Battery Trouble

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05-08-2007, 09:01 PM
MadMonkey

Battery Trouble

Okay guys, I'm in a fix. I'm heading for Austin on the 11th for the bi-annual Hillside Rally and I'm driving the Miata... unfortunately, a problem has popped up. My battery has started dying within less than a day of sitting without use. Previously, it would take it over a week (I didn't notice because it was the daily driver), but when I got the Integra and started driving it more, this problem showed itself. I think the battery is going pfft.

Problem is, I don't have extra money for a new battery right now (I probably can't even afford a hotel room once I'm down there... I paid too much on the Teg this paycheck, stupid me). Does ANYONE have a spare battery sitting around, or a used one that will still hold a charge? Here's a the symptoms:

1. It dies within a day of no use.

2. It won't even seem to charge much after driving for a while (it used to). Now the engine lights will barely stay on after killing the engine and trying to restart.

3. Jumping is instant... I can jumpstart perfectly, the other vehicle almost doesn't even need to be running.

Sound like a bad battery? I know I have loose wires in the car, but even so, they shouldn't be discharging the battery, much less that quickly.

Little help? :(
05-08-2007, 09:13 PM
MiataMike

..perhaps you should losing that batter holder you have so it can breathe :-P ... Ok...J/k

Start the car and then unhook the negative battery terminal. If the car stays started then your Altenator is still good; and you need to replace the battery. If it dies then the Altenator is bad; and needs to be replaced.

Good Luck.
05-08-2007, 09:20 PM
MadMonkey

Thanks, I'll try that tomorrow. I'm really suspecting the battery though, because like I said, it would charge okay at first (I mean a few weeks ago, I could drive around for 10 minutes and the car would be fine to start after that with no problems) but it's just lately started going to crap. I'll have to work with it :(
05-08-2007, 09:29 PM
Radio-Active

Quote:

Originally Posted by MiataMike

..perhaps you should losing that batter holder you have so it can breathe :-P ... Ok...J/k

Start the car and then unhook the negative battery terminal. If the car stays started then your Altenator is still good; and you need to replace the battery. If it dies then the Altenator is bad; and needs to be replaced.

Good Luck.

DON'T DO IT!!!

If you disconnect the battery from the alternator, you run a greater risk of ruining the diodes in the alternator. The alternator needs the load of the battery.

Charge the battery and have vatozone check it out for you with a load test.

Make sure that you have water in the battery if you can take the caps off. If not, use distilled or deionized water.
05-08-2007, 09:32 PM
MiataMike

Yeah, I'm leaing more toward your battery like you are. Miata Altenators are pretty reliable, mine lasted 135K on my 2000 SE. Which outlasted about 5 or 6 batteries, I lost count :-)

If its any condolences I think my battery might be on the way out too :( I had to get a jump the other night. This was during my friend driving it he stalled it in the middle of the road (old county road less travled 3 am) so not really dangerous. But anyway after he stalled it there was no juice. So we walked to his buddy's house close by got a jump and I haven't had any issues since.

It seemed pretty weird to me
05-08-2007, 09:37 PM
MiataMike

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radio-Active

DON'T DO IT!!!

If you disconnect the battery from the alternator, you run a greater risk of ruining the diodes in the alternator. The alternator needs the load of the battery.

Charge the battery and have vatozone check it out for you with a load test.

Make sure that you have water in the battery if you can take the caps off. If not, use distilled or deionized water.

I'd go with that suggestion. That troubleshooting step I gave is old. I wasn't aware that that could happen with the Diodes, so thats news to me. But when in doubt play it safe.
05-08-2007, 09:37 PM
Radio-Active

By the way, you should be able to get 13.5-15.1 volts coming out of the alternatoe versus 12-12.6 volts off of the battery. If you have a dead cell, it will show about 10.5 volts.
05-09-2007, 02:50 PM
onething

Just a thought from the top of the ::Ladder::
If you disconnect the battery cable with any load on it, you are likely to cause an arc. If there is any hydrogen gas around the battery from the charging/discharging process it can explode violently!!!
Wear eye protection
05-09-2007, 02:54 PM
Titus

Quote:

Originally Posted by onething

Just a thought from the top of the ::Ladder::
If you disconnect the battery cable with any load on it, you are likely to cause an arc. If there is any hydrogen gas around the battery from the charging/discharging process it can explode violently!!!
Wear eye protection

Sweet! Take pictures please!
05-09-2007, 03:07 PM
Machismo

Yes, eye protection for sure. But more so, tape for your heels when they get blown off.
05-09-2007, 04:42 PM
Sharpie

Our batteries have caps that come off? I thought they were sealed.

