Battery/Charging Question....NEED RESPONSE SOON PREF BEFORE 11pm PST

[extremetrek]

Wow, I am really racking up the posts today...

OKay here goes...I turn the car off and leave anything on, even the little light under the hood for 5 minutes and the car doesn't want to start. Like the battery is dead. So I leave it alone for about 10-15 then it hesitates and starts after a few turn overs. The ammeter (stock) reads high all the time. I recently changed the negative battery clamp due to corrosion on the older one and it is a bit more beefy than the one before.


So is my problem...
A.) The Battery - - - I think its really old and sometimes liquid can be seen on top.
B.) The Alternator
C.) The new battery clamp

I need to know quick, I am planning to go to CA tommorow and the store close in 40 min so if I need a new battery or alt I need to grab it tonight....thanks in advance!

 

[94gts]

are the battery terminals tight on the battery and wont move. i know if mine are not tight the car will not turn over.

 

[extremetrek]

yeah they are tight...I made sure of that...thanks though...anyone else, I have also been having other issues like with fuel and such and I know if the battery is dead/dying the A/F mixture changes is this true?

 

[TrueBlue95GT]

Does the starter click or does the car try and turn over before the 15 minute time period?

 

[FastFord]

I would suspect the battery... depending where you go, you might be able to have your charging system checked to see if the alt is OK too. Good luck.

 

[extremetrek]

it doesn't click, it just tries and tries to turn over...it sounds so sad....

 

[FastFord]

yeah they are tight...I made sure of that...thanks though...anyone else, I have also been having other issues like with fuel and such and I know if the battery is dead/dying the A/F mixture changes is this true?

I have never had the A/F mixture change from a dead battery.. and I hate to say that I have been the dead battery king the last couple of years. I would say the fuel issue is not associated with the battery/charging issue.

 

[94gts]

it doesn't click, it just tries and tries to turn over...it sounds so sad....

does it turn over with force or is it weak


if weak have you tried jump starting it?

 

[extremetrek]

its weak...like I said if I leave it alone it'll start after a couple of minutes, which is what confuses me the most.

....so battery then???.....

 

[FastFord]

So if you don't have any drain on the battery, it starts up with no issue?

 

[extremetrek]

Here was the situation. I had the car in the on position to try and pull any codes with my scanner. It wasn't working so I went to start the car and it just turned and turned and turned. I gave up and went to the back yard to get my charger and when I came back out again I tried starting it again. It was weak at first and then it started up. This is the second time it has happened. As long as I run absoulutely nothing when the car is off there is no problem, but if I leave the door open to long with the courtesy light on, bam the battery won't start the car right at first.

 

[FastFord]

Ok.. Like you mentioned.. the battery is old. So I would start with that. Second, I was wondering if you were or are having a fuel delivery issue.. which starves out the engine and can cause slow starts or multiple trys.. to prime the engine with the intank fuel pump.

 

[FastFord]

But then you say that you dont have an issue when not drained... could it be a combination of things.... poor performing battery and fuel pump... perhaps.. but go with the battery first and get a charging system check at your local auto part store.

 

[extremetrek]

Alrighty I will swap out the battery and see if that solves the problem. I know I am having some sort of fuel issue or something due to the presence of pinging as well as the surge and die menitoned in another post. Thanks for the help on this one, we shall see if the battery solves the problem.

 

[FastFord]

No problem... also consider perhaps the fuel pressure regulator might be also causing your fuel issue. Good luck