Help! Battery or ?
08-26-2009, 07:33 PM
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Help! Battery or ? I've got a 98' Z28 basically stock with just under 95k mileage and around 3 months ago I had to replace my battery because the previous one was a dud that worked fine for 5 months and then completely died one day after parking it at Target. Pep Boys tested it and it proved to be defective however it was a Duralast that I got at AutoZone so I went back to AutoZone and they tested it and the results indicated it was fine, go figure. They were nice and exchanged it anyways.
So yesterday, the battery gauge starting randomly surging down into the red right around 10 volts and then it would shoot right back up again. It only did it at a dead stop while idling and when this happens, the RPM and MPH gauge shoots up but then drops right back down as the battery gauge shoots back up to its regular spot a little past the middle. The car still idled fine as this occured. Today the car acted fine until I tried to go somewhere after work and then it started to surge lower into the red making the car start to stutter a bit so I turned right back around and headed home. Is buying a battery the next best bet do you think? I guess I'm going to try a Interstate or an Optima since PepBoys swears against AutoZone batteries as well as my local mechanic. I went 5 years on a Duralast before going through 2 of them in the last 8 months. Any input would be appreciated
So yesterday, the battery gauge starting randomly surging down into the red right around 10 volts and then it would shoot right back up again. It only did it at a dead stop while idling and when this happens, the RPM and MPH gauge shoots up but then drops right back down as the battery gauge shoots back up to its regular spot a little past the middle. The car still idled fine as this occured. Today the car acted fine until I tried to go somewhere after work and then it started to surge lower into the red making the car start to stutter a bit so I turned right back around and headed home. Is buying a battery the next best bet do you think? I guess I'm going to try a Interstate or an Optima since PepBoys swears against AutoZone batteries as well as my local mechanic. I went 5 years on a Duralast before going through 2 of them in the last 8 months. Any input would be appreciated
08-26-2009, 09:33 PM
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well, I decided to try and drive with no AC on and it acted fine the whole way there. I got there and they tested it and both the alternator and battery were fine. I think I might have made a mistake though since I didn't have it tested while the AC and stereo were on so the battery/alternator would take on a full load. I did however turn the AC on full blast,no stereo though, after the test to see if it would start doing it but it still didn't do it. The guy who tested it said if it only does it when the AC is on, maybe it could be something wrong with the AC compressor or pulley. Does this sound plausible?
