Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with car and battery

drain on Ford F150's new battery?

Elsa — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 11:27:29 -0800

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. (I'm posting this for my husband, who drives the truck. Here is the problem in his words.)

It's a 1994 Ford F150 pickup. Two days ago, the battery light came on and the battery gauge on the dash was at the low end of the meter when I started the truck after work (it had been sitting for about 9 hours). I assumed it was a bad battery, so I had the battery replaced at a chain auto place.

Everything seemed fine until I got out of work that night (after the truck had been sitting for about 9 hours) and the problem was exactly the same. The alternator seems to be working, as the battery gauge goes up to where it belongs if I let the truck run for about 20 minutes. There are no lights left on (glovebox, dome light, etc). It seems that, when the truck is off, something is drawing power from the battery.

When the gauge is low, the dash lights dim, and the windshield wipers are slow and sluggish. When it's charged back up, everything is normal again.

While I'm letting the truck idle to charge up the battery, the gauge will go up slightly if I rev the engine, but goes back down when I take my foot off the gas. Once it's fully charged again, revving the engine has no effect.

Both before and after getting the battery replaced, the truck started up just fine (no problem at all), even though the battery light came on and the battery gauge was low.

Once the battery is charged up again, turning the truck off for ten minutes-a half hour has no effect; the battery is still charged normally after that length of time.

We'll be taking it in to the mechanic on Monday, but with holiday errands and visits pressing, we'd love to get a headstart on the diagnostics over the weekend.

Some specific questions

1. Aside from the things we've checked (dome light, glovebox light, ashtray light, radio), what could be draining down the battery while the truck is off? Especially, do you know of any idiosyncratic drainage problems with the Ford F150? (We're also checking the forums on a Ford-specific board, but any hints would be helpful.)

2. Are there any simple home diagnostic tests we could make? Again, anything specific to the Ford F150 would be useful, but not necessary.

The fact that the truck starts normally (that is, readily and vigorously) seems to make this a different question than previous AskMe questions (which all seem to include a car that won't turn over) about a drained battery or dying alternator... or am I wrong? If the alternator is faulty, would the car be starting normally?

Mazda3 won't start, don't think it's the battery. What could be wrong?

misskaz — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 10:46:30 -0800

My 2004 Mazda3 hatchback with about 20,000 miles on it won't start. It was last driven across the street to move for street cleaning on Wednesday with no problems. We just got in the car to go somewhere and it won't start. As you can tell by the mileage, we don't drive it a ton - mostly once or twice a week to get groceries or go to Target or something.

Symptoms:
1. Battery appears to be ok - all lights and accessories come on, remote entry works, etc.
2. When I first turned the key it made several strange clunks and clicks. All the dash lights flashed. Did NOT ever turn over. Subsequent attempts just make a loud click. Personally I think it sounds like more than just the battery clicking but maybe it's just really loud in this car. (To me, when the battery doesn't have enough juice to turn the starter, it makes a light "tick" sound, but this sounds more like a louder "clack" or "clunk" sound to me. Or I could be crazy.)

It has been really rainy for a few weeks now and the car is parked on the street. The tank is about half-full. I made sure it was in Park (automatic transmission).

Any thoughts about what this could be or things we can try to get it to start so we don't have to tow it to a mechanic? Are we missing something obvious to check? We live in an apartment and do not have a garage so getting under the car is difficult, but we do have some tools and are willing to poke around if there are simple things to try.

How many amps do I need to start my car?

Solomon — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:21:29 -0800

Please educate me on car battery technology. I was looking for a new battery for my car, but the company I've decided to get it from has three different batteries available that will suit my car - a standard lead acid battery, a calcium battery and a silver battery.

I've been looking at the various different specifications, and it seems that the silvery battery is best. Money isn't a problem. However, I'm concerned about spending money on something that's not worth it.

Is having 160 extra startup amps (between the standard and silver batteries) really going to make a difference? What about in cold, damp weather? I think that the temperature of a battery makes a difference to how much energy it can produce - would buying the stronger battery mean that it can output more electricity at lower temperatures?

