Help me haphazardly diagnose the problem on this beater car.

[Acanthus]

I suspect its a short somewhere in the electrical work. But im no mechanic.

This car is a beater and we are broke college kids, so if you have a suggestion please let us know 😛

I was thinking alternator at first but the battery seems to slowly die while connected whether the car is running or not. A short would explain things but i dont know how to easily diagnose or fix a short.

the car is a beat to hell '92 cavalier.

 

[spidey07]

Who is to say the battery isn't dead? Get your battery checked and alternator checked for free at any auto parts store.

 

[Acanthus]

Originally posted by: spidey07
Who is to say the battery isn't dead? Get your battery checked and alternator checked for free at any auto parts store.

The battery was definately completely dead.

We put a brand new battery in and had the same symptoms. Runs for a while, then eventually dies.

We worry about the car dieing on the way to the auto parts store... You can get the alternator checked for free? That might be a good idea.

That wouldnt explain the battery dieing while the car isnt running though, right?

 

[Demon-Xanth]

Check the cables and alternator.

 

[Acanthus]

Originally posted by: Demon-Xanth
Check the cables and alternator.

Alright 🙂

 

[dug777]

Coil.

 

[imported_wonderwrench]

Originally posted by: Acanthus

Originally posted by: spidey07
Who is to say the battery isn't dead? Get your battery checked and alternator checked for free at any auto parts store.

The battery was definately completely dead.

We put a brand new battery in and had the same symptoms. Runs for a while, then eventually dies.

We worry about the car dieing on the way to the auto parts store... You can get the alternator checked for free? That might be a good idea.

That wouldnt explain the battery dieing while the car isnt running though, right?

The alternator could have a bad diode that causes both a drain on the battery when parked and poor charging when running. As many have said have it checked out, for free even if you go to the right place. You will need to charge the battery before you go so you can make it there and so they can properly test the system. If thats a problem it may be easier to remove the battery and alternator and have someone with a running car bring you to get them checked.

 

[Dudewithoutapet]

I used to have a problem with a bad radio actually that would drain the battery when the car was off. Its good to check any electronics when the alternator and battery are not at fault.

 

[alpineranger]

the auto parts places I've seen only check alternators that are off the car and can be put into their machines. You can do it yourself with a voltmeter. You can get a cheap multimeter for like $5 that will work fine, or borrow one from autozone. Just measure the voltage across the battery terminals when the car is on. If it's not above 13.5V or so then it's probably bad. If you don't mind a bit of work you can also check the current draw when the car is off to see if that is your problem. Disconnect one of the battery clamps and connect the multimeter to the battery and that clamp. Current draw should be minimal (10s of milliamps). If you want you can start pulling fuses and stuff to see what impact each accessory has. This is basically what the mechanics will do. Lots of time = expensive bill. But you don't need fancy tools and you won't get dirty, so I'd do it (unless it's a car like mine where the battery takes 30 minutes to get to).