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Car question

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jester8589
Posts: 346 - Karma: 15
so my problems started about a week ago. after a very cold night my car wouldnt start. tried to jump the car and it didnt work. so i decided to take it to an auto parts store to be checked out. they said the bettery is good and they charged it right on up for me. i put the battery back in the car and the car started no problem. i probably started the car four five times till i tried to start it again and it didnt start. called my roommate to come give me a jump. well the jump worked and i drove home and let my car run for about a half hour. again the car started four five times and now this afternoon it wouldnt start again. the battery is back from febuary of '06 so it is about five years old. i live in northern minnesota so it gets quite cold every year. so I'm thinking either the battery needs to be replaced or something is wrong with my alternator. what are my chances a new battery will fix my problem?
Dec 16 2010 8:36PM
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ryano
Posts: 4465 - Karma: 1,535
the battery might be bad.

or the alternator could be out too.

otherwise, in really cold weather the starter might freeze up and tapping it with a hammer will make it start too.

my guess is the alternator..

Dec 16 2010 8:38PM
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MAPLE_SYRUP
Posts: 1910 - Karma: 68
What about checking the wires that run to the battery? they often get corroded out where they meet metal on metal. You may also want to check if any of the wires have been damaged by pinching.

Fresh gas and a clean air filter is never a bad way to go either
Dec 16 2010 8:38PM
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jmoney35
Posts: 112 - Karma: 21
summary:

car wouldnt start, took it to shop. fixed, then broke again. and again. and again. now should he just get a new battery, or is it the alternator?
Dec 16 2010 8:40PM
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jester8589
Posts: 346 - Karma: 15
since youre not interested in reading the whole thing i feel you will not have the interest in cars required to give me a good answer.
Dec 16 2010 8:40PM
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jester8589
Posts: 346 - Karma: 15
well the reason i ask is because this is so confusing. how many times would i be able to start a car on a battery that isnt charging? would my friends car have charged my battery enough to start it three to four times alone? or do we think that the alternator is working just not charging as much as it should?
Dec 16 2010 10:52PM
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dylan.r.1080
Posts: 161 - Karma: 10
another thing you can try is put it in gear and roll the car a little bit.
Dec 16 2010 11:06PM
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jester8589
Posts: 346 - Karma: 15
yeah i used to do this back when i had a manual car but unfortunately this one is an automatic.
Dec 16 2010 11:08PM
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MEGAZORD
Posts: 4531 - Karma: -7
What kind of car would be a start.
Dec 16 2010 11:09PM
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MEGAZORD
Posts: 4531 - Karma: -7
Also, look at the battery. There should be a CCA rating. What is it?
Dec 16 2010 11:09PM
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Inbred_Redneck
Posts: 2776 - Karma: 28
Your battery is five years old. Get a new one.
Dec 16 2010 11:49PM
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H8CH
Posts: 2709 - Karma: 218
This-new battery and you'll be golden.
Dec 16 2010 11:51PM
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user098123
Posts: 6072 - Karma: 18
Ya whether it is the battery or the alternator, you need a new battery. Five years old in Minnesota winters? You are just asking for trouble with that.

Get a new batter, preferably with one that has high CCA (cold crank amperage I think) and then see if that fixes it.
Dec 16 2010 11:51PM
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MEGAZORD
Posts: 4531 - Karma: -7
Depends on the motor though. He wont need 800cca if he has a little 4banger. I do agree though, the battery is old. It still might put out 14v, but the amperage is shot.
Dec 16 2010 11:53PM
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zerospinskier
Posts: 4867 - Karma: 350
Yeah, your battery can definitely be worn out pretty good after almost 5 years. Napa has pretty good deals on their branded batteries. Go check those out. It could be the alternator, but it is probably the battery.
Dec 16 2010 11:56PM
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MEGAZORD
Posts: 4531 - Karma: -7
Easy way to check the alternator is to just let it run. If it loses electrical power mid run, its the alternator.
Dec 16 2010 11:58PM
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pomme-de-terre
Posts: 3915 - Karma: 703
does the car make any grinding/screeching noises? usually alternators dont die quietly, if it is the alternator you will be able to hear it dying.


