Hi, I have a weird problem with my car that might be simple to fix but I need to connfirm with you guys...

My car is stored for winter and something I just start it a bit (5 minutes) just to warm it up... Now a week ago I tried to start the car but notice that the battery was just dead, so the car didn't have enought juice.

I charged the battery with a booster pack...took very long..maybe 3 days and when the battery was charged I was able to start the car...however the car ilde very roughly...it was idling at 300rpm...and It wanted to die on me...I let it run for like 10 minutes thinking it might charge the batttery...but when I shut the car down and tried to start it again...the battery was dead again....The car was also a bit shaky at 300rpm...everything else seemed fine.i'm pulling 20inch/vaccum and it's running just a bit rich....

Battery problem? I just changed my spark plugs before that.

 

Swapping in a known-good battery is a cheap and easy way to find out!

 

could be a ground problem somewhere

 

Doing so today for the swapping of the battery but wanted the confirm the possibility...
and also i got something really really weird and I just hope it's a wrong reading...when the car was runnning I got 18.2 VOLTS at the battery...WTF

 

Per the FSM, alternator shouldn't be putting out more than 16.2 V. It has a self-diagnosis function that should be lighting up your "alternator" warning light if it goes over that. See if the warning light is on, and check the alternator voltage directly off the alternator.

 

Batteries do not charge at idle.. FWIW

 

I think the battery may have died a slow death. Swapping in a known-good battery is the easiest way to confirm that.

Dale

 

a healthy alternator should. ~14v at idle

 

no? so whats an alternator for?

get a DMM and measure volts to the battery with the car off..should be 12.6

then measure to the battery with the car running at idle, should be 14. something..thats a healthy alternator AND that means the battery is charging/ed..

 

There is no way that a battery that took 3 days to charge is healthy. Replace it.

I believe you may have other issues since the alternator should take over once the car is started. Meaning that the poor idle may have been due to something else. First things first though, replace the battery.

And next time maybe make the title of the thread related to the problem

 

Your first sign that your battery was/is toast was taking "three days" to charge. The next is the voltage reading you got; your alternator is working overtime to try and make up for your dead battery's increasingly weak charge (hence the drag on the alternator, leading to your poor idle).

 

There is an old test my tune up teacher told me about around 1982. He called it the 3 minute charge test. Set the battery on a charger don't set it on low, charge it around 20 amps or max if you have a 10 amp unit. Connect your volt meter on the battery and watch the voltage. It should be around 12 volts with the charger off, anything under 10.5 and the battery has a dead cell and there nothing you can do but replace the battery. Once the charger is connected the voltage will start to climb if it reaches above 15.5 volts within the first 3 minutes the battery will need to be replaced. Regardless on any other tests its passed. I often do this test even if a standard load test passes and if a electronic tester gives the OK, this test always exposes the truth. John St John, 20 year electrical and drive-ability tech.

 

Clean up the battery posts real good. Mine got really corroded once and i cleaned them and fixed a problem similar to yours.

 

i changed the battery...for a optima redtop...the car starts perfectly and it seems to have fix most of the problem! however I have a little extra problem...need suggestion...the pole on the new battery are too far...so what I did for now...I used some big wire extensions from the connnectors to the battery...are there any kits...extension kits?

 

Did you try to just turn the battery around?

 

lol i'm not that dumb eheheheh
the connnectors just doesn't reach

 

Sorry didn't mean to imply anything bad. If you go to a local garage they should have battery terminals and can probably just extend the cables.

 

mine did that once... I had a body shop fixing the 7 after someone hit the *** end. Three and a half months later they got all the parts in and fixed. Wouldnt start when I went to pick it up. I had someone tow it to my house. On the way home some *** cut off my friends truck. I had it in first with the clutch pushed in since we were about to stop anyway (just in case) I let off the clutch and the car slowed. I was intrigued that the car purred like it was running with it in gear while being pulled (dont ask why) When I got back it started right up.

So from then on if the car turned over, but wouldnt start, and the battery was good, I had someone pull me and let out the clutch at low speeds-5mph then climbed to about 30mph without hitting the gas pedal, and the ignition off (well forward so you could steer-but not where it lights up the dash) stop the car and everytime the car started. It would spew out carbon from the exhaust for a few minutes and run a lil rought then after warming up run fine. then take it out and run the **** out of it. I swear this works. Mine ran rich and it just would get caked up from them starting it, moving it, and shutting it off cold.

Ive done this several times and everytime it works like a charm.

Question... could it be bad for the motor?

 

WHAT? That was so confusing TEDDER.

 

Really? I was always under the impression that batteries recieved very little charging at idle. Oh well i guess you learn something new every day.