Please help me think through this car battery problem. I have a new battery, but no car power. Details inside.
[more inside]
posted by griseus
on Jan 24, 2013 -
14 answers
Please help me determine what happened to my car recently - was it the battery, the alternator, or something else?
[more inside]
posted by schmoo
on Nov 12, 2012 -
12 answers
I have a brand new car battery. My car has some issue that is (still) draining the battery, after I already had a mechanic look at and fix what was supposedly the issue.
What can I do so that my battery doesn't go dead and get ruined over the winter while the car is idle?
[more inside]
posted by furious
on Oct 5, 2012 -
17 answers
How often do I really need to drive my car? (goal: keeping the battery charged, engine happy, etc.)
[more inside]
posted by dizziest
on Sep 11, 2012 -
17 answers
Bought my used 01 Toyota Camry from a dealership over a year and a half ago. Today they inspected the brakes and told me all pads need to be replaced + new brake fluid + powersteering fluid flush + resurfacing the rotors, and new battery. I have been taking this vehicle to same dealership for routine oil changes which include multi-point inspections, and only the battery was an issue in the past. Am I wrong to think that after just over a year and a half I shouldn't need so much work done- should I complain and write a letter, or is this to be expected with a used vehicle?
[more inside]
posted by biograd08
on Jul 14, 2012 -
20 answers
Question about jump-starting a car: why did my neighbor absolutely insist I ground the negative clamp... to the battery? That seems unwise.
[more inside]
posted by subject_verb_remainder
on Dec 29, 2011 -
27 answers
I have a 1979 Ford F100, which once belonged to my father. Since he passed away, it's served as a backup vehicle for an array of relatives, and now it's my turn. Yesterday, I got into the truck and turned the key, and I heard a single "clunk" (not a click-click-click), as if something started moving and then froze up. I tried again, with the same result. The next time, I got a kind of whirring sound, like something spinning free. It's a continuous whirring, rather than a series of attempts to catch. Lights and radio work fine. Jumping it didn't help. I didn't try to roll it off, because I'm loathe to leave it at the bottom of the hill in my slighty sketchy neighborhood; I'll probably try that this weekend, when I can get some help. The battery is relatively new. It started easily up until yesterday.
[more inside]
posted by steambadger
on Mar 15, 2011 -
10 answers
Asking for a friend: "I've got a 2005 Corolla. That year/make is one of those selectively affected by the Toyota recall re: random stalling. I never received a notice that my car was affected, but I did buy (and transfer the title) fairly recently. Anyway, my car stalled--basically on the highway at rush hour..."
[more inside]
posted by fiercecupcake
on Dec 29, 2010 -
10 answers
Yesterday my car started fine, but today the engine wouldn't crank even once. What caused my car battery to fail so suddenly and without warning?
[more inside]
posted by cosmic.osmo
on May 26, 2010 -
18 answers
Does leaving my phone's car charger plugged in to the car at all times significantly drain my car's battery?
[more inside]
posted by Vorteks
on May 20, 2010 -
22 answers
How can I get a really really big rechargable "laptop battery"? Thinking 12-24 hours worth of charge on a laptop that can drain a high-cap battery in 1 - 1.5 hours.
[more inside]
posted by weasel
on Feb 12, 2010 -
14 answers
Used hybrid cars and their batteries. I want to buy a used hybrid in the US, looking at '04-'07 Toyota Priuses and Honda Civic Hybrids. Looking for your experiences with these cars, things to look out for, driving in winter conditions, and especially any solid info about the service life (yrs/mileage) of the hybrid battery.
[more inside]
posted by LobsterMitten
on Jan 22, 2010 -
18 answers
(Probably) really basic car question: my car is taking longer to start than it used to. Battery problem or something else?
[more inside]
posted by bunny hugger
on Jan 5, 2010 -
22 answers
Dead car battery, cable isn't long enough to reach - but I have another cable. Can I combine the two?
