- Sep 5, 2000
- 13,897
- 1
- 0
ok, my '85 crown vic has a really nasty battery. I've jumped it 3 times in two days. I don't drive that long of a distance so i don't think it ever charges back up. If i let it idle will it charge?
Emergency! Does a car charge the battery if left to idle?
- Thread starter Bignate603
- Start date
it will charge MUCH faster if you drive it around and get the RPMs up. When that has ever happened to me I take an hour drive on the freeway and that does a pretty good job.
Otherwise, why not just invest in a battery charger? Assuming you have access to a garage/outdoor electrical outlet, these do a great job of charging your battery to capactity. Not all that expensive either.
l2c
Otherwise, why not just invest in a battery charger? Assuming you have access to a garage/outdoor electrical outlet, these do a great job of charging your battery to capactity. Not all that expensive either.
l2c
In some cars, the battery will only recharge if you're going a certain number of RPMs. You might want to step on the pedal a little bit.
Does the battery have any water left in it??? if not it won't even charge again unless refilled, and then at that if it was ran to long without any it won't fix it even then.. How old is the battery??
Get what I just bought... The stock battery was to weak so I got a Excide Dry-Cell it cranks over 1100 Amps.. Great for my 12 Rib system
Get what I just bought... The stock battery was to weak so I got a Excide Dry-Cell it cranks over 1100 Amps.. Great for my 12 Rib system
Maybe your battery is dead, and won't take a charge....
Is the battery old?
If so, may be time for replacement...
Is the battery old?
If so, may be time for replacement...
Yes, it will charge at idle...and it will charge faster at higher RPM's...
Jeez, sounds like this place has an echo....
amish
Jeez, sounds like this place has an echo....
amish
The Stigenator
Lifer
- Oct 9, 1999
- 15,216
- 3
- 81
actually Its not good to idle a car for long. It puts too much stress into the parts. Just to charge a battery... that wont work.
if your battery is dead or dying, idle to charge wont work since once your fan comes on (or if it runs on like connected to the engine) then it will draw lot more power.
Just go get a battery from Kmart/Walmart or something like that, it wont cost more than 30 bucks, and in teh long run will be better.
if your battery is dead or dying, idle to charge wont work since once your fan comes on (or if it runs on like connected to the engine) then it will draw lot more power.
Just go get a battery from Kmart/Walmart or something like that, it wont cost more than 30 bucks, and in teh long run will be better.
At idle, the most the average alternator can put out is around 30 amps. Bring the RPM's up to around 2k (Like normal driving) and the output jumps up to 80-130 depending on the alternator. It will take around 20 min to put a hefty charge in a almost dead battery when the car is at idle, and it jumps to around 5-10 min when the RPM is brought up a bit.
Now...
This is assuming a good battery and charging system. "I've jumped it 3 times in two days. I don't drive that long of a distance so i don't think it ever charges back up." Sounds like the battery is not charging at all, or something is draining it. A shoddy battery will not store enough charge to turn the car over. This is showing the battery is good. Here is how to test your charging system...
Turn off the engine. Turn on your headlights on high beam for about 5 min, and start the car with the lights left on. If the charging system is good, the lights will get a little brighter. If not, the charging system is funky. If all works ok, you have a drain somewhere.
Now...
This is assuming a good battery and charging system. "I've jumped it 3 times in two days. I don't drive that long of a distance so i don't think it ever charges back up." Sounds like the battery is not charging at all, or something is draining it. A shoddy battery will not store enough charge to turn the car over. This is showing the battery is good. Here is how to test your charging system...
Turn off the engine. Turn on your headlights on high beam for about 5 min, and start the car with the lights left on. If the charging system is good, the lights will get a little brighter. If not, the charging system is funky. If all works ok, you have a drain somewhere.
waiting for someone to get the right answer....
It's the cold Dude !!!! When it is as cold as you are now the battery needs to be tip-top.. all contacts have to be very clean.. full electrolyte.. & well charged...
