMETHING DRAINING THE BATTERY

As I said earlier, unhook the negative (ground) battery cable. Make sure EVERYTHING in the car is off, and once again, use your HEAD. Make sure there is no trunk lite, map lite, etc, on, and put a test lamp in series between the ground cable and battery.

IT SHOULD NOT LIGHT. If it does, either you left something on in the car, or you have a DRAIN.

If you have no test lamp, get the cable connection in the dark (garage or near dark) and look for a small spark as you hook/ unhook/ try it again, hook/ unhook. A small spark also indicates a drain going on

If this is so indicated, remove fuses one at a time and see if it "goes away." If removing all fuses does not remove drain indication, I'd guess from the sound of things that it's time to find a good electrical mechanic.
 
So it looks like a bad wire connection from the alternator. Now the alternator is pitching in alot nore help when before the voltage output was drastically lower.. We shall see how the car drives....I also found out that the alternator is for a 440 and my motor is a 340. Is that possible?lol
 
I have had a similar issue with a drain in my Duster's electrical system. Simple solution until i rewire the engine compartment.... I went to Advance auto parts and bought a battery cut off switch. it mounts to the negative post and has a brass crossover bar like a handle and I just break the connection when the car is parked. My battery stays charged and charges when I drive the car so I do not worry about charging issues. i think the draw is from my stereo but not sure as of yet.
 
Remove the negative battery cable. Get a test light and stick it in the battery cable and clamp the clamp lead end to the negative battery post. If the battery has a draw, the test light will light. Position the test light so you can easily see it from the driver's door. Get at the fuse box and remove fuses one at a time until the light goes out. when you find the fuse that puts the light out, there is your affected circiut. If the light does not go out from the fues box, get under the hood and remove positive leads from the starter and alternator because it will probably be one of those if none of the fuses cuts the light out.
 
StrokerScamp said:
Remove the negative battery cable. Get a test light and stick it in the battery cable and clamp the clamp lead end to the negative battery post. If the battery has a draw, the test light will light. Position the test light so you can easily see it from the driver's door. Get at the fuse box and remove fuses one at a time until the light goes out. when you find the fuse that puts the light out, there is your affected circiut. If the light does not go out from the fues box, get under the hood and remove positive leads from the starter and alternator because it will probably be one of those if none of the fuses cuts the light out.
Click to expand...

Could 'ha swore I already posted this. It's easy, guys. Buy a test light. Buy or download the electrical diagram.
 
67Dart273 said:
Could 'ha swore I already posted this. It's easy, guys. Buy a test light. Buy or download the electrical diagram.
Click to expand...

Yeah you sorta did. I digress. I admit I was too lazy to read your whole post. I know. That's bad. You're dead right though. It's 3rd grade easy. what is it? 12 circiuts? If that?
 
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