[more inside]
posted by ORthey
on Dec 30, 2009 -
24 answers
Help us diagnose our Ford F150: what could be draining down the (new) battery overnight? We're suddenly seeing apparent battery drainage in our pickup truck, a 1994 Ford F150. Though the truck starts up fine, the dashboard battery gauge reads low immediately upon ignition, the windshield wipers are sluggish, and the dashboard lights are dim. We thought the old battery was likely dying, so we had it replaced with a new battery... but that hasn't solved the problem.
[more inside]
posted by Elsa
on Dec 19, 2009 -
28 answers
I just changed my car's old dead battery with a new, just purchased one following the directions
here. Even though I clamped the connectors down hard enough that I can't move either of them, the car seems to be completely dead --- it doesn't appear to be getting any power whatsoever. Any ideas what could be wrong?
[more inside]
posted by jacobm
on Aug 19, 2009 -
23 answers
How can I recharge my nearly-completely-drained car battery so that it will work long enough to drive it to get crushed? I'm hoping to avoid buying a brand new battery just to have it crushed.
[more inside]
posted by brenton
on Jun 8, 2009 -
30 answers
Engine is turning over slowly and I think it might be the battery. Affordable way to check this myself or just take it into the garage?
[more inside]
posted by scarello
on May 29, 2009 -
31 answers
Car with a dead battery (sorta). I want to sell it immediately. Will I be better off selling it to a used car dealer or on Craigslist? If the former, can anyone recommend a dealer in Seattle?
[more inside]
posted by carpyful
on May 28, 2009 -
14 answers
I have sulfuric acid, de-ionized water, and basic lab equipment. Can I revive my crappy car battery?
[more inside]
posted by scose
on Feb 23, 2009 -
18 answers
My relatively new car battery (~1 yo) seems to be giving me some troubles. Is this a sign of a weak battery or something more serious?
[more inside]
posted by pilibeen
on Nov 19, 2008 -
10 answers
The "battery not charging" light on my dash went on; the mechanic told me I need a new alternator. Now the "battery not charging" light has turned itself off again. Does this mean my battery is, in fact, charging?
[more inside]
posted by fermion
on Sep 26, 2008 -
6 answers
I live in a busy downtown area with street cleaning every other night. As such, I am required to move the car each night, and sometimes end up parking it on a street that is notorious for car theft/etc. Lately, somebody has been somehow popping my hood, wrenching off the battery cover, and stealing my car battery.
[more inside]
posted by prior
on Sep 25, 2008 -
8 answers
I don't really use my car much in the winter but I park it outdoors. How do I maximize its chances of survival?
[more inside]
posted by shothotbot
on Dec 30, 2007 -
7 answers
I have a 1995 Ford Thunderbird in NYC/upper Manhattan. I suspect my battery is dead. Where can I get it replaced?
[more inside]
posted by ofthestrait
on Oct 24, 2007 -
5 answers
A friend and I were charging the battery of a 2001 Honda Odyssey. He attached the cables to the wrong terminals of the dead battery. How much damage might we have done?
[more inside]
posted by torticat
on Jun 10, 2007 -
8 answers
My car dies periodically and the shop tinkers with it (starter, alternator, battery, etc.) but my mechanic has opined that part of the problem may be that I don't drive it enough. Does anyone have any experience with trickle chargers?
[more inside]
posted by Morrigan
on May 7, 2007 -
31 answers
Do car remote entry clickers have batteries, or are they passively activated by a field generated by the car?
[more inside]
posted by qslack
on Dec 10, 2005 -
11 answers
I have a 2002 Elantra which will not start. I've jumped the battery, it ran for 3 days, and now its refusing to start again, in the same manner as before. I'm trying to remove the battery to have it tested, help!
[more inside]
posted by mhuckaba
on Oct 2, 2005 -
11 answers
This question spurred another: When jumping a dead battery, do you attach the cables to the positive node of the dead battery or the live battery first?
[more inside]
posted by rhapsodie
on May 5, 2005 -
8 answers
How long can you drive a car with a broken alternator with a freshly charged battery? [more inside]
[more inside]
posted by rdr
on Jan 3, 2004 -
11 answers
