Car Battery Trouble

[DPK]

I have a new Diehard battery in my 1990 Camry Wagon and for the second time in about three weeks I had to get a jump after it wouldn't start. The first time I might have left the inside light on, but this morning the car started fine and after I put some gas in it wouldn't start back up, not one sound came when I turned the key. Could this be the alternater? How could it go from starting fine to nothing in 5 minutes?

 

[FoBoT]

does the dome light/other stuff come on? or is everything totally off?

it might be one of your battery cables. i have a bad negative battery cable in my saturn. if i slam the door to hard, it looses the connection, i have to open the hood and wiggle the cable , then try to start it

try wiggling your battery cables

 

[DPK]

Ok, thanks. That could be the problem. Are they easy to replace if need be?

 

[quakefiend420]

shouldnt be too difficult...actually its probably going to be the connecitons on the end of the cable that will need to be replaced...pretty easy

 

[FoBoT]

i don't know. i have been too lazy to deal with it (i just been driving my other car). i am going to take it to my mechanic sometime, but it probably isn't that hard to change, i don't know

 

[Heisenberg]

They're really not that hard to replace. A lot of times the connections are just corroded and just need cleaned, so replacing the whole cable isn't needed.

 

[Vic]

Your alternator is likely bad, and any decent shop should be able to diagnose between a bad battery and a bad alternator. Unless you have a deep cycle battery, you will damage the battery if you continue to drive around with a bad alternator, even if that battery is brand new.

 

[Kelemvor]

Don't nevessarily need to replace anything either. DIsconnect the connectors on the battery as beset you can, clean them off with a steel brush so they are nice and shiny and then put everything back together. See what happens. I had this problem a few weeks ago and the connections were somewhat corroded and such.

 

[Pepsi90919]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
i don't know. i have been too lazy to deal with it (i just been driving my other car). i am going to take it to my mechanic sometime, but it probably isn't that hard to change, i don't know

i guess you should be changing your username now eh?