Hello:
My 89 Bronco would not start this morning. I turn the key, and i get a "click". All power was working, radio, lights etc. Tow it to the mechanic and he tells me its the starter.. Fair enough. He puts in a new starter, i start it up and drive away. I pull into the driveway and turn off the engine. I turn the key and I HAVE NOTHING. No click, no lights, no radio etc.
The mechanic comes to the house, jumps the battery, tightens the cables, etc. It starts up then dies when i take my foot off the gas. Turn the key again and NOTHING. Mechanic now says i need a new battery. ANYONE have an opinion? Can new starter drain a battery? The battery is 4 years old, but worked great 6 hours ago.

thanks in advance..

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 09-Jul-02 AT 02:20 PM (EST)]4 Years is probably all you could hope for on the battery.

My guess (and I wasnt there, so dont consider it gospel) is that the battery was your problem all along, and that the starter was probably not as bad as suspected. Lights and radio may have worked, but the amps were insufficient to crank over the motor.

again, this is my opinion.


Drew

 

Also....

Has the alternator been checked to see if it is charging?
after all...you said car died after it was started...

 

Change the battery to solenoid cable. They fill up with corrosion.

 

[updated:LAST EDITED ON 09-Jul-02 AT 02:35 PM (EST)]thanks for the response.. it is a brand new alternator. that was installed in April i do not know whether he tested it or not. The mechanic suggests the battery. I will change the cables first, then the battery. It is probably the cheaper way to go at first.

 

Dont just replace the Battery. Take it down to your local parts store, and have them test it to see if it holds a charge. If it does, then the battery is not your problem.

If battery holds a charge, find out why it drained. theres a couple of possibilities:

a) alternator is bad. (part store can check this too.)
b) you left something on, or a door open


dont rush to spend money if it is not necessary....batteries are not cheap.

good luck
Drew.

 

I own a small battery store...I run into this all the time...here's some self-help hints:

1. If you got to start in the morning, after the vehicle has 'rested' all night, and the engine turns over slower that usual, or only 'clicks...90% of the time it's the battery.

A. If you then turn on the high beams and the lights are dim, again it's usually the battery (sometimes the Alternator - more later).
B. If the lights are bright - then it might be the battery terminal connections are corroded (the newer, thin type terminals are always suspect and need attention at least once a year), loose, dirty, etc - or the cable is swelled up with internal corrsion and can't transfer the high amps needed by the starter.
C. The starter is getting old and worn out - how many miles do you have on the starter - do you stop and start many times each day (commercial use?) - the commutator and brushes are worn out - or the starter solenoid contacts are worn beyond use and only connect part of the time.

2. If your alternator is not working properly, the voltage is usually way below normal or nothing at all...easy to check...
A. Hook a voltmeter to the battery terminals (cheapo digital works great) and record the voltage before starting the engine. A charged battery is usually close to 13 volts (12.75 & up) for a vehicle that's driven daily with a good alternator.
B. Now start the engine and look at the voltmeter - does it increase towards 14 volts (14.2 +-)? If so, the alternator is working 'OK'. Try turning on the headlights and AC or heater to see if the voltage remains around 14 volts - indicating the alternator and regulator are keeping up with the vehicles electrical demands under load. If the voltmeter shows the voltage dropping, the alternator (or regulator) is not working properly, and needs looking at.
C. If the alternator isn't working, the battery doesn't get recharged, and you have been running on the batteries excess capacity for the past couple of days until there wasn't enough Amp Hours left in the battery to turn over the engine. IMPORTANT - it this is your problem, RECHARGE the battery fully with an external battery charger before you allow your new alternator to operate. You may damage a new alternator (or regulator) by trying to let it recharge a dead battery! Your alternator is primairly used to replace the Amp Hours used during starting, and then to run the vehicles electrical demands while running - it's not a battery charger for 'dead' batteries!
D. Additional note, if you have a big hairy stereo Amp in the back with a gazillon watts to run a dozen speakers - get you alternator rebuilt by a shop that know about such things so that it can keep up with the stereo's added electrical load...if not, you will shorten the batteries life, as well as the 'stock' alternator's life!

When I change a battery, I always clean the battery posts, the cable terminals, and the hold down bolts. With everything nice, clean and tight, I spray a terminal protection product onto the terminals. I also like to use those small round battery post felts on top post batteries - they are real cheap and work great when you also spray the terminals from the top.

If you have a GM type side-post battery - I can't help you much - they are CRAP! The corrosion gets into those cable ends and you can't do anything to fix em' except to replace them - but almost nobody wants to go to trouble! If you try to clean them, they just corrode right back up and you get little electrical contact where you need it most - at the battery! Also, it's almost impossible to put jumper cables on those cheapo 8 mm bolt ends! Like I said side-post batteries are CRAP! At least Ford didn't fall into the side-post battery trap!

There you go - almost everything you wanted to know about batteries...hope it helps next time...enjoy.

 

thanks for all the input.. I did take the battery to the parts store, had it tested, and it failed.. Put a new battery in, started right up. Guess is it was just time for it to go......