If you have the room/space distance to an outlet... 2 100watt light bulbs under the hood & a blamket on the hood will help. Also low viscosity oil...
doubt the problem is just a low charge... This is going to be a long cold winter & hell-of-a-cold where you are.
If your battery is more than a couple of years old... don't screw with it... get a new one...
even with a good new HOT battery you will be better off with some kind of warming scheme for the engine block at night.
It's the cold Dude !!!! When it is as cold as you are now the battery needs to be tip-top.. all contacts have to be very clean.. full electrolyte.. & well charged...
If you have the room/space distance to an outlet... 2 100watt light bulbs under the hood & a blamket on the hood will help. Also low viscosity oil...
doubt the problem is just a low charge... This is going to be a long cold winter & hell-of-a-cold where you are.
If your battery is more than a couple of years old... don't screw with it... get a new one...
even with a good new HOT battery you will be better off with some kind of warming scheme for the engine block at night.
Yes if and only if the battery will take a charge. If not, you need a new battery.
My question is: after you've jumped it off in the morning, does it start the car ok for the rest of the day? Then is it weak or dead the next morning?
If so, you need to check for a draw on the battery when the car is off. All cars have some electrical draw, due to pcm memory, clock, airbag module, etc. These are considered normal and a healthy battery should handle these loads with no problem. If your battery is weak, it may not.
However, if some other electrical accessory stays on, that is trouble. It could be as simple as your trunk lights staying on. Get it checked.
Here's how: if you have a 12volt test light, take the negative cable off the battery. Then clamp one end of the test light to the cable, the other to the battery post. Make sure everything is off, doors are shut, take the bulb out of the hood light since you have it open.
If the light lights up, you have a draw. The easiest way to pin down where is to remove fuses in the under dash fuse box one at a time until the light goes off, then you know what circuit to check. Make repairs and you're good to go.
That being said, you probably just have a weak battery, and you should replace it. You may want the alternator checked to see if it's putting out enough amperage.
To answer your question though, yes, it will charge fine at idle, IF it is operating properly.
To correct another statement I read in this thread, No, it doesn't hurt an engine at all to idle for long periods. Idling excessively does promote carbon build up, but that takes a long time to happen.
If idling hurt engines, then police cars and taxi's wouldn't last 20k miles.
My question is: after you've jumped it off in the morning, does it start the car ok for the rest of the day? Then is it weak or dead the next morning?
If so, you need to check for a draw on the battery when the car is off. All cars have some electrical draw, due to pcm memory, clock, airbag module, etc. These are considered normal and a healthy battery should handle these loads with no problem. If your battery is weak, it may not.
However, if some other electrical accessory stays on, that is trouble. It could be as simple as your trunk lights staying on. Get it checked.
Here's how: if you have a 12volt test light, take the negative cable off the battery. Then clamp one end of the test light to the cable, the other to the battery post. Make sure everything is off, doors are shut, take the bulb out of the hood light since you have it open.
If the light lights up, you have a draw. The easiest way to pin down where is to remove fuses in the under dash fuse box one at a time until the light goes off, then you know what circuit to check. Make repairs and you're good to go.
That being said, you probably just have a weak battery, and you should replace it. You may want the alternator checked to see if it's putting out enough amperage.
To answer your question though, yes, it will charge fine at idle, IF it is operating properly.
To correct another statement I read in this thread, No, it doesn't hurt an engine at all to idle for long periods. Idling excessively does promote carbon build up, but that takes a long time to happen.
If idling hurt engines, then police cars and taxi's wouldn't last 20k miles.
Hey Cxim, I hate to slam you, cause I hold respect for alot of your threads, but there is a lot of bullsh|t in your last post.
*Prepare for Flame*
<< waiting for someone to get the right answer.... >>
Excuse me Mr. Goodwrench, but I've been a mechanic for 20+ years, including farm and truck experience. I've been rigging stuff up for all of those 20+ years, so I kinda know my stuff also. I don't doubt your experience, so don't insult ours. Anyone of these opinions can be right.
