Need help asap. Car is dead here at work, need to fix before I leave

[JohnS.]

I think off topic gets the most attention so I'm posting this here temporarily. I'll delete it when I get home. IF I get home that is...

I went to the bank during my lunch break to make a couple deposits. I come out and a guy asks me if I could give him a jump. I wasn't in a hurry and I was in a good mood so I said sure. The car was running when I jumped him. I left, drove about a mile to work, pulled into the parking lot, I was going reverse into a spot, shut it off, rolled the rest of the way into the spot, went to turn the key backwards to pull it out, and nothing was working. The car wouldn't beep at me when the door was open, remote wouldn't lock/unlock the car... The battery was literally dead.

I opened the hood and checked and re-checked everything. All my fuses are good. The connections on the battery are good. The battery is 2 weeks old, bought it brand new. Alternator has never gone bad on me and I've driven a lot since I've gotten the new battery and haven't noticed any dimming lights or problems starting the car so unless the alternator literally just died within the past 6 hours, that can't be it. The car fired up perfectly this morning after sitting for over 12 hours. I checked the starter plug on the tranny and that's plugged in (that happened to me before so that was the first thing I checked). I checked every other connection I could see and everything is fine.

After checking everything, I got back in the car to try again and the car beeped when I put the key in with the door open. But the beep wasn't normal. It was a little faint and it cut in and out. So I guess there's still juice but there's a bad connection or something somewhere.

Any input? I'm gonna see if a jump works later when I leave because I can't just leave in the middle of work and get a jump and sit in my car for 10-15 minutes and wait for it to charge back up if it has no juice.

 

[Genuine Rolla]

Check the ground for the battery to chassis. Similar thing happened to me...stopped at a gas station and then it wouldn't start. Ended up being enough corrosion on the terminals to stop the electrical connection.

Triple check the terminals and the grounds, and while you're at it, check the fuses under the dash and under the hood.

 

[00_Civic_Si]

Sounds like what happened to me when I jumped my brothers dead eclipse. It took all my battery juice from my car and put it into his battery. I let my car sit 5-6 hours and it started up. Try that and see if it works, if that doesn't help, I'm clueless.

 

[Matt.]

sounds like the battery is running low, get a jump and you should be alright

 

[JohnS.]

Check the ground for the battery to chassis. Similar thing happened to me...stopped at a gas station and then it wouldn't start. Ended up being enough corrosion on the terminals to stop the electrical connection.

Triple check the terminals and the grounds, and while you're at it, check the fuses under the dash and under the hood.

I checked everything under the hood then re-checked it. The connections are good. There's a tiny bit of that blue-ish flaky s**t on the negative terminal but that was normal. I blew it off. Always comes back.

The ground on the chassis was fine. It doesn't look any different but I'll try to remember to take a look at it later if the jump doesn't work.

Sounds like what happened to me when I jumped my brothers dead eclipse. It took all my battery juice from my car and put it into his battery. I let my car sit 5-6 hours and it started up. Try that and see if it works, if that doesn't help, I'm clueless.

I can't be here for that long lol. I'm only a contractor at this company and as per my contract, I can't be at work without any full-time company employee around. I'd have to get a ride home and come back. But even then, that's a pain in the ass. If I can do anything to fix it while I'm here or right when I get out, I'd prefer that.

sounds like the battery is running low, get a jump and you should be alright

At first I thought the battery was completely dead since nothing worked. But when the car started beeping faintly the 2nd time I tried, I had hopes. I really hope a jump works.

I just never thought that a jump would take THAT much juice out. Especially on a brand new battery.

 

[toneekay]

Just let the battery sit, without trying to start it, or turn anything on. Some batteries, when jumping others, will drain the CCA down. Often times it'll recharge itself... If that doesn't work then just get a jump from someone else and steal their juice haha!

 

[JohnS.]

Just let the battery sit, without trying to start it, or turn anything on. Some batteries, when jumping others, will drain the CCA down. Often times it'll recharge itself... If that doesn't work then just get a jump from someone else and steal their juice haha!

Do you think 3 hours is enough time to let it sit? That's how long it'll be from the time I last tried anything having to do with the battery and when I get out of work.

Thanks guys.

 

[vjf915]

I agree on letting the battery sit. Since the battery is new, I would guess alternator. Give your batter some time to recharge, then tomorrow after work test the alternator. Turn car on, disconnect negative lead, let car run for a little while. If the car dies at all, your alternator is bad.

 

[JohnS.]

I agree on letting the battery sit. Since the battery is new, I would guess alternator. Give your batter some time to recharge, then tomorrow after work test the alternator. Turn car on, disconnect negative lead, let car run for a little while. If the car dies at all, your alternator is bad.

