mason753

I've been driving my car and the battery has been dying, It seemed like a weak battery so I took it to carquest and had them charge it, after a while it had died again. Today I was driving home from school and the battery died while driving the car still ran but I lost all power steering and stuff.. Keep in mind it's like 30 degrees outside and my car has been sitting there without being driven since June. It might be the alternator but I'm dying to here that it's my battery for lack of money. I'm broke the car has been such a nightmare. Never had a problem with the alternator before my car hydrolocked so I'm really not sure what's wrong.

mason753

bump.. come on guys.. please help me out.

kdub1492

iTrader: (8)

It sounds like you battery, but I wouldn't think it would just die when you were driving. That just doesn't sound right. I guess if you are short on money you could try and get a new battery, but from what I have experienced it is an altenator problem. Im not 100% tho

O9cobaltSS

make sure the conectors are rly tight

mason753

Just did, they are. The battery, even when I had it charged, seemed really weak when I tried to start the car.

Frew

iTrader: (9)

Might be both, take it to advanced auto, they can test both the alternator and battery, its free....

05Slowline

iTrader: (2)

had the same problem after my car sat a few months doing the turbo swap lol alternator **** the bed...if its not keeping the battery charged it's most likely the alternator....take it off and go to autozone and have them test it it's like 5 bolts including the leads to take off maybe 10 minutes

mason753

but won't the belt be a BIATCH to put back on?

alleycat58

If it's dying while you're driving it, you need to check the alternator as well as the battery, like others have said. Willing to bet you'll find that that's the problem. I had that happen on my old Cavalier. Also, pay the extra however much it costs to REPLACE the battery (even if it's new and even if they tell you it's fine), could have saved myself another 6 months of headaches if I'd just replaced the battery when I replaced the alternator.

05Slowline

iTrader: (2)

**** i was thinkin bout the starter lol but not really then again i had the pulleyboys tool....u can just use a rag and crowbar too time to become a man lol

alleycat58

Trust me, it's better than the alternative. When the alternator **** the bed in my Cavalier it was a major major major headache to get everything fixed. I had been out of town and a friend had driven it for like 2 weeks with a bad alternator, and they just kept using the battery tender thing I had to recharge the battery instead of, you know, getting it fixed.

mason753

Butttt, IF it's the battery and not the alternator. Should I just go ahead and get a new battery first just to make sure before spending a lot of money?

alleycat58

Have the alternator tested first and see. How old is the battery?

383_Stroker

iTrader: (3)

If it dies while driving down the road.. its the alternator.. the end

cranemaster

Fuse inline 1 foot from the battery in the truck.. push on it and make sure its installed good.

MyOtherSS

iTrader: (1)

This.

Phyrric

Start the car and then unhook the battery if it dies its the alternator.

Sharkey

iTrader: (1)

exactly. the battery is used to start the car, the alternator is used to power everything electrical once the car is running.

here is a simple way to test it, all you need is a volt meter. hook the volt meter up to the battery. is it bellow 12.45 volts with the car shut off? if so, your battery is getting weak. start the car, when cranking does the voltage drop bellow 10.5 volts? if it does, your battery is junk. with the car running at idle, is voltage above 13.8? if not, your alternator is weak. turn everything in the car on with it running, headlights, high beams, fan, stereo, 4 ways, etc. with all that on, is the voltage lower than 13.5? if so, your alternator is bad.

id put my money on a bad alternator. however, your battery may now be bad as well. the battery is not meant to be discharged and charged back up, its meant to provide a short burst of high current draw, then be charged back up slowly by the alternator. every time the battery goes dead and you have to jump/charge it, it loses life.

ULWizSS

iTrader: (5)

I just ordered a new alternator and have a perfectly good and working one. Ordered a new one for the turbo swap. Make me an offer if your intersted on the old one. Nothing wrong with at all.

mason753

It's the same battery since I bought it at the first of February this year.