I'm pretty clueless about this kind of thing, so please feel free to educate me.

What went wrong when I tried to replace my car battery?

jacobm — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:28:41 -0800

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? Long extended explanation, just in case people are interested / think there's a larger problem:

We have two cars, and one of them hardly ever gets used. Last time I used it was in May, after it had been sitting unused for probably several months. When I left home, it had trouble starting up (but ran fine once it started); and I needed a jump to get it started coming back. I tried to start it again the next day, and it wouldn't start.

So I ignored the problem until today. Tried to start it up again, and got some lights to turn on, but the engine wouldn't go. I jumped it with the good car, and it ran fine; I let it run for about 40 minutes (with the engine running above idle for at least 15 minutes that time). Then I turned the car off and immediately on again, but it still didn't start --- if anything, it seemed more dead than before.

I concluded the battery couldn't hold a charge, so I went and bought a new one. I followed the directions, but the car is now completely unresponsive; I see no evidence that it's drawing any power whatsoever.

I'm assuming I installed the battery incorrectly. Does that sound plausible, and if so what should I do about it? If not, what should I try instead?

Charge a really dead battery, even if it damages the battery.

brenton — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 21:32:07 -0800

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. My car qualifies for a $1,000 rebate if I crush it, due to some "gross polluter" laws. To qualify, I have to drive it to the crusher under it's own power, and it has to demonstrate that it can start up and run on its own. But I've been letting it sit unused for months. Battery worked before, but now it's dead. I tried jumping it, with the hope that after a 45 minute drive to the dismantlers, it would be charged up enough to start again.

But even revving at 3,000 rpm, I could barely get it to turn over once! And the jumper cables were hot after-wards!

I have to do this on Saturday, or I won't ever get to do it. Is there a tricky way to charge a battery, maybe a way that will ultimately destroy it but will work for a week or two? Can I get some old AC adapter and use it as a trickle charger? How much voltage can I run through it? If I overcharge it overnight, will the battery explode in my room?

Cheapest way for me to diagnose car troubles.

scarello — Fri, 29 May 2009 06:43:17 -0800

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? The other day, I went to start my 2002 Toyota echo, and the engine had a really slow turn over before it finally started. I notice if I give it a bit of gas, it starts right away. No check engine or battery lights come on while driving around town. From the research I have been doing, it seems to suggest either the battery or the alternator. My wife bought the car used 3 years ago, so there is a good chance it is the original battery, so i am leaning toward a dying battery. Is there a cheap way to figure this out? I don't own a battery charger or a voltmeter, and am trying to figure out if it's cheaper to just have the dealer check it out when we bring the car in for an oil change tomorrow or pick up some items at the auto store and test it myself tonight (and get some tools in the process). Suggestions?

Selling a dead battery car: Dealership or Craigslist?

carpyful — Thu, 28 May 2009 23:23:17 -0800

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? So when I first moved to Seattle, I bought a used car ('95 Mitsubishi Mirage) for $1300. I just needed a jalopy to get me from point A to point B -- or so I thought. It turns out, I don't really need a car at all. So the car has just been sitting around, with me driving it around every couple of days to make sure the battery doesn't die.

As it happens, I kept procrastinating moving the car around and now the battery is dead. Even though I got it jumped (and had the battery checked by AAA), I don't drive the car nearly enough to hold the charge and it's just a hassle now.

Really, all I want now is to sell the car quickly and without hassle... but I don't want to get completely fleeced.

Will I be better off selling it to a dealer or putting it on Craigslist as a car with a dead battery? It seems like both options are equal, hassle-wise. Which do you think will get me more money? If the former, can you recommend a place in Seattle that buys used cars? .. and assuming the car is in slightly below average condition, what's a reasonable price to ask for / expect?

Help me just get this over with, please.

It's Alive!!!!

scose — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 15:47:09 -0800

I have sulfuric acid, de-ionized water, and basic lab equipment. Can I revive my crappy car battery? My battery holds very little charge. A couple of days ago, I left the radio on in my driveway for about one minute and the car wouldn't start when I got back. If I let it sit for more than a few days, it's iffy whether it will start.

