Dead battery or alternator?

[tortillasoup]

Was battery around 3 years or so? If so, as stated before, do not even bother going any further before replacing it. In the overall scheme of the things, battery is one of the cheapest consumable maintenance item when you measure it against the the miles or years. I mean if you can not afford to replace $100 battery every 3 or 4 years without even blinking an eye, you have no business of owning a car. Deposit $2 every month in the battery replacement fund if you find yourself short of $100 when the time comes to replace battery.

Yes, it is one of my pet peeve

the battery in my car is the original and the car was made in 2003. However I've done stuff to ensure the battery lived a long life.

 

[LTC8K6]

Was battery around 3 years or so? If so, as stated before, do not even bother going any further before replacing it. In the overall scheme of the things, battery is one of the cheapest consumable maintenance item when you measure it against the the miles or years. I mean if you can not afford to replace $100 battery every 3 or 4 years without even blinking an eye, you have no business of owning a car. Deposit $2 every month in the battery replacement fund if you find yourself short of $100 when the time comes to replace battery.

Yes, it is one of my pet peeve

I feel the need to point out that I replaced the original battery in my Jeep because it was old and I thought it would let me down soon.

One year later, the new battery failed me on vacation on Sunday morning in the middle of nowhere when I tried to get back home. Small town in Virginia, nothing open, not within 30 miles of a Wal-mart even. I have to be at work Monday morning.

It was not funny to go out there and have absolutely nothing happen when I tried to start it.

It was reading around 10 volts, so a cell had failed and there was no hope for it.

Fortunately the alternator was fine, so after I got it jump started, I had to drive home non-stop.

 

[razel]

Glad for the OP that it wasn't the alternator. Next time, if you battery is maintainable and has the covers up top, pop those out and look at the acid levels. It should be touching the bottom part of the plastic cover hole. If the level is low enough that it's exposing the plates, then the battery is DONE.

That check actually goes for anyone who has jumped their car. Check and refill with distilled water and get it recharged ASAP, otherwise, you'll just have another dead battery.