My supervisor said another way to test the alternator is use a multimeter or voltmeter or whatever the hell it is and, with the car running, test the battery. He said it should read around 13.5-13.8 volts or amps or something. I don't know s**t about that stuff lol. And with the car off, battery should read 12V.

 

[JiuJitsu_greg]

Do you have a volt meter on you to check your output from the battery? A little bit of corrosion on the terminal can keep your car from starting. If it was me I would get my volt meter that I keep in my toolbox in my truck and check for voltage at the battery(ohm) and also completely clean the terminals. If you have a wire brush clean it all up nice and if you don't coke will dissolve corrosion. You can't trouble shoot things like Its been okay so its good or i just bought this so its good. I just recently had a fan issue and I thought well it can't be my mishimoto fan switch I just bought it. But I checked it anyways and it was the one month old fan switch that was the issue.

 

[JiuJitsu_greg]

My supervisor said another way to test the alternator is use a multimeter or voltmeter or whatever the hell it is and, with the car running, test the battery. He said it should read around 13.5-13.8 volts or amps or something. I don't know s**t about that stuff lol. And with the car off, battery should read 12V.

he is right. it is simple. red to red black to black. Set your volt meter to ohm's and see what it says. you can also check the alt this way.

http://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-a-car-battery

 

[Daddy_Digital]

go to autozone and have them test ur alternator, battery and check the diagnostics by plugging into the port to check for CELs (check engine lights).

 

[Shiznit]

its manual right? i think i remember you did a conversion.

push start it. see if it stays alive. if it does then drive it home. turn it off, and try starting it again.

 

[toneekay]

Do you think 3 hours is enough time to let it sit? That's how long it'll be from the time I last tried anything having to do with the battery and when I get out of work.

Thanks guys.

Yea, that should be a good enough time... If it doesn't start the first time, turn the key to off for a few seconds, and then try to start again. Do this multiple times until it starts...

My supervisor said another way to test the alternator is use a multimeter or voltmeter or whatever the hell it is and, with the car running, test the battery. He said it should read around 13.5-13.8 volts or amps or something. I don't know s**t about that stuff lol. And with the car off, battery should read 12V.

Numbers sound about right, but you probably don't have a multi/volt meter laying around.

its manual right? i think i remember you did a conversion.

push start it. see if it stays alive. if it does then drive it home. turn it off, and try starting it again.

If all else fails, try push starting your car.

 

[JohnS.]

Do you have a volt meter on you to check your output from the battery? A little bit of corrosion on the terminal can keep your car from starting. If it was me I would get my volt meter that I keep in my toolbox in my truck and check for voltage at the battery(ohm) and also completely clean the terminals. If you have a wire brush clean it all up nice and if you don't coke will dissolve corrosion. You can't trouble shoot things like Its been okay so its good or i just bought this so its good. I just recently had a fan issue and I thought well it can't be my mishimoto fan switch I just bought it. But I checked it anyways and it was the one month old fan switch that was the issue.

he is right. it is simple. red to red black to black. Set your volt meter to ohm's and see what it says. you can also check the alt this way.

http://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-check-a-car-battery

If a jump doesn't work, I'll try busting out the volt meter.

go to autozone and have them test ur alternator, battery and check the diagnostics by plugging into the port to check for CELs (check engine lights).

If a jump works and I get home and shut it off and it starts back up later, meh lol. If it doesn't, I know something is definitely wrong.

its manual right? i think i remember you did a conversion.

push start it. see if it stays alive. if it does then drive it home. turn it off, and try starting it again.

It's always been a manual. There isn't much room in the parking lot and I don't know if a push start will be possible lol. But if I have to, I'll try.

Yea, that should be a good enough time... If it doesn't start the first time, turn the key to off for a few seconds, and then try to start again. Do this multiple times until it starts...

Numbers sound about right, but you probably don't have a multi/volt meter laying around.

If all else fails, try push starting your car.

Where I work, there are mechanical and electrical assemblers. They all have their own tools and have all sorts of meters and stuff.




Thanks for the input all. Hopefully it starts up and I can get home.

 

[LowNotSlow]

John can't even turn his car on, let alone a woman.

 

[Genuine Rolla]

Well, did ya make it home or what?

 

[JohnS.]

John can't even turn his car on, let alone a woman.

.

Yeah I made it home. Forgot I made a thread lol. I had a ton of errands to run before I got home and it fired up everytime I shut the car off for an errand.

I am incredibly surprised the jump took that much juice out of my battery. Especially a brand new one. So were all of the guys I work with. The second the jumper cables were hooked up to my battery and I turned the key to on, everything was back to being 100% fine.