Starting/charging issues

by **Smithyy** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 7:36 pm

Has anyone had starting/charging issues on such new cars?

Car wouldn't turn over the other day so had to push start, drove for a good 2 hours thinking it was just a flat battery, went to re-start car and the starter really struggled.
Presume it's not the alternator as the warning light turns off, could be starter beginning to fail, most likely the battery has dropped a cell.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

by **mynameisdaniel** » Mon Apr 02, 2012 10:31 pm

Are your battery water levels okay? First thing I'd check, batteries don't last forever so might be cheapest to try replacing that first.

by **champ** » Tue Apr 03, 2012 10:59 am

Do you have a known good battery (say from another car) you can swap out to make sure it is not the battery.

Had same problem and even after charging, symptoms persisted. To eliminate (or rather prove) the battery as being the problem, I left the charger plugged in and cranked the car. It started fine, so off I went battery shopping.

Disclaimer alert! I only did this on my old Celica... ONCE, so don't try this as I don't know what the effects on the electronics are. Unless you have a mate's car to try it on :lol:

But then, if you do, just do the battery swap test.

by **jp928** » Tue Apr 03, 2012 3:42 pm

Put a meter on the battery - not running, no load should be at least 12.5V.
Running 13.8-14.1V is normal. Maybe be higher for a while after a start. Mine shows (on Garmin nuvi with ecoroute showing OBD-II data) as high as 14.4V for a while after starting, but tapers down to 14.1v. The battery is now just over 4 years old (original Panasonic, which are not available here). Typical battery life in my experience is usually 3 years, so I am ahead of the curve.
Less than the above readings would say the alternator was going out; higher, there is a bad contact somewhere, or battery needs water. If there are any signs of white powder on battery poles, remove connectors, scrub deposits off pole and connectors with a wire brush, lightly coat all with vaseline or grease, reconnect.
Higher readings - overcharging - will tend to boil off battery acid, and need topping up often - regulator in the alternator is dying.
If your battery is original, you have done well.

jp 08 gtb 6mt wagon

by **Robbks** » Tue Apr 03, 2012 4:41 pm

jp928 wrote:If your battery is original, you have done well.

This^^!

by **jp928** » Tue Apr 03, 2012 4:46 pm

What does that mean?

by **Robbks** » Tue Apr 03, 2012 4:55 pm

it means that i was agreeing with the quoted text.
:assassin:

by **jp928** » Tue Apr 03, 2012 8:33 pm

oh, OK. learn something new everyday.....
jp

by **Smithyy** » Sun Apr 08, 2012 10:20 pm

Thanks for everyone's help

forgot to bring my multi meter home from work over Easter. Battery completely died Saturday so just got a new one. Cranks over much easier now