95 850 Battery/Starting Issue

UpsnDowns · Post by **UpsnDowns** » 25 Feb 2015, 14:34

Hi,
I had issue that I thought was resolved until current cold weather conditions started. I do not drive every day. Purchased new Exide battery about 6 months ago. Trusted mechanic told me that issue was a magnetic field around alternator. Had car jump started, yesterday. Ran it for about 1 1/2 hours and again about 2 hours later to gain a better parking spot. Today, at about noon, it would not start - no clicking sound nothing.

Can a magnetic field be causing problem? Or, can it be something else like an ignition switch? I've searched through 20 pages of this forum without finding another owner with same issue.

Thanks

Post by **tryingbe** » 25 Feb 2015, 15:09

Do you have a multimeter? What is the voltage of the battery? Are all the connection tight and secure?

UpsnDowns · Post by **UpsnDowns** » 25 Feb 2015, 15:35

I do not have any tools.

Post by **polskamafia mjl** » 25 Feb 2015, 17:35

You may want to buy an inexpensive multi meter to test the voltage of the battery. You can also remove the battery from the car and take it somewhere to have it tested.

UpsnDowns · Post by **UpsnDowns** » 25 Feb 2015, 18:02

Thanks for replies. I continued search and found video on page 29 that separated no start issue into two possibilities: 1) cranks when ignition key is started or 2) there is no crank. My problem is 2) no crank.

I will get jump start tomorrow and bring to mechanic, same one who declared that magnetic field was problem. Battery was purchased from him and under warranty. He will test both battery and starter by methods in video.

My question is whether it can be the starter if the battery is fully juiced and car starts? In another posting, it was recommended that the battery be 'slow charged' for 12 hours.

Post by **tryingbe** » 25 Feb 2015, 18:51

UpsnDowns wrote:I do not have any tools.

Spend the $10 and buy one?

Battery can be bad.
Starter can be bad.
Starter relay can be bad.
Battery cables can be bad.
Ignition switch can be bad.

Without any tools, there is no easy to way to test anything.

Post by **scot850** » 25 Feb 2015, 23:58

Could also be the Alternator drawing down the battery. This can be intermittent and flatten the battery really quickly. Buy a cheap tester as suggested, and read up on doing a current drain test to see if something is flattening the battery.

Neil.

UpsnDowns · Post by **UpsnDowns** » 26 Feb 2015, 13:32

A few starts were performed following jump start: Battery registers 13.82; starter and cables OK; ignition switch ok; alternator not draining current - drove 1 1/2 hours and tested same 13.82. Interior lights, trunk light, glove compartment light, third brake light are all ok.

I will try to run it for 1/2 hour tomorrow and every day thereafter. It could be just cold weather, but I had same problem last year in all types of weather.

Post by **tryingbe** » 26 Feb 2015, 14:00

Battery shouldn't be at 13.82V. 13.82V is the alternator voltage, not the battery.

With car off, take the voltage measurement from the battery post, what is it? When the car doesn't start, take another voltage measurement, what is it?

If you can jump the car and the car runs fine, the issue is either with the battery or alternator not charging the battery due to faulty cable/connection.

UpsnDowns · Post by **UpsnDowns** » 27 Feb 2015, 06:58

"Postby tryingbe » Yesterday, 17:00

Battery shouldn't be at 13.82V. 13.82V is the alternator voltage, not the battery."

tryingbe - the meter was connected to the battery post. How can that be the alternator voltage?
The alternator current drain test was conducted by my driving; stopping for 15 minutes for a total of 1 1/2 hours. The meter was placed on same battery post and read the same 13.82V.

I started car at 7AM and let it run, in idle, until 8AM. Started with a roar and warmed-up fine. That was about 15 hours since it was parked at 4PM, yesterday. I will do the same, before dawn this evening.

Though all may seem ok if I continue to run car for at least 1/2 hour each day, I am leery because the issue occurred in 2014, as well. The AAA guy told me to look for obvious electric sources that may be the culprit for draining battery when vehicle is not operating: interior lights, trunk light, door lights, etc. - checked all of those, except one of the interior overhead (reading light) that has been out for about a year - will get to it in the next day or two. I also have a 6-dvd player in trunk and wonder if that could be a source of battery drainage when car is off?

Thanks, again, for all replies.