Do you have an alarm? They always drain batteries. How old is your battery? In 100k miles, I've never replaced an alternator and only had to buy one battery so far.

Oh yeah, take the integra, you have more room to sleep in it.
05-09-2007, 07:21 PM
MadMonkey

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sharpie

Our batteries have caps that come off? I thought they were sealed.

Do you have an alarm? They always drain batteries. How old is your battery? In 100k miles, I've never replaced an alternator and only had to buy one battery so far.

Oh yeah, take the integra, you have more room to sleep in it.

The Integra brakes are JUST about to go out, I absolutely have to get a new MC when I get home. Plus the handling sucks right now and I know I'd be at the back of the pack in that thing. Plus I suck at heel-toeing it ;)

No alarm, car has 168k on it and I THINK it's the stock battery (looks old enough to be). Might just be time for a new one. I'm having it checked out tomorrow. Thanks for all the help, guys :D
05-09-2007, 07:52 PM
Machismo

Sounds like a dead cell. A battery has a memory, and once it starts draining, it will constantly drain. Weird thing I learned as a Lift Mechanic at Copper Mountain Ski Resort.
05-10-2007, 11:10 AM
Darron65

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sharpie

Our batteries have caps that come off? I thought they were sealed.

The one in my car does. It's got a Mazda Parts label on it and some kinda vent tube thingy connecting one bank of cells to the other. Personally, I'd guess those tubes should be exiting the trunk somehow but I'm not losing sleep over it.

I plan to replace it with a sealed one eventually.
05-10-2007, 11:16 AM
Machismo

Yep, vent tube runs into hole of trunk at battery loctation. Vents gasses out of trunk. Sealed maintenance free batteries are the way to go.
05-11-2007, 07:06 PM
MadMonkey

Okay, that was weird.

I took an extended drive today which would have charged the battery perfectly a month ago; halfway through I killed the engine (while rolling of course) and hit the starter and it started fine.

After driving a few more miles, I tried again, and it just clicked. The engine lights barely came on.

WTF?

Bad battery... or am I suffering from a bad connection somewhere? I'd rather find out than dropping $75 on a battery I don't need...
05-11-2007, 07:16 PM
MiataMike

Did you take your battery to Vato-Zone to get checked out?

There are two 24 hour stores in Dallas
05-11-2007, 08:10 PM
SirHustlerEsq

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radio-Active

By the way, you should be able to get 13.5-15.1 volts coming out of the alternatoe versus 12-12.6 volts off of the battery. If you have a dead cell, it will show about 10.5 volts.

this will probably give the answer.
05-11-2007, 08:33 PM
channelmaniac

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadMonkey

Okay, that was weird.

I took an extended drive today which would have charged the battery perfectly a month ago; halfway through I killed the engine (while rolling of course) and hit the starter and it started fine.

After driving a few more miles, I tried again, and it just clicked. The engine lights barely came on.

WTF?

Bad battery... or am I suffering from a bad connection somewhere? I'd rather find out than dropping $75 on a battery I don't need...

My vote is a dirty ignition switch or a bad diode in the alternator.

RJ
05-12-2007, 08:59 AM
altiain

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadMonkey

Okay, that was weird.

I took an extended drive today which would have charged the battery perfectly a month ago; halfway through I killed the engine (while rolling of course) and hit the starter and it started fine.

After driving a few more miles, I tried again, and it just clicked. The engine lights barely came on.

WTF?

Bad battery... or am I suffering from a bad connection somewhere? I'd rather find out than dropping $75 on a battery I don't need...

Take it to Vatozone already, Monkey Boy. Don't ignore it - just go and find out what's wrong so you can get it fixed.

Or are you one of those people who thinks if they ignore the problem long enough it will just go away on its own? :rolleyes:

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