Good battery drained by car

[sparkplug619]

Ok I just picked up my new 1990 grey targa yesterday. one of the problems it is having is that the battery keeps dying.

I swapped the battery out with a battery I am pretty sure is still good. I charged it up for a good 3 hours and it worked all day yesterday. It started up perfectly fine in the morning, I drove to the store, cut it off and it was done.

On top of that, it took an integra AND an emergency charger to jump it, drove it home and as soon as i cut it off it was as if there wasnt even a battery plugged in. got out and checked the cables, they were good and tight.

I may be wrong but it sounds like more then a bad battery

 

[hvyman]

check your alternator.

 

[sparkplug619]

check your alternator.

Im replacing the alternator with one i know works... get this, My positive battery cable is blazing hot and the car hasnt been touched for about 2 hours... any idea????

 

[sparkplug619]

problem solved thank you

 

[tweak666]

what was the problem? was it the alternator?

 

[johnsf32]

Just start the car and take out the battery if car dies it the alternator

 

[MA70Snowman]

problem solved thank you

The purpose here is to ADD to the knowledge and problems on these forums thats why we all help out. You're taking but not giving. A solution would be nice.

 

[Kckazdude]

Just start the car and take out the battery if car dies it the alternator

:3d_frown:
If that is the best advice you can give, then please dont.

 

[bsupra]

:3d_frown:
If that is the best advice you can give, then please dont.

Hey, that is one of the simplest way to check the alternator. Start the car, pull the battery cable off the battery, if the car dies its an alternator issue. Whats wrong with that?

 

[hvyman]

check its voltage output.

 

[shaeff]

problem solved thank you

Nice, but what was it, so you can add something valuable to the forums, rather than just creating this thread which will be rendered useless for anyone else with the same problem.

Just start the car and take out the battery if car dies it the alternator

No.

:3d_frown:
If that is the best advice you can give, then please dont.

Yes.

Hey, that is one of the simplest way to check the alternator. Start the car, pull the battery cable off the battery, if the car dies its an alternator issue. Whats wrong with that?

No.

 

[sparkplug619]

sorry i was saying thanks to hvyman for telling me to check the alternator... My alternator was indeed bad... BUT with the bad alternator, I started the car and accidentally disconnected one of the terminals when i was tightening them and my car did NOT die so that way doesnt work all the time

check your alternator.

 

[shaeff]

Try replacing the brushes first before buying a new alternator. I always see people replace them, when most of the time, it's the brushes, which cost like, $6 and take maybe five minutes to install.

 

[sparkplug619]

Oh I replaced it with an old alternator I had laying around. When I finally need an alternator when my rebuild is done I will try to replace the brushes.. thanks for the tip

 

[Kckazdude]

Hey, that is one of the simplest way to check the alternator. Start the car, pull the battery cable off the battery, if the car dies its an alternator issue. Whats wrong with that?

Besides your theory being very flawed on an EFI vehicle, it is also an easy way to fry an alternator or ECM. The best case scenario is for the vehicle to just die. Read this article for a basic idea.

http://www.aa1car.com/library/charging_checks.htm

 

[Drake69]

Besides your theory being very flawed on an EFI vehicle, it is also an easy way to fry an alternator or ECM. The best case scenario is for the vehicle to just die. Read this article for a basic idea.

http://www.aa1car.com/library/charging_checks.htm

+1 on that. I watched a friend fry just about everything on his older model Wrangler doing the exact same thing. Bad juju when fooling around with an alternator like that.... :aigo:

 

[bsupra]

Besides your theory being very flawed on an EFI vehicle, it is also an easy way to fry an alternator or ECM. The best case scenario is for the vehicle to just die. Read this article for a basic idea.

http://www.aa1car.com/library/charging_checks.htm

First of all it is not my theory. Second, I am just giving support to one of the guys that posted his idea. And in most cases, when the battery keeps on dying while the car is running, it is an alternator issue (maybe unplugged or bad wiring/cable). And i did not say it is the best way, all I said is it is one of the basic/easy way. I just based my suggestion on based on the posted thread and experience. And in most cases the car dies (after disconnecting the battery) in this kind of situation, I repeat in most cases. This theory was based on no charge no spark.

Thanks for your theory about the frying ecm and alternator. I just never had this experience before. Thanks