YACT: Car's been sitting, no longer starts

[ItTheCow]

Originally posted by: mrchan

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: BoomerD

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt

Originally posted by: fbrdphreak

Originally posted by: archcommus

Originally posted by: AStar617
If a battery is flat dead, you'll hear nothing.

If a battery is very low but not flat dead (i.e., if you have jumpers connected to a flat dead battery but didn't wait long enough), you might hear clicking, or slooooow to normal cycles of the starter motor.

Either let a running vehicle sit on the dead one with cables connected for ~15 or more mins (remember to have negative to ground on the dead vehicle, not the neg battery post), slow charge the dead battery with a battery charger, or replace the battery outright.

Why is this?

Something about wearing your battery faster, not good for it. You have a 93 Sable, there should be plenty of metal ground contacts in that engine bay; just use those. People with newer cars sometime have to contend with an all plastic engine bay and might be forced to hook it to the neg post on the battery; not the best idea, but it shouldn't blow anything up.

No, it's just because hyper-paranoid people are afraid that it the negative clamp will arc when you take it off and ignite the hydrogen gas that a battery emits when it's charging. It's overkill and I've never once worried about it.

ZV

ok...hyper-paranoid...try smart....

http://www.aa1car.com/library/battery_safety.htm

http://www.expertwitness-electric.com/i...orders/Battery_Explosion_(SSB)_054.jpg

http://www.uuhome.de/william.darden/carfaq14.htm#explode

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...Doff%26rls%3DGGLG,GGLG:2006-11,GGLG:en

Do you have any idea of just how concentrated the hydrogen would have to be in order to ignite? You'd need to be pulling a high-amp fast charge in an area with zero airflow for a long time in order to generate enough Hydrogen to cause an explosion. A car's engine compartment is not confined enough to allow that kind of build-up unless you're trying to jump the car indoors, and even then if you have half-decent airflow in your shop, it's not an issue.

I repeat: It is for over-cautious people and you needn't worry if you're outside or in a properly ventillated area.

ZV

I've always done + to + and - to -, and you're probably absolutely right.

But I will be doing it the "right" way now. I mean... why not?

Exactly. It's not like it's more difficult to do...

 

[cavemanmoron]

Originally posted by: Heisenberg
Have you tried recharging the battery fully? You can also take it to an autoparts store and they'll test it for you. If it still doesn't start with a charged/new battery, then you have another problem.

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Battery. Alternator doesn't come into play until after the engine is started. If the battery is really dead, then you won't be able to jump it because there will be too much resistance in the circuit from the dead battery. Just get a new battery and go from there.

Your tires are fine.

ZV

The battery having too much resistance shouldn't be a problem. Even if you unhooked the battery and had near infinite resistance between the jumper cables where the battery once resided, the jumper cables should still start the car.

Maybe you mean not enough resistance. In that case, the electricity will want to travel from one cable to the other through the shorted battery, instead of completing the circuit.

 

[archcommus]

Originally posted by: 91TTZ

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Battery. Alternator doesn't come into play until after the engine is started. If the battery is really dead, then you won't be able to jump it because there will be too much resistance in the circuit from the dead battery. Just get a new battery and go from there.

Your tires are fine.

ZV

The battery having too much resistance shouldn't be a problem. Even if you unhooked the battery and had near infinite resistance between the jumper cables where the battery once resided, the jumper cables should still start the car.

Maybe you mean not enough resistance. In that case, the electricity will want to travel from one cable to the other through the shorted battery, instead of completing the circuit.

So what do you think the reason is for it not starting when it's hooked up to the jumpers? When it's hooked up to the jumpers it will try and try and not turn over. Only once it's disconnected from the jumpers and attempted once or twice after that will it start doing nothing at all, as if the battery's dead.

 

[LTC8K6]

First deal with the battery. Either charge it up, or get a new one. After you have done that, then start looking at other things if the car still won't start.

It's the mix of hydrogen and air that is dangerous. The small amounts of hydrogen coming out of a charging car battery makes a nice flammable mix.

 

[archcommus]

Well my dad hooked up the jumpers again today, this time with the negative to ground, and kept it that way for a half hour or so. He started it with the jumpers hooked up and it started right up. After some idling time, he disconnected the jumpers and drove it around a bit. When he got back, he turned it off and tried to turn it on again without jumpers. That time it wouldn't start.

So I guess we're sure the problem is the battery and it's just really, really dead. He said tomorrow he'd do it again and leave it on for much longer before turning it off to charge the battery more (we don't own a battery charger). Is this bad to do and should I tell him not to do it? Or is it alright?

 

[AbsolutDealage]

Originally posted by: archcommus
Well my dad hooked up the jumpers again today, this time with the negative to ground, and kept it that way for a half hour or so. He started it with the jumpers hooked up and it started right up. After some more idling time, he disconnected the jumpers and drove it around a bit. After 45 minutes or so if it being on, he turned it off and tried to turn it on again without jumpers. That time it wouldn't start.

So I guess we're sure the problem is the battery and it's just really, really dead. He said tomorrow he'd do it again and leave it on for much longer before turning it off to charge the battery more (we don't own a battery charger). Is this bad practice and should I tell him not to do it? Or is it alright?

Just pull the battery and take it to autozone. They will charge it for you, and test to make sure it holds a charge for free. If you need a new one, drop the $40 and get a new one.

 

[Zenmervolt]

Originally posted by: 91TTZ

Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Battery. Alternator doesn't come into play until after the engine is started. If the battery is really dead, then you won't be able to jump it because there will be too much resistance in the circuit from the dead battery. Just get a new battery and go from there.

Your tires are fine.

ZV

The battery having too much resistance shouldn't be a problem. Even if you unhooked the battery and had near infinite resistance between the jumper cables where the battery once resided, the jumper cables should still start the car.

Maybe you mean not enough resistance. In that case, the electricity will want to travel from one cable to the other through the shorted battery, instead of completing the circuit.

You're right, typo. I've never had it work with a completely dead (i.e. shorted or with a reversed cell) battery in the circuit.

ZV