Newbie Question: Is this a dead starter?
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Teching In
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Newbie Question: Is this a dead starter? My '98 Trans Am doesn't get driven much. I try to remember to start it up and take it for a spin once a week, at which point, the battery is maintained. However, every once in a while, I neglect it, and yeah, the battery will be dead. When this happens, I just hook up a charger and bring the battery back up to 100% and it starts right up.
This morning, I shouldn't have even tried to start it up because it had been 3 weeks since I'd cranked it and the ambient temp was 40 degrees. It did the usual clicking, so I hooked up the charger and charged it up to 99%. (temp is up to 60s, now). When I then tried to start it, I only hear a faint dull click---not the usual rapid "click-click-click-click-click" from the starter. Dash cluster lights up. Dash battery gauge says battery voltage is good. Each time I turn the key, just a faint single dull click. The "security" light does NOT stay on, so it's not that. The retractable antenna comes up as usual and I hear the usual hum that I've always assumed is the fuel pump.
So, battery is good.
Is this likely a bad starter? The only thing that has me questioning it is that I don't hear the starter even trying to spin.
This morning, I shouldn't have even tried to start it up because it had been 3 weeks since I'd cranked it and the ambient temp was 40 degrees. It did the usual clicking, so I hooked up the charger and charged it up to 99%. (temp is up to 60s, now). When I then tried to start it, I only hear a faint dull click---not the usual rapid "click-click-click-click-click" from the starter. Dash cluster lights up. Dash battery gauge says battery voltage is good. Each time I turn the key, just a faint single dull click. The "security" light does NOT stay on, so it's not that. The retractable antenna comes up as usual and I hear the usual hum that I've always assumed is the fuel pump.
So, battery is good.
Is this likely a bad starter? The only thing that has me questioning it is that I don't hear the starter even trying to spin.
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From: Bossier City, Louisiana
Your battery is deader than Millard Fillmore regardless of any indicated voltage. It can no longer deliver the amps needed. Please understand -- volts x amps = watts or power or in your case . . . the ability to spin a starter motor. Volts is only half of the power equation. Lead acid batteries DESPISE being ran down to nothing for voltage no matter how new or old or whatever brand they are.
Take your battery to an auto parts store and have it "load tested" - usually a free service. Charge it up first to whatever your usual battery charger indicates is good, of course. But the load test will indicate that it just can't deliver the amperage goods to get the motor going.
Rick
Take your battery to an auto parts store and have it "load tested" - usually a free service. Charge it up first to whatever your usual battery charger indicates is good, of course. But the load test will indicate that it just can't deliver the amperage goods to get the motor going.
Rick
Batteries don't like to be fully drained repeatedly and shouldn't go dead after a couple weeks, I have vehicles that sit for months and they start up no problem. As posted above your battery is probably toast.
Side note: Was it parked inside or outside? The reason I ask is because some people have had water leak down onto the engine when it rains due to a bad cowl seal. It hydro locks the engine and can been rods and or snap the starter off the block.
Side note: Was it parked inside or outside? The reason I ask is because some people have had water leak down onto the engine when it rains due to a bad cowl seal. It hydro locks the engine and can been rods and or snap the starter off the block.
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Teching In
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Your battery is deader than Millard Fillmore regardless of any indicated voltage. It can no longer deliver the amps needed. Please understand -- volts x amps = watts or power or in your case . . . the ability to spin a starter motor. Volts is only half of the power equation. Lead acid batteries DESPISE being ran down to nothing for voltage no matter how new or old or whatever brand they are.
Take your battery to an auto parts store and have it "load tested" - usually a free service. Charge it up first to whatever your usual battery charger indicates is good, of course. But the load test will indicate that it just can't deliver the amperage goods to get the motor going.
Rick
Take your battery to an auto parts store and have it "load tested" - usually a free service. Charge it up first to whatever your usual battery charger indicates is good, of course. But the load test will indicate that it just can't deliver the amperage goods to get the motor going.
Rick
If the battery is dead, I should be able to jump it off with another vehicle, then, right? If that's true, I won't have to have it towed.