Is there anything I can do, like drain out all the fluids and put in a new sulfuric acid solution? Or should I just purchase a new battery?

Also, don't worry about giving me safety advice. I know how scary H2SO4 is, but I'm a broke student and could do without spending ~$100 on a battery!

Car battery woes

pilibeen — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:09:17 -0800

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? Ever since the weather started cooling down, I've been having some issues starting my car. Sometimes I'll turn the key and just hear a click, turn it again - click, turn it again then it'll slowly crank and eventually start. Sometimes it takes me as many as 4 or 5 turns of the key to get the thing actually cranking. It has never failed to start on me yet.

Once I'm out driving it seems fine. It'll start up fine on the first turn. It's only when the engine is completely cold that I have this issue.

The battery is only about a year old, and I'm not sure why it would start giving me problems. And why would it seem to go from not even to cranking, to eventually turning over and starting? Could this be something other than the battery? How should I go about figuring out what the issue is? I'm trying to do this on a tight budget...

Thanks

How accurate is this dashboard light?

fermion — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:38:47 -0800

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? After a couple-of-thousand-mile road trip, I left my mid-90's Honda Civic unused for a few weeks. When I started it again, the "battery not charging" light on the dash was on. Two different mechanics concluded that the alternator was shot (I went for a second opinion, since I just had the alternator replaced last year.) I opted not to replace it immediately, and on the drive home the "battery not charging" light went off again.

Could this mean something that came loose in the alternator has temporarily shaken itself back into place? I know the alternator probably still needs replacing, but I'm wondering if I can safely use the car for short trips until/unless the battery light comes on again.

Extra bonus question: how long can I put off replacing the alternator if I get a solar trickle charger?

How can I prevent my car battery from being stolen?

prior — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 22:42:57 -0800

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. Short of taking the battery with me or locking it in the trunk each night, how can I prevent this from happening in the future? Is there a way I can lock the battery in, or lock the hood down?

The car is a 2001 Toyota Corolla, and there aren't any obvious places on the hood/w/in the engine where I can attach a lock and chain.

Battery problems: my fault or the car's?

phoenixy — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 14:44:33 -0800

Dead battery--is there a problem with my car? I picked up my car yesterday from the body shop, where it had been for about two weeks for some work on the bumper/trunk/taillight, and my boyfriend drove it to the car rental place (about a mile) to drive me back when I returned the car. When we returned to the car it wouldn't start--the car beeped and lights flashed but the engine didn't do anything. We got a jump and my boyfriend drove it around town for about an hour (radio off, headlights and wipers on--hey, I didn't *choose* to get a dead battery at night in the rain during rush hour). He mentioned that the brake warning light on the dash went on about 45 minutes into the drive, as did the ABS light--Google seems to indicate this can be due to a low battery.

This morning, the battery is even deader than it was when I needed the jump (no beeping and flashing when I try to start it, just sadly flickering lights).

The battery is about two years old. The car exhibited no problems before I took it to the body shop. I'm pretty new to car ownership and not that knowledgeable about cars.

Does it make sense to take the car to a shop and having them look at it? Or did we just not do a good enough job charging the battery? Is it normal for a battery to die a second time after the car was driven for an hour? I don't want to waste money at the shop if nothing's wrong and don't want to waste one of my four AAA calls and time driving around if it won't fix the problem.

Why won't my car start?

torpark — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:45:37 -0800

Why won't my car start? I have a 94 Toyota Camry. When I put the key in and turn it over, I get nothing but a click from under the hood. I've replaced the alternator, the battery, and the starter twice.

The car used to do this occasionally when I would start it, stop it, and try to restart it in a short time period, such as getting out to fill up my gas tank. I took it to an electrical shop, and naturally they couldn't reproduce the problem.

Now it doesn't even turn over at all. All the dash lights are on like normal, no fuse warnings or idiot lights. When I turn the key, the panels dim, and we just get a click from the starter. No cranking. Just turn-click. Turn-click.

Any ideas? What can I do? I really need this car to work tomorrow.