<< It's the cold Dude !!!! When it is as cold as you are now the battery needs to be tip-top.. all contacts have to be very clean.. full electrolyte.. & well charged... >>
True. If you have a diesel, or live in Alaska, this applies more. To the average person in the average area (I live in the East coast, so I know bitter winters), you can get away with quite a bit b4 the car won't start.
<< doubt the problem is just a low charge... This is going to be a long cold winter & hell-of-a-cold where you are. >>
True. With the age of the car, the alternator or regulator would be my guess (Although a dirty terminal can do the same) If you jump a battery with cables, and it starts, the battery is good. A dead battery with a dead cell will not take a charge. The battery needs to be good or the car won't be able to be jumpstarted (You can't pull enough current through jumper cables to start a car without/with a totally non-functioning battery. Jumping puts a charge into the battery)
<< If your battery is more than a couple of years old... don't screw with it... get a new one... >>
So I should change the battery in my Taurus huh? It is 9 years old, and still works great. Why buy something you don't need, unless you have extra $$$ to waste. When the batt dies, replace it. You can tell when they are starting to get a shorted cell... replace it then. Waste your cash on beer and women instead. They are much more satisfying then a new battery. Keep up on the maintenance, and take care of them, and they last a long time. The worst thing for a battery is to let it freeze. If the temp gets much below 32 degrees, and the battery is totally dead, forget about it. The higher charge, the lower temp it takes to freeze. Once a batt freezes, it is DOA.
<< even with a good new HOT battery you will be better off with some kind of warming scheme for the engine block at night. >>
If you have a diesel... but a Crown Vic? Artic winters? Nah. A good battery will keep you going well below zero. Sometimes big diesels need help in the winter, because of the demand. Add 10 sec of glow plugs, and a couple of attempts at starting (With high compression, plus think old oil) you might as well forget about it. This is where you really need block heaters and battery blankets. Also, diesel gels at low temps. This makes for a biznitch of a time starting also.
Cxim, don't take this to heart. I'm just in a bad mood today. Work sucked.
*Prepare for Flame*
<< waiting for someone to get the right answer.... >>
Excuse me Mr. Goodwrench, but I've been a mechanic for 20+ years, including farm and truck experience. I've been rigging stuff up for all of those 20+ years, so I kinda know my stuff also. I don't doubt your experience, so don't insult ours. Anyone of these opinions can be right.
<< It's the cold Dude !!!! When it is as cold as you are now the battery needs to be tip-top.. all contacts have to be very clean.. full electrolyte.. & well charged... >>
True. If you have a diesel, or live in Alaska, this applies more. To the average person in the average area (I live in the East coast, so I know bitter winters), you can get away with quite a bit b4 the car won't start.
<< doubt the problem is just a low charge... This is going to be a long cold winter & hell-of-a-cold where you are. >>
True. With the age of the car, the alternator or regulator would be my guess (Although a dirty terminal can do the same) If you jump a battery with cables, and it starts, the battery is good. A dead battery with a dead cell will not take a charge. The battery needs to be good or the car won't be able to be jumpstarted (You can't pull enough current through jumper cables to start a car without/with a totally non-functioning battery. Jumping puts a charge into the battery)
<< If your battery is more than a couple of years old... don't screw with it... get a new one... >>
So I should change the battery in my Taurus huh? It is 9 years old, and still works great.
Why buy something you don't need, unless you have extra $$$ to waste. When the batt dies, replace it. You can tell when they are starting to get a shorted cell... replace it then. Waste your cash on beer and women instead. They are much more satisfying then a new battery. Keep up on the maintenance, and take care of them, and they last a long time. The worst thing for a battery is to let it freeze. If the temp gets much below 32 degrees, and the battery is totally dead, forget about it. The higher charge, the lower temp it takes to freeze. Once a batt freezes, it is DOA.<< even with a good new HOT battery you will be better off with some kind of warming scheme for the engine block at night. >>
If you have a diesel... but a Crown Vic? Artic winters? Nah. A good battery will keep you going well below zero. Sometimes big diesels need help in the winter, because of the demand. Add 10 sec of glow plugs, and a couple of attempts at starting (With high compression, plus think old oil) you might as well forget about it. This is where you really need block heaters and battery blankets. Also, diesel gels at low temps. This makes for a biznitch of a time starting also.