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From: Bossier City, Louisiana
I've seen vehicles with batteries too sick to be jumped. Dead cell, sulphated lead plates, electrolyte boiled away because of a bad voltage regulator, blown rectifier diodes passing too much alternating current . . . you name it.
Its worth a try to give it a jump. Or you could simply remove your battery and take it with you to the auto parts store. You need to do that anyway to get it load tested.
Rick
Its worth a try to give it a jump. Or you could simply remove your battery and take it with you to the auto parts store. You need to do that anyway to get it load tested.
Rick
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BTW - A perfectly healthy battery should be 12.7-13.2V: (depending on when it came off the charger) https://www.batterystuff.com/kb/freq...-13-volts.html
In terms of plumbing, you can think of Voltage as the size of the electron "pipe" the battery has to flow electrons out of. The Amps are the rate of flow of electrons that the battery can produce. If Voltage (size of the pipe) or Amps (raw flow) are reduced, the overall flow of power out of the battery will also be cut.
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Teching In
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This just one of two measurements that is important in the equation. The other is the CCA - Cold Cranking Amps, which is something you can't measure with your tools. You'd have to take it to an auto parts store to be tested there - but even so, those tests aren't always accurate. But this battery sure does sound dead.
BTW - A perfectly healthy battery should be 12.7-13.2V: (depending on when it came off the charger) https://www.batterystuff.com/kb/freq...-13-volts.html
In terms of plumbing, you can think of Voltage as the size of the electron "pipe" the battery has to flow electrons out of. The Amps are the rate of flow of electrons that the battery can produce. If Voltage (size of the pipe) or Amps (raw flow) are reduced, the overall flow of power out of the battery will also be cut.
Yes. This is also the easiest way to confirm if your battery is really bad.
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Joined: Dec 2017
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From: Bossier City, Louisiana
No, your still connected but very dysfunctional battery is a sinking ship for energy traveling from the jump start battery. Your dead battery has become sort of a large resistor turning electrical power into heat which leaves not enough power from the jump start battery to spin the starter.
Try disconnecting your dead battery and jump directly to your vehicle's cables bypassing your dead battery. If it won't start this way then its a cable / connector problem or maybe . . . maybe a starter problem.
If it does start, you need to reconnect the original battery. Quickly. Your alternator needs to have some battery load to it to moderate its charging circuitry. But don't drive it like this for long because its not good for your alternator with a sick battery either.
Rick
Try disconnecting your dead battery and jump directly to your vehicle's cables bypassing your dead battery. If it won't start this way then its a cable / connector problem or maybe . . . maybe a starter problem.
If it does start, you need to reconnect the original battery. Quickly. Your alternator needs to have some battery load to it to moderate its charging circuitry. But don't drive it like this for long because its not good for your alternator with a sick battery either.
Rick
No, your still connected but very dysfunctional battery is a sinking ship for energy traveling from the jump start battery. Your dead battery has become sort of a large resistor turning electrical power into heat which leaves not enough power from the jump start battery to spin the starter.
Try disconnecting your dead battery and jump directly to your vehicle's cables bypassing your dead battery. If it won't start this way then its a cable / connector problem or maybe . . . maybe a starter problem.
If it does start, you need to reconnect the original battery. Quickly. Your alternator needs to have some battery load to it to moderate its charging circuitry. But don't drive it like this for long because its not good for your alternator with a sick battery either.
Rick
Try disconnecting your dead battery and jump directly to your vehicle's cables bypassing your dead battery. If it won't start this way then its a cable / connector problem or maybe . . . maybe a starter problem.
If it does start, you need to reconnect the original battery. Quickly. Your alternator needs to have some battery load to it to moderate its charging circuitry. But don't drive it like this for long because its not good for your alternator with a sick battery either.
Rick
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I won't. At this point, it's apparent I need a new battery, regardless. I will purchase a new battery and hope it resolves the issue. The battery is at least 3 years old and given what I have learned here, it's been a hard 3 years by my allowing it to deplete several times.
