so i jumped my car and once i took off the cables, the car died. anyone know what could be the problem?

 

Sounds like the alternator took a dump. It could be just a cable though.
Check if the alternator is producing 13-14 volts.

 

altnenator is not producing enough to keep the car running. .the battery is just to start and feed volts when needed

 

Check battery voltage?

A full charged battery should keep the car running for close to 30 minutes, even with the headlights on.

So your battery and alternator are totally dead?


-Ted

 

hmm ive had this problem b 4 check your voltage and see if the wires that are connected to the alt are loose.....if its not the wires then it might just be time to replace that bad boy with a new one..... or better yet a fd alt would be cool

 

Definately the battery. Alternator might also be bad, which would cause a dead battery (but still salvageable after a recharge). Any auto store will test both for free, and they might charge your battery for you too. Save warranty info on replacement alternators; some last some don't (even within the same brand).

 

ok so i just got back from checkers to test my battery. the dude said its dead and cant be recharged. i cant test my alternator because they dont have the plug for it. i tried autozone and the pins in the back were totally different from what it showed on the screen.

Question: so if the battery is dead and the car was jumped by a power jumper and started. but once i turned off the power jumper the car also died. does that mean the alternator is bad too?

 

Just take the alternator to another shop that will test it. Or, if you can't do that, your car will still start with a bad alternator. Replace the battery and start the car. Your voltage should now be 14V, otherwise you have a bad alternator. Don't drive the car around with a bad alternator, btw.