Car question...

[Pakwah]

for the last couple days, sometimes when i get into my car the face plate needs the time reset.
I thought nothing of it until i went to start my car and it was completely dead.
Even when we tried boosting it i did not get one glimpse of power....
Some say it could be the battery (its a year old) the alternator or a blown fuse...
??
its an old ford...tempo i think....
its a POS but i driving it till the end of winter then putting it out to rest

sorry i double posted...was not on purpose...please delete one!!! thanks sorry

 

[ENIGMA16]

Is the battery bulging? Are the terminals loose?

Do the lights turn on when you try? If so, do they dim when you try starting the car?

 

[horaholic]

Also, check the voltage regulator. They are very cheap to replace. If its bad, it fvcks your whole electrical up, and it seems like the battery or alternator.If your battery is a year old, there might be a warranty on it. Autozone will check your alternator, and battery for free. Lights dimming, or brightening when you go faster is a sign of alternator problems.

oh, and check the battery fluid level if it is the kind where you can.

 

[Pakwah]

i had the jumper cables directly on the connectors, not even the battery and nothing...not even a click or even a light at all
i mean if it was the battery..certainly a boost would have got things going no?
someone also mentioned a fuse..?? what gets me is that the deck was showing signs of lost power cuz when i would park and start the car for say 8-10 hours, when i got back in i would have to reset the time and stations. so even when it was sitting the car stereo lost power a few times before it just went dead altogether

 

[Bible_Belt]

check the voltage regulator.

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[Quiksilver]

Since you had that little warning sign prior to the car dying, it sounds pike battery. Check all the connections and clean them with wire mesh. If still doesn't work then replace the battery.

Could be starter alternator but try the easy solutions first.

 

[56andre]

If still doesn't work then replace the battery.

NO

DO NOT REPLACE THE BATTERY!!!

It's only a year old so it's still new.

Also don’t bring it to a battery place, they will give you bull$hit & try to sell you a new one (they will see that you’re ignorant an take advantage)

It could be flat, if so, charge it over night.

Check the fuse box for any blown fuses

Honestly no one can rely tell you until intense observation of the car physically.

 

[Teflon_Mcgee]

I would start by removing the battery terminals, cleaning them and replacing them.

I recently installed a new battery and a few weeks later I went to start my car. I got nothing. Turns out I didn't tighten a the terminal connection enough. It felt tight and looked good but wasn't.

 

[horaholic]

i had the jumper cables directly on the connectors, not even the battery and nothing...not even a click or even a light at all
i mean if it was the battery..certainly a boost would have got things going no?
someone also mentioned a fuse..?? what gets me is that the deck was showing signs of lost power cuz when i would park and start the car for say 8-10 hours, when i got back in i would have to reset the time and stations. so even when it was sitting the car stereo lost power a few times before it just went dead altogether

That sounds like wiring problems. See if someone will let you hook their battery up to your terminals just to see if it works. if it doesnt, your wiring system needs to be checked thoroughly. This can be a nightmare, so I'd have a pro do it.

 

[nikdevid]

Hi Friends.

Some nice fellow has recently plowed into the back of my car while i was waiting at a red light. His car was a nice big SUV. My car, while functioning perfectly, is now considered a writeoff which is quite irritating.

As a result im starting to think about buying a new (well, second hand) car. I probably have a budget of 5g's which i know aint much, but yeah, quite poor atm. A mid 90s corolla is what comes to mind at the moment. The problem is, im not really experienced in this area as my last car was bought off a family friend.

Any of you guys ever gone private? Used car dealerships? Other? Had any luck with private? What things have you done to ensure the car aint going to fall apart? Yeah pretty much screwed without a car so i need to get the ball rolling on this kinda soon. Any help is very much appreciated.

 

[NO_BODY]

i mean if it was the battery..certainly a boost would have got things going no?

No.

It could be either of two things, either your battery is dead dead, or alternator is not charging your battery. Parts shops usually charge your battery for free. Go there and have the battery charged and checked over. Another thing you should do is clean battery terminals, parts stores sell a brush that you could use. If you selling car soon you could buy a used battery from a junk yard, they usually have stores with pulled parts, mind the size.

If it's not battery, it's your alternator.

If you take it to a mechanic this could easily run you $150 + if not $300. If you get your own battery at parts store it will be around $70, from junk yard $25. That is if it's not alternator.

If it is alternator and you know how to replace it, you can have yours rebuild or replaced with a rebuild one for around $100.


As far as the boost with dead battery, you should make sure battery terminals are clean, and make sure cables are attached well. Then you run the other car for 20 minutes at 2,000 rpm. After 20 minutes raise rpms to 4,000 and start your car.