Car dying - Car Troubleshooting


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Auto Repair Home>> Automotive Repair>> Car Troubleshooting

misfitlife
Novice

Feb 26, 2020, 5:47 AM

Post #1 of 4 (1148 views)

Car dying	Sign In

My husband has a 99 Ford Ranger. It started intermittently loosing power and the battery would be completely dead. The battery showed to be bad so he replaced the battery. Car ran fine for 4 months. Then one morning he went to leave for work and it was dead again. Had that battery checked it showed to be bad. Replaced the 4 month old battery everything was running fine again until a few weeks ago.

Had alternator tested. It showed to be bad. Replaced alternator and serpentine belt. Took battery off and charged. Car started and ran fine for a day. Left for work this morning got 3 blocks. Everything went dim all dashboard lights came. Battery level went to 0 and car died.

Any need thoughts and suggestions on where to go from here.

Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Feb 26, 2020, 8:10 AM

Post #2 of 4 (1141 views)

Re: Car dying	Sign In

You (for this vehicle) may be caught playing I'll call Ping-Pong doing one at a time, alternator and battery. Can also be bad luck with batteries bad from new and vs versa.

What can happen is one has the problem takes down the other overworking it. That is to say, a super low able battery isn't good alternator is working so hard it's red hot trying and it is damaged. Battery fails but alternator wasn't up to it again fully. Toss it but allow the 99% of batteries "Flooded Lead Acid" to get low, flat, dead all terms used seriously harms them.

What to do?
# 1 may be tough if the source is a parasitic drain you should at least be checking for one. It's here how to I wont go there yet.
It's costly but if you can rule that out do both alternator and battery but do charge NEW batteries BEFORE you install them oddly they are NOT fully charged NEW! I know that sounds silly but they aren't.
#2 Bad luck? If by chance have put in one or the other that was defective this game will play hide and seek and testing can show everything is fine is a very real mess and tough to know it's fixed for sure.

That was my name for this calling it Ping-Pong like the game of back and forth with a ball on a table just an expression not a techno name for it,

T

Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Feb 26, 2020, 12:32 PM

Post #3 of 4 (1134 views)

Re: Car dying	Sign In

Hereis the procedure to check for a parasitic draw

You will need a digital ammeter and a jumper wire with clips on the ends to do this.
First rig any door switches so you can have a door open without triggering the interior lights and unplug the hood light. Remove one battery cable and attach the meter in series between the battery cable and battery post. Take the jumper wire and also attach it the same way. Leave the jumper wire on for at least 30 to 40 minutes to expire all the automatic timers. Now remove the jumper wire and read the meter. Anything over 50ma is too much draw. The way you locate this is to start removing fuses one at a time until the meter drops to normal level. This will be the circuit with something staying on. Determine what components are part of that circuit and check them individually until the problem is isolated.

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We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.

Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Tom Greenleaf profile image

Feb 26, 2020, 1:33 PM

Post #4 of 4 (1130 views)

Re: Car dying	Sign In

Added thought: If this vehicle's PWR ports are used for charging thing (it's what they are for or to use things) but really only when it's running already. Don't leave anything in ports when it's off totally.

If you do and have been stop that buy a 12v something for use where you live most don't rely on a vehicle as your charging device if you do at all most things that even say quit when fully charged are still a drain starts this game of what to blame. Hope that if you do the "Test as HT" said you find it. It really stinks if intermittent on you,

T

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