Don't make me call CarTalk.

drpynchon — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 21:51:30 -0800

Help with my friend's car trouble... So I got a call from a friend with this: 1 month ago her car engine failed to start. She turned the key, the lights went on, the engine sounded like it was going to turn over appropriately then she just kept hearing a recurring screech from the the thing and it wouldn't start. At that point her battery and spark plugs were only 6 months old (this is a 2003 Toyota Solara I think).

She called AAA to get it towed and the guy that came ran diagnostics on site after attaching electrodes to her battery. He said the battery was surprisingly underpowered given its relative youth, gave her a receipt with some metric of the batteries inadequacy and juiced it up with his gadget, apparently buying her a week of time. It started without trouble.

She took it the next day to a mechanic who thought the alternator was busted and he replaced both the alternator and the battery. From there the car started and ran fine until today. Now it's doing the same thing it was a month ago. Engine rumbles but fails to fully start.

Any ideas? Also, is she entitled to ask for repairs of the problem without being charged an arm and a leg? She paid almost $500 for the work done last time.

Car Wont Start

slowtree — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 15:00:34 -0800

My Car wont start, It just clicks when i try and eventually stops doing anything! My wife has a 98 Mustang. He car sat for a few weeks in cold weather while we where out of town. We tried to start it but the battery was completely dead. We then tried to jump it but all we got where loud clicks. I took the battery to the Auto Parts store where they confirmed that it was completely dead, said most likely something was draining it (thanks auto part store guy). They charged it for an hour i brought it home and put it back in the car. Tried to start it and got clicks......then nothing, it was completely dead again (no lights, auto lock, open car door chime even died slowly and painfully) What else could it be? There where no issues trying to start it before?

Car electrical problems.

mzurer — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 16:06:58 -0800

Can I diagnose my electrical problems with a small multi-meter? A few days ago, I drove a few miles to my friend's house, and when I went to start the car after 20 minutes, the battery was dead. AAA came and jumped it, and the guy with the charger declared it was not the alternator - after he got it running, the meter on the charger showed there was juice going where it should be, apparently. Then last night it would not start again - I was able to use my little charger to get it going, but only after letting the portable charger get really juiced up.

The battery is less than a year old. Is there any way to test to see if it is not charging up as much as it should be with a small radio shack multimeter? Today I drove 22 miles, hung out for an hour, and then drove the same distance back - Should it be fully charged at this point? Can I detect if anything is actively draining it?

start my engine, metafilter

shothotbot — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 05:50:30 -0800

I don't really use my car much in the winter but I park it outdoors. How do I maximize its chances of survival? I have a 2002 Jeep and free outdoor parking at work (Southern Connecticut) so I would like to just leave it there. Despite the self-evident soundness of this strategy, last year the battery died so much that it would not take a charge and had to be replaced.

How should I take care of my car this winter so that I can use it again in the spring? Assume handyman quotient is about zero. I can jump a car with great trepidation, but thats about it.

NYC car battery replacement?

ofthestrait — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 10:59:53 -0800

I have a 1995 Ford Thunderbird in NYC/upper Manhattan. I suspect my battery is dead. Where can I get it replaced? Here's the full story: I have a 95 t-bird with an aftermarket alarm system. After moving it for street cleaning the other day, my friend tried to turn the car on and roll down the window. You have to press a green button on the keyfob to disengage the alarm system, and nothing was happening when I pressed the button. However, when we tried to just close the door, the alarm system would start up, but choppily, like it was on a battery that was dead. So we pop the hood and the terminals on the battery are all gunked up with what I assume is acid? I had to run to class, so to solve the problem I just disconnected the portion of the alarm system that makes noise (which is literally a small loudspeaker attached to some part of my engine), closed the door, whatever.

Today I went and cleaned off the negative terminal with some steel wool (although I couldn't get the damn thing off the actual battery). And now when I press the green alarm button, the lock/unlock on the door actually pops up and down, so I think that part is working, but the car still won't start or even turn over and the window won't roll up (it's like halfway). The battery was installed in March 2002 so I guess it's due for a new battery. Problem is, I can't move the car, and I don't really have the tools to get the terminal off so I can't replace the battery myself. Is there some service that will just come over to where I am (116th/Amsterdam) and install a new battery? Or can someone recommend a place nearby that can tow my car and pop a new battery in? Preferably inexpensively, but I'm more concerned about making sure my car works.