There's a lot of factors involved with jumping. This car, relatively, is very hard to jump and needs a lot of power. There is a good point above that your old battery is a sink on the equation and may be pulling power from the jump in a fruitless effort to charge up more. Even then, you'll probably need to rev the engine of the truck and make sure you have thick jumper cables (thin ones won't work) used. If the truck isn't a V8 and doesn't have a battery of its own, on-par with the Firebirds, then it may not be possible to pull off the jump anyway.
I won't. At this point, it's apparent I need a new battery, regardless. I will purchase a new battery and hope it resolves the issue. The battery is at least 3 years old and given what I have learned here, it's been a hard 3 years by my allowing it to deplete several times.
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So, I'll probably get a battery in the next couple days.
AutoZone has this one for $160 and Walmart has this one for $75.
I'm assuming Duralast is going to be the one recommended, but I thought I'd ask. Otherwise, there's no sense in spending $80 more when it's not really necessary.
AutoZone has this one for $160 and Walmart has this one for $75.
I'm assuming Duralast is going to be the one recommended, but I thought I'd ask. Otherwise, there's no sense in spending $80 more when it's not really necessary.
The Walmart battery is of inferior quality (you can generally tell with batteries by the warranty they provide - the longer the warranty, generally - the purer the materials inside) and it is also weaker. AutoZone is 700 CCA vs. Wal-mart's 600 CCA.
That being said, neither is a "bad" battery.
You should confirm how you use the car and how long you are going to keep it. If you told me that you are going to have the car for 2 years - I'd probably tell you to get the Wal-mart battery. If you told me that you live in a cold area, I'd tell you to get the AutoZone battery for the extra CCA in the winter. If you told me that you only drive the car occasionally, I'd tell you not to get either of these and look for a deep cycle option.
^ So, if you are going to still "not drive this car much", then a deep cycle battery (above all else) is going to treat you MUCH better.
That being said, neither is a "bad" battery.
You should confirm how you use the car and how long you are going to keep it. If you told me that you are going to have the car for 2 years - I'd probably tell you to get the Wal-mart battery. If you told me that you live in a cold area, I'd tell you to get the AutoZone battery for the extra CCA in the winter. If you told me that you only drive the car occasionally, I'd tell you not to get either of these and look for a deep cycle option.
^ So, if you are going to still "not drive this car much", then a deep cycle battery (above all else) is going to treat you MUCH better.
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The Walmart battery is of inferior quality (you can generally tell with batteries by the warranty they provide - the longer the warranty, generally - the purer the materials inside) and it is also weaker. AutoZone is 700 CCA vs. Wal-mart's 600 CCA.
That being said, neither is a "bad" battery.
You should confirm how you use the car and how long you are going to keep it. If you told me that you are going to have the car for 2 years - I'd probably tell you to get the Wal-mart battery. If you told me that you live in a cold area, I'd tell you to get the AutoZone battery for the extra CCA in the winter. If you told me that you only drive the car occasionally, I'd tell you not to get either of these and look for a deep cycle option.
^ So, if you are going to still "not drive this car much", then a deep cycle battery (above all else) is going to treat you MUCH better.
That being said, neither is a "bad" battery.
You should confirm how you use the car and how long you are going to keep it. If you told me that you are going to have the car for 2 years - I'd probably tell you to get the Wal-mart battery. If you told me that you live in a cold area, I'd tell you to get the AutoZone battery for the extra CCA in the winter. If you told me that you only drive the car occasionally, I'd tell you not to get either of these and look for a deep cycle option.
^ So, if you are going to still "not drive this car much", then a deep cycle battery (above all else) is going to treat you MUCH better.
Side note; There are still people who think storing a battery on concrete will ruin it....that's not true at all.
Personally I'd get a NAPA Legend battery(blue label). Those things are legit. Everyone I've tested, shows at least 100CCA over what they are rated at.
Don't get the NAPA battery with the red label. I've had nothing but bad luck with them.
I have had really good luck with the Duralast Gold batteries too. Just my .02
Don't get the NAPA battery with the red label. I've had nothing but bad luck with them.
I have had really good luck with the Duralast Gold batteries too. Just my .02