|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 47
New CEG\'er
|
OP
New CEG\'er
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 47 |
my 00 svt won't start, I just get a loud clicking noise.
background info: I was cleaning my battery terminals and I disconnected the negative terminal but was unable to get the positive one off. The negative terminal sparked when I put it back on.
Right now: the car 's accessories work. If I try to turn it on the headlights will dim, so I thought it was just not enough charge. Got a jump from my bro, that worked fine. NOTE I did charged-posi to discharged-posi then charged-neg to discharged-neg - whoops it was supposed to be charged-neg to ground on discharged car, right??? Drove the car for a few miles and came back home.
Now the car won't start again. WTF? Do I just need to drive it longer? google is failing me!
other misc info:
- I used a cheapo meter thingy to see I have 13 volts of dc between the posts.
- it's only 43 degrees out
- while stressed and old for an OEM motorcraft battery, it showed no signs of wearing down until today. Even started fine right after I reconnected it yesterday; I had let the car idle for a couple minutes so the pcm could re-learn the idle.
thoughts?? thanks guys
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,505
Hard-core CEG\'er
|
|
Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,505 |
jump the car again and let it run for a min and take the negative cable off the battery while the car is still running. if it dies it's your altenator 
1999 Ford Contour SE Zetec with 137k miles.
AIM Name: ContourAlf
Yahoo IM: Contour_Freak
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 392
CEG\'er
|
|
CEG\'er
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 392 |
contourfreak22:
jump the car again and let it run for a min and take the negative cable off the battery while the car is still running. if it dies it's your altenator
It's not a good idea to take off the negative while the car is running. Yes you will know if the alternator is charging. If the car still run that mean that the alternator is fine, if the car stall it mean that your alt is doing bad.
BUT i really suggest you to have your alt test at a shop with a meter.
When you unplug the negative while the car is running you might burn your alt. Why?? Because the PCM continously read the vlotage of the battery to adjust the power produce by the alternator. This way you will fool the PCM and have the alt charging at it max and might damage it. You will create a situation an overcharging for your alternator.
Nic.
Contour 99 MTX V6 fully loaded, stock with 110000km. Illuminated sunroof switch. About to do the mystique rear dome light conversion with eyeball dome light.
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,086
Hard-core CEG\'er
|
|
Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,086 |
when my battery went bad in my old car(1989 Dodge Aries LE  )I took it to autozone or advance auto parts I cant remember, and they tested it, but first me and my dad thought it was my starter(which was part of the problem it was going bad but thats a whole different story)and I got it tested and got a new one and it worked just fine, so I'd say take either(battery or alternator)to a auto parts store and have them test both, if they do the tests that is(btw its free)but if your battery isnt keeping its charge after you jump it its gotta be either alternator or both.
Jason G.
1997 Mercury Mystique GS ZETEC ATX
Born: 11/96
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,816
Hard-core CEG\'er
|
|
Hard-core CEG\'er
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,816 |
Originally posted by Nic_ContourSE99:
When you unplug the negative while the car is running you might burn your alt. Why?? Because the PCM continously read the vlotage of the battery to adjust the power produce by the alternator. This way you will fool the PCM and have the alt charging at it max and might damage it. You will create a situation an overcharging for your alternator.
Nic.
I also heard that you could fry the PCM with a spike voltage...
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 47
New CEG\'er
|
|
OP
New CEG\'er
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 47 |
Thanks everyone for your help. Took it down to AutoZone and they diagnosed the problem as a bad battery. Replaced it and all is well so far.
Seemed like too big of a coincidence for the battery to die the day after I cleaned the posts. Especially considering my head unit is in for servicing so a major power drain is gone... hmmm I wonder if, since the head unit is in for servicing it wasn't able to tell the amp in the trunk to shut off, so the amp drained my battery overnight? And then since my battery is kind of old anyway, it couldn't recover from being drained to such a low level?
I didn't think that was a problem since my head unit has been gone for a couple weeks and I had no problems - BUT disconnecting power to the amp maybe caused it to "forget" it's settings and so it defaulted to "on." Which costs me $60 for a new battery (a bit less than I was expecting honestly!).
|
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 392
CEG\'er
|
|
CEG\'er
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 392 |
Kane:
Originally posted by Nic_ContourSE99:
When you unplug the negative while the car is running you might burn your alt. Why?? Because the PCM continously read the vlotage of the battery to adjust the power produce by the alternator. This way you will fool the PCM and have the alt charging at it max and might damage it. You will create a situation an overcharging for your alternator.
Nic.
I also heard that you could fry the PCM with a spike voltage...
Yes it's true. Good point.
Nic.
Contour 99 MTX V6 fully loaded, stock with 110000km. Illuminated sunroof switch. About to do the mystique rear dome light conversion with eyeball dome light.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
