IGNITION Questions
 

something keeps draining my battery quickly
how do i find out what it is?


and

my starter is crap and it's only 2 years old
how do i know for sure that i should replace it?

THNX in advance

What does it have to do with "IGNITION questions"?

If you have no idea what to do, go to the dealer or find a competent auto electronics shop.&nbsp Electronics troubleshooting is a royal pain-in-the-ass, and there's a reason why businesses charge high premiums to fix them.&nbsp There is not way we can get into a detail description to tell you exactly what to do and cover all the bases.

Do you know how to measure current?&nbsp Do you know how to follow the factory wiring diagram?&nbsp Do you have the factory service manual?



-Ted

Unfortunately, RETed is pretty much right. It could be that your battery is just old and worn out. Also, I know this sounds basic, but check to see if your battery terminals are connected tightly. Here is a link to the factory service manual, which has troubleshooting procedures listed under "How-To's".
http://fc3s.org/

BTW, your "ignition" system usually referrs to the components which maintain the engine firing sequence while the engine is running (spark plugs, coils, ignitors, crank angle sensor, etc.). It sounds like your problem is in the starting system or more likely it's just a general engine electrical system problem.

At the end of your day, take the positive or the negative terminal off the battery. The next morning go out and see if the voltage has dropped considerably below 12v. Might give you a clue if its the battery itself. Not a sure fire method, just to give you a clue. If the battery is still charged up, maybe the next nite when your thru for the day, leave the battery leads on, but take the black wire thats held on with a nut, off the altenator and lay it, the wire, to the side, and check the battery the next morning. If the battery is still charged up, you might suspect a diode in the altenator being bad. Crude methods but might give you a clue. If you continue with this shadetree method, you might try removing a given set of fuses and letting the car sit overnite to see what happens. Starter problem might just be related to the battery problems in that the terminals might not be worth a flip. Starters will give you that click, click, click sound if a battery terminal is not making good contact.

Negative! Always disconnect the negative first, and reconnect it last. Other than that, good post.

http://www.msha.gov/regs/complian/PIB/1998/PIB98-02.HTM