Cxim, don't take this to heart. I'm just in a bad mood today. Work sucked.
Hey Monel... we are in agreement... where did the flame go ? LOL
BNate is in Albany.. The last few days have been low teens at night & around 32F max during the day there. You know as well as I do that low temps in this range decrease the max output of a battery. Also the viscosity of the lube increases so it takes more juice for the starter to turn the motor over. This effect is more pronounced in diesels but is still present in gas engines.
It may be his alternetor or VR but since the problem just started, the low temps are a major factor. From the sound of things, his battery is marginal.
If Nate wants reliable starting this winter ??? he probably needs a new battery. He can keep screwing with the one he has if he likes...
I lived with this crap when I was up North... one of the reasons I moved to Florida.. Think I will go take a dip in the pool to cool off after those HOT FLAMES !! LOL
BNate is in Albany.. The last few days have been low teens at night & around 32F max during the day there. You know as well as I do that low temps in this range decrease the max output of a battery. Also the viscosity of the lube increases so it takes more juice for the starter to turn the motor over. This effect is more pronounced in diesels but is still present in gas engines.
It may be his alternetor or VR but since the problem just started, the low temps are a major factor. From the sound of things, his battery is marginal.
If Nate wants reliable starting this winter ??? he probably needs a new battery. He can keep screwing with the one he has if he likes...
I lived with this crap when I was up North... one of the reasons I moved to Florida.. Think I will go take a dip in the pool to cool off after those HOT FLAMES !! LOL
As far as the "If the battery is dead you can't jumpstart" theory goes, unless I'm mistaken, if you hook up jumper cables directly to the battery terminals, leave the jumping car running and start the down car, the down car can easily start simply by drawing power off the good battery in the other vehicle. Now if he tried to CHARGE the battery, then disconnected the cables, and then started the car, and it started, the battery can at least hold a partial charge.
Ace hardware sells a $12.95 digital voltmeter. Your battery should read between 12.0V and 12.5V. when the engine isn't running. With the engine running the voltage should read between 14.0 volts and 13.2 volts.The reading should read lower as more accessories are running. If the reading doesn't change when comparing the voltages when the car is running to when it's not running, the charging system isn't working. Be sure to take readings with the contacts on both the battery posts and the cable clamps and see if they are identical. If they aren't, then the cable clamps need cleaning.(use baking soda).
Demon-Xanth
Lifer
- Feb 15, 2000
- 20,551
- 2
- 81
Nick: actually the range (esp. on older cars) is 12.0-12.8V for the engine off and 12.8-14.6V for the engine on. (note: many car stereo equipment are rated w/ 14.4V of power being applies)
- Sep 5, 2000
- 13,897
- 1
- 0
very interesting... thanks alot. The battery is ancient and it's probably time for an oil change anyways. I'm 16 and my dad is like "you want a better car you buy it" but he's happy to dump money into the crown vic. I'll have him foot the bill for an oil change and new battery. If that doesn't work i'll start testing my electrical system like you guys suggested. It may be my dad's money but it's a shame to throw it away when i could do it myself and it's kinda fun. Oh yeah, and since this just started, i think the cold may have something to do with it. It has been colder then a polar bears butt here lately. First day it refused to start it was in the teens farenheit. Now, this may have just brought a bad charging system to light, but i only drive it seriously like 10 miles at a strech to get to and from school. With a big car, i don't know if it's enough time for it to pick up a charge. It doesn't show the light that says it's drawing off the battery while in drive. I'll get it jumped and bring it to pep-boys for a battery on saturday. Crap, how the hell am i going to tell them i want a battery? If i turn this thing off i would bet anything that it won't start... Probably have to bring somebody with me to sit in the car while i go in and get somebody to change the battery.
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