Battery dead--> car won't crank

[Bill Cool]

Saturday morning my battery was dead, so I jumped the car w/another vehicle, and all was fine. I didn't use the car again till Monday morning, and the battery was dead again. Tried to jump it w/another car and with a instant-battery-jump thing (I don't know the exact name), and the car wouldn't even turn over. The fuel pump turns on, but that's it. I think it's the starter, but of course I didn't have time to play w/it then, and forgot to disconnect the battery, so now there's absolutely no juice to test the solenoid or starter...

 

[2.3l driver]

also could be the alternator.

 

[Trefty]

I'm thinking the alternator as well. I had a similar problem where I could fully charge the battery, but the alternator wasn't keeping it charged so it would die on me in no time at all. Try using a battery from a friend's car, if it doesn't stay charged either, you probably need a new alternator.

 

[z9_87]

Also remember sometime you need to let the other car charge your battery a little, because it doesn't have a big enough battery to do it. My dad's car will jump my car but my brothers 4 banger wont even get it to crank.

 

[Bill Cool]

Hmm, good idea about the alternator, but yesterday I had a wrecker try jumping it, and waited a few minutes, to no avail... I'll pop the alternator off and have it tested tonite...

EDIT: if the alternator was bad, it still would have started yesterday w/the jump, right? It just wouldn't hold a charge...