Helpless Female car question..

[HipChick]

Any mechanics in DU house tonight?

So my car won't start..lights come on, but engine won't turn over...it has been sitting for a few weeks,as I'd been on travel...I started it yesterday, and just drove it around the block and back? Any ideas?
I was going to whip out the battery tomorrow and see if I can charge it..

[TreasonousBastard]

1. Sounds like your basic dead battery...

can you get a jump from someone? Have a long enough extension cord to let the charger sit under the hood for a few hours?

Starting and driving around the block won't charge the battery and might use up its last electrons. About a half hour on the road would give it a decent charge.

You may find the battery is now junk and have to get a new one. Or just get one anyway. Personally, there were times when I felt safer having a $50 spare battery and some jumper cables in the trunk-- you never know...

edit spelling

[HipChick]

2. Thanks...I try that..

[gvstn]

9. My dad used to mess around with jumper cables and weak batteries.

When I started driving and found out new batteries are in the $50-75 range--I just resolved to replace the battery the first time the car wouldn't start. Not worth the trouble of playing around with an older battery and never knowing when you would get stuck. PepBoys always has good prices on batteries. They aren't rated the best but I usually get 5 years or so out of them.

If your battery is over 5 years you should consider replacing as someone else said--the cold weather can finish off a weak battery so that it may no longer retain its full charge. If it is newer than that, a couple weeks of sitting could drain it and charging it may be all you need. Since the car started yesterday it seems like purely a battery/charge problem.

[LeftyMom]

3. How old is the battery?

It probably just needs charged because it's been sitting, but extreme weather tends to finish off batteries that were on their way out, so if it's more than a couple years old I would probably just replace it.

[HipChick]

7. It's not that old...but its been sitting for about 4 weeks..

[LeftyMom]

11. If you don't have a charger take it over to the auto parts store and let them do it.

It should take about an hour and they'll be able to tell you if it's not taking a charge well and needs replaced.

It's a bit odd that it fired up yesterday but won't today, since it sat before that. I know this is a bit obvious but have you checked the terminals to make sure the connections are tight? Is there any chance you left a light on after you drove the car yesterday?

[lastlib]

33. also check if any corrosion/acid build-up on battery posts....

...which might prevent a good contact.

(Coca-Cola is good for cleaning battery acid off your posts......)

[uppityperson]

4. A battery can have enough juice to turn on lights, but not to start a car. If you get it started,

driving it for a while, or just letting it run, should charge up the battery if the battery is still good. Batteries age and eventually do not want to store so they need replacing.

If you can get it jump started and let it run for 15 min or so, the battery should charge if it is still able to.

Or take it to a autoparts store and have them check it for you. If it is bad, then you are there and can buy a new one.

[loli phabay]

5. is there a clicking noise when you try to start it, if so i would say your battery is dead

i have this happen to me regularly when i park and forget to turn of my radios, four days later i climb in and all i get is click click click. also see if your remote open lock works, if there is power in your battery it should still work if not then most likely its your battery.

[HipChick]

6. Yes...there is a clicking noise when I try to start

I will try and put it on charge...

[loli phabay]

8. i would guess its your battery that died, get it charged and i would still get autozone to check it

i know tomorrow i need to jumpstart mine, luckily once it starts it runs non stop twelve hours so its okay for the next few hours.

[HipChick]

10. i don't have anywhere to be tomorrow..

so I will stick it on the battery charger tomorrow..

[Major Nikon]

14. Classic dead battery

Sounds like one of the cells went bad. If you have a voltmeter you can put it across the terminals and if it's around 10v or less you have a dead cell. It should be 12v or more. If you can manage to get it started take it somewhere to have it checked because sometimes with a good charge you can still get it started with a dead cell, but the problem will come back.

[HipChick]

15. Voltmeter?

I just put gas in the car...

[Major Nikon]

17. Some cars have them in the gauge set

[Locut0s]

18. Interesting I've never seen this before. Nt.

[lastlib]

34. (it's the one upper-right--shows 9....14....19) n/t

[Locut0s]

20. Its a tool for measuring the voltage output of a device...

It will tell you how much voltage the battery is outputting.

More common would probably by a multimeter like this



Which have a lot of other functions but can test voltage too.

[HipChick]

22. I just put petrol in the car and it goes...

but I will look into purchasing one of these also...