Second question: any idea how much it would cost to remove/disable the alarm system? It's really a pain in the ass with how temperamental is, and I'd rather just use the Club or something.

Thanks in advance.

What is wrong with the MIGHTY MERCURY?

ForeverDcember — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 11:35:30 -0800

What is going on with my 1998 Mercury Sable? I have a 1998 Mercury Sable with about 78,000 miles on it. Lately, and very, very randomly I have had a problem. Every once in a while (and only when it rains) I will back out of my parking place at work at 5:30pm and get to the stop sign when the battery light comes on and the steering locks up. The radio and air conditioner are still on and the engine is still running. After about a 45 seconds (long enough for me to curse and say "what is going on here.. rawr!") the light goes off and I can steer/drive again like normal. No other issues with the car. Less than 150 miles ago we had a full check up done on it with no issues. Any ideas as to what is going on? The car is running fine otherwise. This only happens about once every other week and ONLY when it rains (weird and probably not relevant). Thanks in advance for all the help :)

how far can i drive on my dying battery?

foxinthesnow — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 18:08:21 -0800

After jump-starting a dead car battery, how far can I expect to be able to drive it? My car (a 2003 Jetta, the worst car in the history of all cars) stopped working yesterday. The battery is dead, but I was able to jump it and start it. Unable to secure a ride from the repair shop to my home, I had to leave it in the parking lot of my job, which is about 15 miles south of where I need it to be. While 15 miles is really not that far, these 15 miles happen to be through the highly congested, stop-and-go, mean surface streets of Detroit and its suburbs, and I fully expect the drive to take 45 minutes. And it is so hot here. Do you think my car will make it without shutting down? Am I better off to just have it towed?

What's the damage?

torticat — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 22:50:50 -0800

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? There were no immediately observable results from this screw-up except that the horn went off when the last cable was attached. No explosion (thank God), no smoke. But the battery certainly doesn't show any interest in charging now.

I'm pretty sure we (at least) blew the battery fuse. Changing that out didn't seem to help, though. Googling doesn't give much info besides "please don't try this on my car" and "attaching the cables to the wrong terminals can cause irreparable damage to the battery and other parts." (What does that mean?)

So--I'll get a mechanic to look at it tomorrow, of course. But I'd like to know, from any of you mechanically minded mefites--what's the possible damage? Thanks.

Broke down in Berkeley.

sophist — Thu, 24 May 2007 16:57:05 -0800

My car won't start. The car is a 1990 Subaru Loyale. Its been sitting around mostly unusued throughout the year because I have been in school. I try to start it up and drive it around every few weeks, but today when I went to give it a go it just wasn't happening.

It makes the "chu-chu-chu-chu" sound alright, the radio works and the fan blows air, but it won't turn over. The battery gauge shows the level somewhere around 1/3 charge. Does it just need a jump, or is it more likely to be something like the starter?

Vicious circle

Morrigan — Mon, 07 May 2007 09:05:01 -0800

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? I don't drive it in part because it is unreliable; it is unreliable in part because I don't drive it.

Any other suggestions besides the obvious one of driving it more?

Should I buy a solar trickle charger?

Mid — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 20:34:42 -0800

Car battery solar trickle charger -- fact or fiction? So I don't drive for like 2 weeks at a time. In the winter, this means dead battery. Googling around indicates that there are these solar "trickle charger" devices sit on your dash, plug into your lighter socket, and slowly charge your battery. Has anyone actually used one of these things? Did it work? I'm skeptical.

Example here.

Help with car battery

DieHipsterDie — Fri, 11 Aug 2006 18:37:33 -0800

Help with my car battery. My car battery died. I went out and bought a new one. Hooking it up now causes sparks at the terminal and a set of wires behind the battery spark and start to smoke. The wires are by the fusable links.

I'm hooking it up exactly the same way the old one was installed. Positive to positive and negative to negative.

What they hey is going on?