Around XMas, my car battery died (at OfficeMax). When I tried to start it, I could hear that gizmo on the starter clicking, but the starter wasn't fireing. So I took the battery back to Sam's, and got about 50% off of a new one since it was still on the prorated warranty.
Then about early March, I got into my car, turned the key, heard one click, and everything was dead. No display on the clock, no car alarm, no nothing. Swapped the battery at Sam's again.
Yesterday, I drove 7 miles to the liquor store, then 7 more to the video store. When I came out of the video store, the same darn thing happened. Car clicked once, and was completely dead. The starter solenoid was not firing, the clock went out.
Currently I plan to take the battery out of the car, borrow the charger from my nice neighbor, charge it up and drive it to a repair place. But perhaps I can get some good advice from AT. Here's some details to assist with figuring this out.
I don't drive this car much. Typically a couple short trips a week. It's a `96 Firebird with a 350 engine, and the battery is several hundred CCAs more than required by the book the car came with. When the battery is dead like this, I cannot jump it with a 4 cylinder Escort wagon.
The Firebird has a few things wrong with it. The Engine Coolant light is stuck on. Last winter it came on, and this spring I replaced a broken overflow tank (stupid dealer-only plastic part cost about $60, geez), but the sensor must be fuxored - there's plenty of coolant. Also, the headlight closed sensor seems to be broken - the headlights open and close, and the close motor runs until it times out every time I set or unset the alarm.
This car sleeps in my garage with the alarm off for days at a time. Seems hard to believe that I've run across two bad batteries in a row. And I checked the "Born On" date on this battery when I got it - Feb `04 (the previous one was Aug `03). But it's also hard to believe that the car could go from a good start to 100% dead in 7 miles. I was only in the video store about 5 minutes. What I am afraid of, is some sort of tough-to-find intermittent short.
Thanks in advance for any help. I'm reasonably capable of minor car repairs (like swapping batteries or putting in a new overflow coolant tank), but things like new piston rings are way beyond me. I've also got an El Cheapo (tm) analog voltmeter, FWIW.
Then about early March, I got into my car, turned the key, heard one click, and everything was dead. No display on the clock, no car alarm, no nothing. Swapped the battery at Sam's again.
Yesterday, I drove 7 miles to the liquor store, then 7 more to the video store. When I came out of the video store, the same darn thing happened. Car clicked once, and was completely dead. The starter solenoid was not firing, the clock went out.
Currently I plan to take the battery out of the car, borrow the charger from my nice neighbor, charge it up and drive it to a repair place. But perhaps I can get some good advice from AT. Here's some details to assist with figuring this out.
I don't drive this car much. Typically a couple short trips a week. It's a `96 Firebird with a 350 engine, and the battery is several hundred CCAs more than required by the book the car came with. When the battery is dead like this, I cannot jump it with a 4 cylinder Escort wagon.
The Firebird has a few things wrong with it. The Engine Coolant light is stuck on. Last winter it came on, and this spring I replaced a broken overflow tank (stupid dealer-only plastic part cost about $60, geez), but the sensor must be fuxored - there's plenty of coolant. Also, the headlight closed sensor seems to be broken - the headlights open and close, and the close motor runs until it times out every time I set or unset the alarm.
This car sleeps in my garage with the alarm off for days at a time. Seems hard to believe that I've run across two bad batteries in a row. And I checked the "Born On" date on this battery when I got it - Feb `04 (the previous one was Aug `03). But it's also hard to believe that the car could go from a good start to 100% dead in 7 miles. I was only in the video store about 5 minutes. What I am afraid of, is some sort of tough-to-find intermittent short.
Thanks in advance for any help. I'm reasonably capable of minor car repairs (like swapping batteries or putting in a new overflow coolant tank), but things like new piston rings are way beyond me. I've also got an El Cheapo (tm) analog voltmeter, FWIW.
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