[Locut0s]

23. You probably don't need one...

I'm the same as you. Gas goes in car, car goes from A to B, done. I've never been a car guy like so many of my peers. Computer hardware and other gadgets are my thing The only reason I know about volt meters and multi meters is I'm quite interested in electronics which is where they are primarily used. Unless you are looking at getting into electronics or electrical wiring I would say you don't need one.

[Mopar151]

25. Real handy, cheap.That one will do all you need

Even has the low ohm scale that lets you test out alternator components, were you so inclined. I've done them for my buddies by streetlight, drunk - we found the offending diode, ?somebody??? found a part by morning, made the call for first round!

[leftyohiolib]

12. how can u tell your car is female?

[noamnety]

13. I'm guessing she can tell

because it's a smart car.

[HipChick]

16. That's right a smart car and its never wrong..

[pinboy3niner]

27. The car bra might be another tipoff

[HipChick]

32. Lol! I could not find the car battery...

until I consulted the manual and looked in the trunk....

[Orrex]

19. I agree that it sounds like a battery problem. Do you have AAA?

We had to make use of their services earlier in the week when our new/used car wouldn't start. The battery was dead beyond the reach of modern science, but the were able to give me a jump and get me started. In the absence of someone close by with a set of jumper cables, they might be a good way to go.

[HipChick]

21. I don't today..

but might do so by tomorrow... the good thing I am stranded at home...

[Sherman A1]

28. check your auto insurance

some have a road side assist thing with the policy. I have used mine a couple times over the years and they take awhile, but it's free (of sorts).

[Mopar151]

24. A complex system, with many f*&$^ things to go wrong

There's no need to take the battery out to charge it, if you can get power to where the car is.

Disassemble &Clean the battery terminals. You need to see shiny metal at the current path. There are nifty cleaning gadgets, but a jacknife or a small wire brush will do. if there is a white, cruddy mess around the terminal, get rid of it - if it touches your clothes, tho, it'll eat a hole in them (except for wool - battery salesmen often wear sweaters!) If you can find where the battery cables connect at the other end, make sure they are tight and undamaged. Dirty terminals will also prevent the alternator from charging the battery - seen it on a months-old car.

Voltmeter tests: Need 12 V+ across the terminals of a somewhat charged battery, less and it's junk.
If the meter reads less than 10.5 volts across the battery while cranking, it's discharged. If it has been charged and fails - junk.
Quickie charging system test: With the engine running at a fast idle or above, voltage across the battery should be 13.5 +. Apply a load to the system, by turning lights, heater blower, rear defrost, etc. -at the same fast idle or above - and it should maintain a similar voltage. GM spec, when I was Mr. Goodwrench, was 13,8 to 14.2 volts. if it goes over 15 volts, it'll cook the battery, pop light bulbs, etc.

Lead-acid batteries will lose about 1% of their charge per day, with nothing connected to them. Many newer cars will have a small "draw" on the battery to maintain electronic memories and the like - but a small light bulb, left connected for a long time, will kill one deader than a smelt!
The chemical reaction that makes batteries work is temperature sensetive - 10 degrees will make a significant difference! I've gotten cars to start by warming the battery with an incadescent light bulb for a few hours. This may have to do with why your car rolled "snake eyes".

Finally - those stupid little $1 felt washers they sell in the battery dept REALLY WORK to keep terrminals from crudding up. Avoid the use of jumper cables if you can - they have several nasty failure modes when used improperly - as most folks do.

[Mopar151]

29. Link to article

Popular Mechanics
http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/how-to/maintenance/1608582

Woman's day
http://www.womansday.com/life/saving-money/car-battery-maintenance-tips-114083

[Populist_Prole]

26. Can you clarify something?

You say, "The lights turn on". Did you turn them on to see if your battery has any juice, or do they come on automatically when you turn the key to on? Like many cars with DRL ( daytime running lights ) do.

If you turned them on, let me ask you this: If when you turn the key to the start position, do the lights dim noticeably, or do they stay as they were? If they don't dim it's an open in starting circuit. If they do dim it's a battery issue...the easier of the 2 to solve.

[jakeXT]

30. I once had a dirty cam shaft position sensor

I had to take it out and clean it.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crankshaft_position_sensor

[mythology]

31. In addition to the things others have said

it could also be a bad starter if jumping/replacing the battery doesn't work.