if you dont hear and concerning noises its almost definately just your battery, i would go buy/borrow a new one.
Dec 17 2010 12:03AM
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MEGAZORD
Posts: 4531 - Karma: -7
Thats only if the bearing is going. When one of the windings cracks/unsolders itself due to the cold, it will just stop working.
Dec 17 2010 12:05AM
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dylan.r.1080
Posts: 161 - Karma: 10
yea i have had a couple die quietly. get a multi meter and test it. problem solved.
Dec 17 2010 12:12AM
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jester8589
Posts: 346 - Karma: 15
well i let the car run for about a half hour just idling and it didnt die. the car is '99 subaru forester S so it is a four banger. it hasnt made any noises though so im feeling hopeful about the $90 battery fixing the problem.
Dec 17 2010 12:47AM
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japanada
Posts: 13784 - Karma: 1,957
when it is dead, does the starter click just ONE time, or is it more of a click click click click ect. If its the later, def the battery, if its one click only, start checking your alternator and poss starter.
Dec 17 2010 12:54AM
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MEGAZORD
Posts: 4531 - Karma: -7
What does this have to do with the alternator? The amount of clicks has nothing to do with the alternator. All the alternator does is maintain the battery voltage while the car is running.
Dec 17 2010 9:30AM
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Mr.Luke
Posts: 2441 - Karma: 166

whenever a person makes a thread about a car question, I say the same thing

call 888-CAR-TALK

that's  888-227-8275

Dec 17 2010 10:37AM
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Skittle.
Posts: 2537 - Karma: 718
haha this. and make sure to ask um how to get to chads gap from the bottom of alta
Dec 17 2010 10:46AM
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Mezmerize19
Posts: 6475 - Karma: 18
Its not a Diesel is it?
Dec 17 2010 10:47AM
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jester8589
Posts: 346 - Karma: 15
haha awesome
Dec 17 2010 10:51AM
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PASKIINGSUCKS
Posts: 9097 - Karma: 777
New battery for sure, your car will die when running if it's the alternator most times.

Buy a multimeter and leave it in your car with your tools, you do have tools in your car right?? Hell I don't know all the ins and outs but I can use one to check voltage.

Also like said before make sure and scrape/sand the insides of your contacts before you put em on the battery. I've seen batteries with hardly any corrosion start after just wiggling the contacts.
Dec 17 2010 10:57AM
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
it sounds like your alternator is shitting out to me. if you charge it up and then it works for a while before dying, then that would lead me to believe that your alternator is not recharging your battery while it is running. so after four or five starts, you've successfully sucked all of the juice out of your battery as it is not being replenished.

i only briefly skimmed the posts, so if this has already been said, my apologies for the repeat.


Dec 17 2010 11:34AM
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WikiWiki
Posts: 5584 - Karma: 426
easy fix- sounds like your carbs are flooding your u-joint

heres what I would do

remove alternator

Click for larger image

replace it with a bigger one- preferably with a new a new Borg & Warner EFR series with tungsten compressor wheel for ultimate juice

Click for larger image

then your gonna want to add a new battery- my vote is for the same one in the chevy volt- great battery

Click for larger image

after that your going to want to spray co2 on your intercooler-

Click for larger image

get some nice reps

Click for larger image

and there you have it problem fixed





Dec 17 2010 11:56AM
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freestyle016
Posts: 119 - Karma: 14
btw if u leave your car and start it as a cold start the fuel lines can freeze if its really cold like -10 without wind chill. due to the water droplets freezing in the fuel lines. europe way of heating it up is use vodka but i wouldnt advise it !  otherwise alternator not working to charge the battery
Dec 17 2010 12:05PM
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